Ocean Unit---free collection of materials

  Things are winding down at my school in preparation for our annual test-taking ritual.  This year---a little less frenzy, since scores won't be available for everyone until October.  This late date will eliminate retests (if a kid didn't pass in the past years, he or she had the joy of taking it again).  This year, there's a reprieve from that for both the kids and for the adults who have to administer the tests.  I'm happy!

For those of you who need materials centered around the beach or ocean theme, I've been collecting them over the years.  During summer ESY (extended school year), we typically celebrate the beach and ocean, so I have several adapted books and crafts in my tool chest.  Here they are!  All free as usual.

The Ocean Book Packet

 

 

 

 

 

  Crabs Everywhere 

Fish and Friends

 

 

 

Sand Art Fish

Let's Make JellyFish

 

 

 

 

Beach Fun Preposition Bingo

 

 

 

 

  Who Swims? Printable book and icons

 

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Fish and Friends---printable book and icons

I've been a little slow with postings this summer.  Maybe it's due to the 105 degree temps, or maybe I'm out of ideas.  I will say that I've met some great kids in ESY, one of whom has inspired me to launch into the 5k club.  That will be September 15th.   For those of you who live around Chapel Hill, and who like to walk or run, this race is for a wonderful cause.  Read about it HERE.  I'm sure this will be a future blog entry.

For now, I just want to say that I've continued with the ocean/beach theme this summer.  Last summer, I wrote about a book I used, but that was before I discovered how to share Google Docs.  Now I know how, so I uploaded both the book and the printable icons to go with it.  Print all, laminate, bind, and velcro, and you have a book to use with lots of kids.  Sample pages are shown below.  This book is slightly similar to my other book (Yellow Fish, Yellow Fish, What do you see?).  If you wonder why, it's because I strongly believe the kids need repetition, with slight changes the next time concepts are presented.  It's all about joint action routines.  They learn the language for an activity, then the activity is changed a bit, but not completely different.  They then learn some new things, but review the old.  Have fun with this---download away!!! 

My actual book with a real kid's hand!

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Printable icons

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Click Here to download the book "Fish and Friends"

Click Here to download the icons in Boardmaker

Click Here to download the icons in pdf

Let's Make Jellyfish---printable directions

We make happy friendly jellyfish in our Extended School Year program!   The kids made these last year, and I wrote about it here.  Since then, I have learned to post directions to share in Google Docs, so here is the link for the directions in pdf

I put together a very simple communication board for one child, but my main goal for the group was for them to learn the routine of following a schedule, and using appropriate language to request. (Three of the four children could speak.)  The OT was with me (this was a co-taught group), and provided much needed help with the fine motor aspects.  We may end up doing this or similar activity again to develop some Joint Action Routines! 

Click here to download directions for the Jellyfish craft in pdf.

What can Dolphins do? Latest printable adapted book

As many of you know, I'm working this summer in the Extended School Year program.  It's a nice job, with great kids, and I'm anticipating that the theme will be around oceans, beaches, sea animals, and fun.  To prepare for this, I've been making a few materials, and the latest is a dolphin book that I grabbed off of Tarheel Reader, revised it a bit, and adapted it with Boardmaker icons. Print the book, print the icons, laminate, cut out the icons, afix velcro, and let the kids match icons to the pictures as you read it.  Expand their knowledge base with questions!  Let them fill in the answers!  The possibilities abound.

   This book is very similar to some previous books I've developed or adapted (cats, dogs, horses, and chimps).  Download free!

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icons to use to adapt the book

Click here to download the book "What can Dolphins Do?"

Click here to download the icons in Boardmaker

Click here to download the icons in pdf






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