In this blog post today I am going to be discussing using write the room activities in special education. I love using write the room activities – and so do my students. So they have become a huge part of our yearly activities. And today I really want to share some of the reasons why and the benefits of using them with your students too!
What are Write the Room Activities?
‘Write the Room’ is an engaging, hands-on activity that can be used in a variety of settings with all ages. You can use these activities from preschool all the way up to upper elementary and just change them up to suit students needs, ability levels and ages.
These activities involve placing word cards and/or pictures around the room and having students “hunt” for them. Once the students find the card, they record the word on a recording sheet or in a notebook.
What are the Benefits of Write the Room Activities?
One of the biggest benefits of using write the room activities in special education is that they get students up and moving.
In today’s world, it’s easy for students to spend hours sitting in front of screens. Write the room activities are a great way to break up the day and get students moving around the room. You can even extend them to moving around the school, or even outdoors!
In addition to promoting physical activity, write the room activities also help to develop important literacy skills.
Your students must read and write the words they find, which helps to build their sight word recognition, spelling, and vocabulary. This also encourages them to use their writing skills in a meaningful way.
Special education teachers should definitely consider using these activities in their classrooms. For students with special educational needs, it can be challenging to stay focused and engaged in traditional classroom activities. Write the room activities offer a fun and interactive way to learn, which can help to increase motivation and participation. I know personally that I have seen how successful these activities are for my students.
Another benefit of these activities is that they can be easily differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. For example, you can use different sets of cards for different skill levels, or provide support for struggling learners by pairing them with a partner.
Overall, Write the Room activities are a fun and effective way to promote physical activity and literacy skills in the classroom. Whether you’re a general education or special education teacher, this activity is sure to be a hit with your students. So why not give them a try and see the benefits for yourself?
My 5 Favorite Write the Room Activities
If you are wanting to try out some write the room activities, here are 5 of my favorites;
1. Farm Write the Room
This one is probably the most popular write the room activity with my students. I’ve hidden the cards around the room, outside and even in farm themed sensory bins. My students have so much fun pretending to be the farm animals that they find as well! You can download this one here.
2. World War 1 Write the Room
Working on history can be really hard for my students. Especially to find activities that they enjoy and learn from. This World War 1 write the room activity always proves to be a big hit. It gets my students working on vocabulary and gives me different options to open up conversations about what we have been learning about. You can download this set here.
3. Money Write the Room
I’m always thinking of new and fun ideas to work on money skills with my students. This write the room activity is another fun way for my students to work on identifying different money. I also have them carry out a little pocket folder of money and they have to find the matching coin/note to go with the card. Try it out here.
4. Body Parts Write the Room
This set is all about different body parts. I love getting my students to find the same body part on themselves when they find the card to extend the learning even further. Check out this set here.
5. Feelings Write the Room
I spend a lot of time working on feelings with my students. And this write the room activity is a great extender for working with them. I love how excited they get when the find the different cards. Then I encourage them to try and show me what that feeling is. I’ve even had students ask them ‘tell me a time when you felt proud’ ‘what do you think would make someone feel angry?’ It’s all about adapting to your students individual needs and levels. But these write the room activities truly give so many opportunities for learning, I just love them! Check out this feelings set here.
Have you tried using write the room activities with your students? Do you have any questions? If so, leave them in the comments below.
If you found this blog post helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media.
Nikki
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