Resources for teaching children with T21 and other special needs
Today I’m sharing how my son with Down Syndrome is learning to spell. Surprisingly, there is very little information online on how to teach children with T21 to spell, and particularly how to spell beyond the CVC words. So here’s a post about my favorite methods and materials for teaching spelling to children with Down Syndrome.
Using addition flash cards are a quick and easy way to help our kids practice the addition facts. For children with Down Syndrome and other visual learners, including a visual aid on the flash cards makes addition more concrete. I searched high and low for rekenrek addition flash cards with large numbers and finally ended up making them myself.
Continue reading “Simply Addition Level 1 Flash Cards and Worksheets” →
For those of you using First Steps with Phonics, here are decodable readers that give your students extra practice with reading. Decodable readers use phonetically controlled vocabulary to give students targeted practice with whatever phonogram students are currently learning. They are a great tool for developing fluency in reading. These particular decodable readers are designed for children with Down Syndrome and those with visual impairments.
Continue reading “First Steps with Phonics: Decodable Readers” →
Here’s a set of extra large picture and word cards to help children with (or without) Down Syndrome learn to sound out words. Children with DS have poor visual acuity, which means they see everything in soft focus, even when wearing eyeglasses. This can impact their ability to read, especially if the font is too small. I made these for a student in our Down Syndrome Co-op who really started to make progress once he could see the letters.
Continue reading “First Steps with Phonics: Blending Cards” →
For all of you trying or wanting to teach your child with Down Syndrome to read, I have:
Scroll to the bottom of this post for that.
But first, this post….
Recently, one of the boys in our co-op was really struggling with reading. He was having a hard time matching and memorizing sight words. Furthermore, practicing letters and their sounds did not interest him at all. In fact, during our reading lessons, he was becoming increasingly inattentive. So I wondered, “What if he just can’t see the letters? And what if he knows his letters but is bored with them?” After all, he had been learning the letters and their sounds since kindergarten, and he was now in second grade.
So I made extra-large word and picture cards to go with First Steps with Phonics, Book 1. We began decoding words that only have TWO sounds as opposed to CVC words (ie. cat and dog) which require blending three sounds. And, by golly, he’s learning to decode!
Here’s what we did:
Continue reading “How to Teach a Child with Down Syndrome to Sound Out Words” →
Here are the Games for Simply Subtraction Level 1, which covers the subtraction facts within ten. These FREE games can help bring some fun into your math lessons! Our kids need a lot of review to build confidence and fluency. Games a great for sparking interest and motivating our kids to practice those facts.
There are eight games that align with most of the lessons in Simply Subtraction Level 1.
Here are some sample pages:
Continue reading “Simply Subtraction Level 1 Games” →
Does your child need extra help with the addition and subtraction facts within 10? Here is a subtraction workbook I made for my son with T21 to help him master the subtraction facts within ten.
Similar to Simply Addition Level 1, this workbook uses a rekenrek (meaning “counting rack”) to make the process of subtraction visual and kinesthetic. After searching high and low for the ideal math manipulative for children with Down Syndrome, I think the rekenrek hits the mark. It’s an effective tool for developing number sense and making math concrete and meaningful. It is with this simple and inexpensive tool that my son has been making slow and steady progress in math.
Unfortunately, there are no Down Syndrome – friendly math workbooks that goes with a rekenrek… so guess who had to go and make one. Yours truly.
Continue reading “Simply Subtraction Level 1 – a Math Workbook for Children with (or without) Down Syndrome” →
Is your child with Down Syndrome struggling with addition and subtraction? If so, try focusing on the essential math skills needed before beginning addition. Here are ten hands-on ways to develop number sense and prepare your child for addition and subtraction.
Continue reading “Ten Essential Math Skills that Prepare Children with Down Syndrome for Addition” →
Sequencing is such an important skill for little people and especially for those with delayed language skills. It helps build comprehension and memory, and it helps children to narrate, which in turn supports the development of speech.
Reading a picture book and re-ordering or retelling the sequence of events is a very simple yet effective way to build language skills. When I can, I use visuals to support the sequencing of events. But often we just practice telling what happened next, or who did what next. So, I’m always on the hunt for picture books with clear sequence of events.
Here are some of our favorite picture books for sequencing:
Continue reading “A Year of Picture Books with Sequencing” →
Here is a set of winter-themed addition cards focusing only in the +1 and +2 facts, designed for children with Down Syndrome and other special needs. Children with T21 need to spend a lot of time using concrete objects and pictures to support their understanding and practice of addition.
In keeping with an incremental approach to learning, I recommend helping your child master the +1 and +2 facts within ten before moving on to +3 and +4 facts. Hence, these picture addition cards.
Continue reading “Free Winter-Themed Addition Cards” →