Vocabulary tasks and games 1

I want to share here some vocabulary games that I do with my students. But first of all those games would be useful to children with communication problems. 

Practice: Point
This game is very good for those students who don’t talk. They learn new words and later on I put 
2 - 4 different flashcards in front of them and tell one word and child points to it. 


Practice: Yes / No 1
Put flashcards face down, when child chooses one, turn and ask: "Is it …?" game continues till there's Yes answer.  
(Kids that don’t talk can show "yes" or "no" for example with the movements of their head.)

 Practice: Yes / No 2
Hide flashcards behind your back child tells right or left hand and when you show a picture he/she names it (for those who talk) and Yes/ No  game (for those who don't), here teacher can simply name different words and child answers yes or no.

Revision: Guess
In the classroom we choose a unit for example "My mealtime". One child thinks of a word that we learned in this unit and doesn't tell to anybody else. The other ones take turns to guess the word.

Reading tasks and games 1

Matching task
Child has a set of words printed and flashcards with the images of those words. The task is to match words with its pictures. To make a task a bit more complicated there could be either extra flashcard or extra word.

 Candy game
Print a tablet with 9 -12 words. Tell 1 word if the student was able to read and recognize it he/she puts candy on it. When the game is over child receives only those candies which are on the right places (right words).


A, B or C

Print words with missing letters, and letters separately (could be added some extra letters). Child should recognize the word and choose a missing letter. 

About our books

Together with my students we learn English using Oxford University Press books "First friends 1" and "First Friends 2". Books and flashcards are very colorful. Since my students are disabled, all the tasks we do are oral. That's why the big size of flashcards and pictures in the books makes it easier for kids to point to them. Children enjoy learning English with the main characters of these books – Tess, Baz, Adam, Pet and Jig. 


Christmas and New Year

Our party took place on December 25th. As usual we started with a presentation. We talked about origins of Christmas, I've told about Julian callendar and Gregorian calendar and explained why people in the USA celebrate Christmas on December 25th and Ukrainians on January 7th. As well chilren learned more information about Santa Claus and found out about tradition of hanking stockings on the fireplace. And also I've showed kids some photos how Americans celenrate Christmas. After that each child received paper stocking and small Christmas stickers. They chosed some and decorated their stokings with it. After the party kids took their stockings home. 
We also had artificial fire place and our Christmas tree and we also found some presents under it: candies and Christmas decorations (it's big stickers that can be sticked to the window glass or fridge). 
Big Thanks goes to three kids from local schools that were volunteers during our party.

Presentation

Decorating with stickers their own
 paper Christmas stokings

kk
Receiving presents

Receiving presents









Chrystyna receives her present

Volunteers talk to Olya
My student Nastya and I 

Thanksgiving

After Halloween kids told me they liked trick-or-treating a lot, that is why I've decided to do Quest game for them for Thansgiving. First of all, as usual, I've told children about history of Thanksgiving then kids were divided into 3 teams and started their quest. Quest had 3 stations with tasks: 1. English station - where we had vocabulary questions; 2. Fairytale station - where kids were answering questions about fairytale characters, if the answer was correct the puppet of the character was shown. 3. Sports station - kids had to drive in between ninepins and don't hit them. At each station after the completion of the task each team received chocolate medals. When Quest was over we came back to the room where our celebration have started and decorated our Christmas tree.
Again thanks to our children volunteers (in yellow t-shirts) who came to help my disabled students to participate in Quest game.

Information on Thanksgiving
Let's the game begin!
English station
Fairytale Station
Sports station
Receiving chocolate medals
Decorating Christmas tree
Decorating Christmas tree

Halloween

On October 31st, 2013 we had Halloween. Our Halloween party was very positive. Kids were wearing masks of their favourite cartoon heroes. First of all I have told kids about origins of this holiday, then we've cut pumpkin and made Jack-o-lantern. After kids received candies from me they went trick-or-treating around their Rehabilitation Centre. They liked it a lot. 
Big thanks goes to children who were volunteers at our holiday (they are in yellow t-shirts) they were pushing wheelchairs while their disabled agemates were trick-or-treating.

Information on origins of Halloween


My students

Jack-o-lentern

treack-or-treating
treack-or-treating
treack-or-treating
treack-or-treating
 

US Independence Day

Project "Teaching English to children with special needs" got started from the celebration of US Independence Day on July 4th, 2013. The participants of the event were the children who attend English classes. They learned interesting facts about the USA and traditions of celebrating Independence Day in America. Kids made handmade decoration by themselves. At the end of a celebration children received treats: candies and food that local McDonald's donated. Also our Celebration visited Khrystyna who is a worker at "Window in America" in Lviv. She told kids about traditions of celebrating 4th of July nowadays and showed them the book about Independence Day. Also the workers of "Window in America" gave us a big US flag. It was not only the main American symbol at our celebration but also I had a chance to tell and show children what stars, stripes and colors on the flag symbolize).


I am telling kinds about Indians and showing kids a 
dreamcatcher that I brought from Indian village in Florida
Ira makes decoration
Serhiy decorates the wall with the decoration 
that kids made by themselves
Treats from McDonald's and candies