Curriculum maps sound like one unnecessary piece of paperwork that does fit our classroom’s “special” needs. It makes sense for a general education classroom. The scope and sequence stays consistent. The kids are mostly at the same level. But our classrooms are complicated. And curriculum maps might seem ridiculous. But let me persuade you how essentially important and beyond helpful curriculum maps can be!
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 curriculum maps as 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.
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 look at each students’ IEP goals which are all based on Common Core Standards. Like I mentioned, I break down the goals even more – to the most foundational level and then decide how to space out these concepts throughout the year to build on each other. Instead of doing one for each student, I do one for each group since the students’ skill levels and IEP goals were so similar within each group. I group skill sets into three areas: grammar, reading strategies, and writing.
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7 Responses
I’ve wondered about building curriculum maps based on the Extended Standards. My classroom is the AAA (Alabama Alternate Assessment) classroom and I feel like I need to do this. The only thing I worry about is the students losing previously taught skills (e.g., ones taught in the Fall) in the Winter and Spring. Do you have any advice about that? Also, as a first-year teacher, I am really stressing the AAA and when I should do it for all of my students. Looking at all I have to do, I am scared that I won’t budget enough time to do it in the Spring. Suggestions, please… Thanks!
Lynda
The budgeting aspect can be really tricky, I agree! As far as losing previously taught skills – I would make sure to include those skills in centers, fluency instruction, homework, and independent work the rest of the year to make sure they have continued exposure! Hope this helps 🙂
I work in a AAA classroom. I start teaching the standards from day one and assessing the students. I do this throughout the year. At the end of the year (May 1) I pick the best pieces of evidence I have for each standard and turn it into the state.
I really like these curriculum maps as I have been searching for a way to teach them new skills and structure what I teach them. I have students that are much lower then these curriculum maps and I’m not sure where to start. A lot of them are still working on alphabet recognition and basic cores skills such as this. Do you have any suggestions?
Do you have an example of what a low functioning K-2 curriculum map would look like?
Thanks!
I think something like this may be helpful – https://theautismhelper.com/ablls-are-done-now-what/.
Yep! I think something like this may be helpful – https://theautismhelper.com/ablls-are-done-now-what/.