Yesterday I shared about my massive new resource – the Ultimate Guided Reading Resource for Special Education. Within that resource are a lot of valuable teacher templates and forms. One of those forms is an individual curriculum map. Curriculum mapping is a great way plan out your students’ learning and progress on specific skills and concepts throughout the year. This combines nicely with your students’ IEP goals. I like to think of breaking down the IEP goals into even smaller pieces and then planning when I will teach each of those pieces throughout the year. This will aide your planning, future IEP writing, and assessments.
This year I have basically two groups of student who are readers. I organized them into groups based on their behavioral needs and reading levels. The groups worked out pretty well with 6 of my higher students comprising what I will refer to as the high group and 3 students at the mid group.
I looked at each students’ IEP goals which are all based on Common Core Standards. Like I mentioned, I broke down this goals even more – to the most foundational level and then decided how to space out these concepts throughout the year to build on each other. Instead of doing one for each student, I did one for each group since the students’ skill levels and IEP goals were so similar within each group. I grouped skill sets into three areas: grammar, reading strategies, and writing.
I have to tell you – this made my monthly planning a breeze! I knew what seasonal thematic topics I wanted to incorporate and I knew what skill concepts I needed to focus on. Done and done!
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10 Responses
Love this curriculum map! I have 5 students I’ve put into 2 groups. I feel like I know what I want them doing, but am not totally organized in how we’re going to get there. Love he you’ve broken this down. Thinking I’ll be doing this mapping forvmy kidos tomorrow…
I would swear in the last week I saw a post on here you said something about you use the common core standards to help you write your IEP objectives. Our school district is starting to get on the common core kick and wanting all our IEP’s to be standards based. I’m stumped on how to do this because I work with high school kids and the standards are way above their heads. I have tried in the past to pick some and word it so it sounds standards based but we are still working on what the kid needs. Could you give me some ideas on what you write for your goals??
In my state of Ohio we have something to help those of us who teach students with significant cognitive disabilities, they are called the Extended Standards. They are the Core but modified, maybe your state has something like this.
Are you able to use standards at their instructional level rather than grade level? We are in my district.
Excellent resources – it would be fantastic if there were more forr post-primary
I use an adapted version of common core. I refer to their grade level but at the component skill level.
Hey Sasha! I love this! I am totally obsessed with your blog by the way! Quick Question…Are these the skills you work on during your guided reading groups? Do you also do separate guided reading groups and use your schools reading program? I believe you had mentioned in one of your blogs that you use your schools reading program but adapt it to your students level. Just trying to figure out if use a reading program, plus target all of these skills in during your guided reading group time. Thanks!
Yes! It’s a lot to fit in. I use an adapted version of guided reading and use parts of my school’s curriculum and then also incorporate these skills we need to work on. Many of these skills we target through guided reading groups. Hope this helps 🙂
Sasha – YOU ARE AMAZING! I am working on my masters in ECU and hope to teach in a categorical Autism classroom in the 2014 school year. I am a para right now in a K-1 Autism classroom and I love it. These are amazing little people. You have become my mentor and inspiration. I love your blogs and helpful information. I have already started creating my task boxes from your instructional video. Thank you so much for all that you do for your kid students and your adult students like me.
What about using the Common Core Essential Elements