DOCUMENT RESUME ED 260 524 EC 180 288 AUTHOR Barringer, M. D.; Kosal-Smither,C. TITLE Really Together Now! A Resource andActivity Guide for the Developmentally Disabled. MolehillsOut of Mountains. INSTITUTION Wayne County Intermediate School District,Detroit, Mich. SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington,DC. PUB DATE 85 NOTE 94p.; Sequel to "All Together Now" (ED246 601). Document contains small print. AVAILABLE FROMYou're Exceptional, 8313 Grayfield,Dearborn Heights, MI, 48127 ($2.50). PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Use Guides (For Teachers) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Availablefrom EDRS. DESCRIPTORS *Developmental Disabilities; *LargeGroup Instruction; Learning Activities;Lesson Plans; *Severe Disabilities; Teaching Methods;Units of Study ABSTRACT The booklet describes approachesto teaching a large group of severely developmentally disabled students. Thebook begins with a review of the circle time format intendedto foster motivation through a sense of playfulness, novel items,and opportunities for student participation and response. A themeapproach to planning is advocated, and examples of some popular units usingthe calendar are given along with corresponding activities (includingcircuses and St. Patrick's Day). A multidisciplinary effort isfeatured in the description of lesson plans on home living developedby a speech/language pathologist andan occupational therapist. Additional lesson and theme plans are offered for music, creativemovement, and cooking. (CL) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRSare the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** ir 777; 1.3' 'The teacher and the developmentally disabledstudenE who, together take a complex learning taskand attain mastery of it have surely succeeded in making amole hill out of a mountain." BOARD OF EEIJC2Ulal MEMBERS tharles D. Akey Boyd W. Arthurs Armen Barsamian Mazry E. Madman Joan R. Banpeter William Simmons Superintendent .. ',,c:i'.".;.,...,. ... , . i.....-, ..1 .,,..,... '77.. ..."7 -:, ' 41, 7 .; ' ' .7 7' '''' 7 ' tIi; t ''3 ''''.. x = 7 '-'''' '.':.."...1 ; "?,77.11:7:;: .s'7.11.: i t"''.7 . '' 7'- .,'/ i,;:f.;';'-'t.' if.i. ;.:- le ....''..'%'.`... "4..lt?7.:, :i- -. '. ; 4%,. V. ,..... ', The book All Together Now described a format forgroup teaching that enabled educators to begin to attempt creative teaching activities forseverely developmentally disabled individuals. It answered such questions as "How does one provide activities for a large group of developmentally disabledindividuals when understaffed?" "Is it possible to teach a large group of varying develop- rental disabilities?" "Given the demands of the IEP (Individual Educational Plan) can one provide a single activity that will stresslearning objectives in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domain?" The answer was a resounding "YES". This issue of Molehills Out of Mountains is a sequelto All Together Now. It has been written for people who have developed the skillsof large group teaching and who need additional activities and varieties of the CIRCLETime format as presented in the first book. If you have riot yet tried to teach a largegroup of severely developmentally disabled students, thenwe suggest you use All Together Now before attempting the group activities in ReallyTogether Now. This book begins with a review of the original CircleTime format which provides the basic structure for all the largegroup activities. Highly motivating group activities will enable the special educator to achieve successfullarge group teaching. Key elements for these activities are: a sense of playfulness, use of items that are highly motivating and somewhat novel, andopportunities for student participation and response. We again include a response hierarchy that may be reproduced and posted with lesson plans. Creating a sense of motivation and "fun" with the activities comes from the unitor "there" teaching approach to planning. Use of a calendar concept facilitates this type of planning. We have included examples of same of the more popular units usingthe calendar and the corresponding activities. The calendar concept of planning extends beyond the classroom into a multidisciplinary approach to teachingas an occupational therapist and a speech therapist share their activities forteaching goals in their areas using a "theme". Teachers who may have to limit the arrant of time they allot for group teaching will find examples of units thatare also built around the Circle Time Fermat. Following the "unit plans" of Circle Time, we again takeyou to the exciting world of music. As with the unit activities, the music format shows howyou can teach cognitive, psycho-rotor and affective objectivesthrough songs and musical activities. We also hop on the current bandwagon of exercising to music by offering suggestions for simple reverent routines to music. And lastly, the enticing world of a "cooking class" not only providesan array of sensory stimulation, but teaches self-help skills, language and cognitive skillsalong with valuable socialization opportunities. We hope that the enthusiasm we have experienced doing these activities withour severely developmentally disabled students is evident inour description of the activities. Rerember, be creative, enjoy, and rest assured that there's "fun" in a functional classroom. The authors would like to thank the staff at Moses Field Center in Detroitwho assisted in field-testing many of these activities. 1 NFWSITTLYg OUT OF MOUNMAINS Circle Time Fermat for Group Teaching CIRCLE TIME can best be described as group language instruction and practice. Goals and objectives in the areas of language, reasoning and problem solving and attending can be worked on during circle time. Suggested goals and objectives are found in All Together Now. You will find that as you become familiar with the circle time format, you may select different goals and objectives that you feel will also fit into this format of teaching. Teaching in a group promotes generalization of language and attending skills learned in a more individualized instructional setting. Each "Circle Time: con- sists of the following elements: INEKINDUCTION: Show objects, pictures or other materials that are to be used. Students look at, touch, identify or name the objects and/or pictures. DEMONsi UCTICN: Name the "game" you will be playing. Describe the task to the students and demonstrate the task for all the students to see. GROUP PRACTICE: Students practice task involved in the game. HELPER: Students raise hands and are selected, one at a time, to perform the group activity. When beginning to teach your students in a group, set minimal goals. For example, these goals were selected for a class of non-verbal, severely retarded individuals who were all learning to ommunicate through the use of sign: 1) To increase attending; 2) To increase motor imitation skills (imitating signs, gestures, a point or touch response): 3) To develop identification of objects and /or pictures; and 4) To develop, ability to name a picture or object, using a sign. Circle Time for these .students initially lasted only ten minutes. Edible and social reinforcement was used for appropriate sitting, attending and communica- tion behaiors. FA,ble reinioroftunt can be gradually faded until it is no longer needed. Tb,2 following list of suggestions should be considered when initiating group, activities with your students: Be consistent! Carry out at least one group activity each day. Decid, on strategies to be used te cope with behavior problems and eticx with it. 21 :ltar- Select simple objectives and try a ten - minute 4roep ,7,,,ssi,n while pouring on the reinforcement. 3, Include all students. A basic ltsson plan can be- modified to include students at different developmental levels. Select a response modE.- for each student tr ass. 4: Dof.'t dins araded: Most severely retarded students have not , attend 'n a qrc:4-. This skill takes time to develop. ill,/ ALT 7= daffn,l 71.7k' . One staff will act as the wtflt, -:,,ther staff provide OLdels for appror:riate reahrnses, AZ'IF rihr.,7_,n7.,Aly,r.t delivery and give phys:cia: when nesAl.,d. 2 5 CIScuraf? Malt/MINS Students at different developmental levels can be expected to respond to the activities in same way. The following list is a "response mode hierarchy" which describes a variety of responses from "easy to difficult". These sugges- tions are based on developmental scales and on the information from Viashtenaw County LSD's language curriculum modules titled "Social and Cognitive Bases of Communication and Language". You will probably be able to think of other possible responses and fit then in. - attends to instructor's face -attends to interesting object or event (visual fixation) -grasps objectives reflexively -directs attention to object/event (visual tracking) - begins to reach for what one sees (visual prehension) - uses undifferentiated actions on objects (i.e., bangs all objects) -uses approach or avoidance response to cannunicate termination or repetition of the activity (gaze return/aversion; motorically changes body position) - uses augmentative systems to indicate termination or participation in activity - uses purposeful grasp and release of object -demonstrates function of an object -points/gestures to object (given choice of 2) -imitates simple motor patterns (raise hand, shake head, gestures) - name object with word/sign/picture/symbol