Down Syndrome Education at Home

FREE Social Stories About Bullying

Published on September 23, 2026September 23, 2026 by Mary Cooney1 Comment

With a new school year in full swing, many parents and children are feeling anxious about the possibility of bullying. Multiple studies have shown that children with special needs are at higher risk of being victimized by bullying. In fact, they are two to three times more likely to experience bullying. Children with speech difficulties are even more vulnerable. And the psychological and emotional consequences sometimes last into adulthood.

Being proactive about this issue, and helping children recognize bullying even before it happens is one way to help prevent and mitigate patterns of bullying. So, here are two highly-illustrated, FREE social stories about bullying, written for children with (or without) special needs.

Continue reading →

A Second Grade Curriculum for Children with Down Syndrome

Published on September 15, 2026September 15, 2026 by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Today I’m sharing with you what my son with Down Syndrome did for second grade.

My kindergarten and first grade curriculum posts align with standard grade-level expectations. But second grade is different. As children with Down Syndrome get older, the academic gap between them and their typically developing peers widens.

So, this “Second Grade Curriculum” I’m sharing with you is not based on the chronological age of typically developing children. Rather, it is a combination of the materials that worked best for my son with T21 at 8 years old and what I think could be appropriate for the other 8 and 9 year old children who came to our Down Syndrome Co-op last year.

Of course, each child learns at his/her own pace, and even within Down Syndrome there is great variability. But I hope this list will help you develop a curriculum that will best suit your child and will reduce the amount of adapting you’ll have to do. I hope you’ll find some things here that will help your child/student succeed in “Second Grade.”

Continue reading →

A FREE Reading Comprehension Workbook About Saints

Published on August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 by Mary Cooney4 Comments

Here’s a FREE reading comprehension workbook about the lives of saints for students in grades 2-4. Now that my son has learned to read, he is reading to learn. A reading comprehension workbook is a perfect way to combine religion and reading.

I wrote it with the differentiated classroom in mind: the large font makes it accessible to most students, large colorful pictures aid interest and comprehension, and the variety of activities allow teachers to choose what’s best for their students.

As more and more Catholic schools adopt inclusion programs for students with special needs, more and more teachers need curricula that can work for a variety of learners. So when I make resources for my son and the kids in our co-op, I try to include different levels of learning.

If you’re a home school mom, this workbook also allows you to cover the same material with different ages.

This workbook can be used for children in grades 2-4 with various levels of comprehension and writing activities.

Continue reading →

Nature Study for Kids with Special Needs: Amphibians and Reptiles

Published on July 27, 2026July 28, 2026 by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Here’s a unit study on Amphibians and Reptiles I created for my son with Down Syndrome who is entering third grade. I made this to boost my son’s reading comprehension while helping him to marvel at the wonderful world of insects. Studying nature teaches children to observe closely and quietly and to appreciate the wonders of creation. These worksheets were designed to complement the activity of looking at real amphibians and reptiles and observing their traits and behaviors. However, they can also be used as stand-alone reading comprehension and writing activities.

Continue reading →

Nature Study for Kids with Special Needs: Insects

Published on July 7, 2026July 13, 2026 by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Here’s a unit study on Insects I created for my son with Down Syndrome who is entering third grade. I made this to boost my son’s reading comprehension while helping him to marvel at the wonderful world of insects. Studying nature teaches children to observe closely and quietly and to appreciate the wonders of creation. These worksheets were designed to complement the activity of watching real insects and observing their traits and behaviors. However, they can also be used as stand-alone reading comprehension and writing activities.

Continue reading →

A FREE Book of Poems for Second Grade

Published on June 2, 2026June 2, 2026 by Mary Cooney2 Comments

Here’s a FREE book of poems I made for my son with Down Syndrome for second grade. If you and your kids enjoyed Poems for First Grade, you’ll enjoy this compilation of poems and illustrations.

Memorizing and reciting is becoming a lost art, but there is so much to be gained from it — for all children. Memorizing and reciting poetry develops the memory and the imagination and fills the mind with beautiful imagery and language. For children with speech delays, it also helps to develop articulation and pacing in speech.

But most of all, poetry should be studied for the enjoyment and beauty of it!

Continue reading →

Let’s Learn About Money: A FREE Unit on Counting Coins

Published on April 30, 2026April 30, 2026 by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Here’s a set of worksheets I made for the kids in our Down Syndrome co-op to help them recognize and count coins of the same type.

Many of the money units I’ve seen are either only in black and white, or too busy. This makes it difficult for our kids to use. Our students need clean, uncluttered worksheets with clear large pictures and text. They also have better success when there is only ONE type of activity per page.

Here’s what I made for our first unit on money:

Continue reading →

Stop and Go! FREE Sight Word Cards and Readers

Published on April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Did you know that many children with Down Syndrome as young as 3 years old can learn to read sight words?

If you’re wondering whether or not your child is ready, here’s a free way to try.

I made this set of car-themed sight word cards and readers for a boy in our co-op who just wouldn’t sit at a desk.

So, we sat on the floor and played cars. And snuck in some sight-word learning. When I showed him the word “Go”, we’d yell “Go!”, and he would zoom a car across the floor. Then I’d show him the word “Stop” when the car stopped. Next I took out a car ramp, and I showed him the word “Car” or “Truck” before he could let a car or truck go down the ramp. Eventually, he had to read “car” or “truck” before zooming down a vehicle.

Some of the best learning happens when we incorporate play.

Continue reading →

FREE Skip Counting Puzzles

Published on March 25, 2026March 25, 2026 by Mary Cooney1 Comment

Skip counting is an important math skill, especially for counting money. Many children with special needs require extra practice with skip counting to master the correct sequence of numbers. Providing a variety of ways to practice keeps them interested. One of our favorite ways is practicing with puzzles. Here are FREE puzzles for counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. They are a fun, motivating way to practice skip counting.

Continue reading →

Simply Subtraction Level 2 Workbook: Math for Kids with (or without) Down Syndrome

Published on March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

Here’s the Simply Subtraction Level 2 workbook for helping children with Down Syndrome and other special needs learn to subtract with the help of a rekenrek. It follows Simply Addition Level 1, Simply Subtraction Level 1, and Simply Addition Level 2. The Simply Subtraction Level 2 Workbook teaches children to subtract numbers within twenty.

Continue reading →