Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education teacher from the UK. I share my passion for
everything communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson ideas for my classroom of disabled
pupils aged 4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in the field answering your questions
and sharing our knowledge and experience working alongside our beautiful young people. Let's get started.
Hi everybody, welcome back. This one's going to be a Q&A so there is no particular topic,
there is no particular subject. Let's have a look. Oh, we've got our first question in.
What are the best things to put in a break box? I am currently developing my zones of
regulation boxes. On Amazon I found that they are selling a red, yellow, green and blue little
boxes. So I'm going to put in resources for if you're feeling blue, if you're feeling red,
if you're feeling yellow or if you're feeling green to help with those different feelings.
How can I support my Gaston language? Three years old and he's on stage two now. I have got a blog
all about the stages and how to support your child at each stage all the way up to stage four, five
and beyond. You can find this if you go to my website, the link is in my bio and search
Gastolt then it will come up with the blog and there's loads of information on there for you.
Typically you join them in their echolalia and their phrases and you learn what context they use
them in and what they mean. I'm sure you already know it if you're the parent and you use it too.
And then you also you use it but you might change just one word in the phrase. So for example,
great cup of coffee is one that my student uses for wanting any type of food or drink
and I might change it to great cup of juice or great cup of crisps, you know, just to kind of
like mitigate those little phrases in there and to kind of bring on stage three. So I hope that helps.
How often do you read your core vocab books with your class? So I have two classes this year and
I'm doing the core word program quite differently with each class. It's a bit of an experiment but
also it's just kind of how I'm running the two classes. So in one of the classes it's primary
and I am only there on Thursdays and Fridays and Fridays are really busy because it's our swimming
day. So typically we don't have too much time to do anything else other than swim and attention
autism. So that's kind of Friday done but Thursday, so one day a week, we will like go core word heavy.
We will read the book, we'll play the games, we'll practice writing, we'll do the signing,
all in one day, kind of like a big introduction on Thursday and then yeah my TAs kind of filter
it through for the rest of the week. So that's how my primary class are doing it but for my other
class we're doing it daily and quite bitty and I've chosen every day to focus on a different way of
learning the word. So for example today was the speech and language focus so we practiced asking
for it, I want it. We were practicing with the iPad game and we practiced with a Mr Potato Head
and they had to ask for the pieces that I had, I want it and then I could give it to them and
they made Mr Potato Head but then on Tuesdays it's a reading focus so then that's when we would read
the book and they would practice reading the word and recognizing the signs and then we would do a
writing focus on the Wednesday and then they would practice writing the word and mark making. So it
kind of develops over the week which I actually think is rather lovely and it slowly builds up
over the week but both are working, both are supporting the children to learn the words,
both are supporting the adults to learn the signs and learn about the word so I would say
however you do it is good. I don't think that you even have to do all of it if your children
just aren't into the writing aspect of it or they weren't into the song aspect of it, it's absolutely
fine. The reason I did so many different things like the play and the attention orders and everything
is so that you had enough to fill your week if you wanted to, so you had enough to choose from
in order to capture your children's interests really. So yeah I would like you to magpie
little bits, add your own ideas, make it as meaningful for your class as possible, I hope that's helpful.
Hi, I want to introduce symbols around the classroom but I see that most are velcro, I think they're
amazing but do children just pull them off? I don't just use velcro in my classroom, I have the sticky
back plastic as well you know so anything that's labels or information I sticky back plastic it
because it doesn't need to be removed so for example drawer labels, cupboard labels, anything
that's like closed don't light on off you know those kind of things that don't need to be taken
on or off they are sticky back plasticed so that kind of removes some of it and then I also have
choice boards as well not necessarily taking off choice boards but just flat print and laminate
straight away choice boards and the children can point to what they want and they are in particular
areas because the children don't need to take it off and give it to an adult because we're with them
and they can use it a bit like a low tech AAC that's a great way as well otherwise yeah all the
symbols just end up everywhere. We also have the core boards around and we also have their AAC
tablets again not velcro so there's nothing to be eaten or lost so that leaves the things that we
have to have velcro for which is their transitioning symbols so in every area of my classroom and some
areas of the school as well that we transition to there will be a matching board with the velcro on
and then on their schedule they will have their symbols and then the idea is that they check their
schedule they take their symbol off and then they match it to whatever board around the school or
around the class that symbol goes to to say they're here that has to be velcro however it kind of
organizes itself because the symbols are only ever on their schedule transitioning with them
or on the matching board so it keeps it organized and sometimes they go in mouth sometimes they get
dropped on the way but that's up to the adult to kind of keep up with that and sometimes that
happens but actually typically it kind of keeps them a bit more safe so yeah I hope that helps
with the whole velcro issue.
I have had such an amazing response to the call word curriculum so many children now communicating
and parents are on board as well that's amazing I'm so pleased to hear at the moment I'm just
writing in homeschool books that the call what the call word of the week is but some of you guys have
made slips or you're sharing on dojo or you've got little stickers like the call word of the week is
or you're sending home a little home video or something like that so I'm just going to leave that
like the call word of the week is or you're sending home a little homework ideas for like
playing games and stuff or little clips to watch so you guys are amazing and I'm really inspired so
as I develop it I would love to do that for my class as well the idea of having call word
homework and like a little game the parents can play with their child around the call word is just
so fun to me maybe they could play the games maybe I send home the link or whatever I don't
know what it's going to look like I just think that's really really cool and the more adults
around their lives that are using that word and modeling that word the better right so yeah I love
that you guys are doing that how do you not get overwhelmed with looking after different children
with different needs honestly it stimulates me um I would find it quite tiring and actually
under stimulating and maybe quite boring if all of my children were exactly the same because 15
years in this job I kind of would have done it I'd have seen it all before the thing I love about
the job so much is that every single day is different and I love problem solving and trying
to work out the whys and children and what works and what's wrong and how to support them and that
kind of is the joy of my job and so I'm actually very pleased that every child is different and
I like that there's lots of different needs and I like going into lots of the different groups
and planning in lots of different ways because it keeps it interesting for me
a child in reception non-verbal and autistic what would be the first vocabulary that I can put on
the sheet great question um if you have been following my core word journey I did loads of
research into this if you search dynamic learning map there's I've linked it all within my core
curriculum if you've got that but dynamic dynamic learning map did loads of extensive research on
what the first 40 core words should be and they uh watched and observed loads of toddlers and
worked with loads of um early speakers and typically before the age of five children say
majority 200 words and 95 percent of their vocabulary is these 900 words but before the
age of like you know three it's more like 40 words and they so I've taken those 40 words to create
the core word curriculum because their core words um they get they mean lots of different things and
we can use them in lots of different ways um and they make up the majority of our language
especially for those early learners so if you want to know what those words are then you can
grab my core word curriculum um or you can cheat and go onto my website and they're listed in the
product description yeah typically that's why I wrote the core word curriculum around those
40 words and that's why I chose those 40 words because of the dynamic learning math research
what morning activities do you use first thing if you get a lot of sensory seeking climbing is a
big challenge for us also throwing we are doing physical and sensory start but any more ideas
great that you're doing a physical and sensory start however you could just be alerting them
even more just make sure that before you're ready to work you kind of organize them and then ground
them as well before coming inside but that's really great to hear typically in the morning
they arrive around quarter to nine to nine o'clock and then we don't start even hello time until half
past nine so the children have half an hour to 45 minutes to just meet their needs and it looks
different for every single child for some of them they go straight to the snack table they really
want snack some children just pace and open drawers and kind of get used to and orientate
themselves in the space some children like to play outside and go on the swing and dig in the sand
and experiment and play in the mud and all those kind of things some children go straight to our
sensory diet area they go to the exercise balls and the rocking boards and the fish spinner seat
because maybe they've been sitting in the taxi or the car for a little while some children like to
read or just go straight on to work and want to go into their tasks and do some kind of workstation
tasks so it really does look different for every single child some children just want to greet the
adults and have some cuddles do some singing singing and songs some children want to go onto
the laptop and kind of focus and you know forget the world around them other children want to go
in the sensory room you know there's so many different needs so i would have a lot of things
on offer to facilitate all of those different requirements and just see what the children
gravitate towards um typically those that want movement will go to the movement stuff those that
want calm dark quiet will go to the calm dark quiet areas i would suggest and then half past
nine we start hello do a movement break and and we're good to go for for a little while until the
next one
What's my background? My background is when i was 18 i star i was a teaching assistant in a special
education school and then after two years i did my i did that whilst doing my degree in acting
and then straight after that i went to do a primary PGCE and then went straight back into
the special education school that i was a TA at and i did that for 10 years and then i moved to
Cornwall all between that i did foster care and supply teaching and tutoring and uh consultancy
and all that kind of stuff freelance stuff and then i moved to Cornwall and then i started teaching
in my special education class that is linked to a mainstream school and that's where i
started teaching in my primary PGCE and then i moved to the primary PGCE and then i moved
to the primary PGCE and then i moved to the primary PGCE and then i moved to the primary PGCE and
then i moved to the primary PGCE and that's where i am now and i've been there for five years
What is your approach to discipline? This is something I always struggle with um typically
i don't discipline i kind of rely on natural consequences for a lot of things so if they
linked to the behavior they're doing.
I don't know if they're ramming their pen
in the paper or the table,
then they're gonna run out of pen quicker.
Like it's just a natural consequence.
I don't feel like that needs discipline.
It's already got a consequence.
If they are being dangerous or unsafe, I say no.
I safely take them down or like out of the area,
or I remove the danger from them, you know,
whatever's safer, whatever causes least risk.
And then I try and typically replace the behavior
with a safer alternative.
So say if they're throwing chairs or tables,
then I'll go outside and maybe we'll throw some tires
because they're heavy, but it's a bit safer.
Or if they're climbing up the furniture,
maybe I will take them outside
and we will do climb on the climbing frame
or go on the swing or do some wrestling or tickles.
So try and replace the behavior.
But ideally I would have not waited
until it's gotten dangerous or unsafe.
And I would have put in little interventions before.
So like we've just spoken about my morning routine,
have they had their snack?
Have they had their movement break?
Have they had opportunities to have quiet time?
If they haven't, then I needed to have given them
that 10 minutes before they were actually unsafe.
So it's about kind of not just being reactive,
but also being proactive in trying to keep regulation
in the class.
We should be in the art of keeping toward unregulated
rather than this constant dysregulation regulation
and rollercoaster really.
Are visual timetables where they are going,
what they are doing or both?
Great question.
When I first started teaching,
I always used to do what they are doing.
So it would be English, math, science, that kind of thing.
Actually, it doesn't mean anything to our children
because they're working at the same table.
They're working at the same,
it looks like quite similar as far as they're concerned.
So the fact that this is English, math, science
doesn't ease any of their anxiety.
It doesn't give them more independence or autonomy
over what they're doing.
So now I use areas, so it's where they are going.
My timetable looks like computer area, group area,
hall, playground, snack table, sensory diet area,
that kind of thing.
And then it goes around again,
because actually that's what children care about.
They care about where they are going.
It gives them more independence.
They don't need an adult prompting them saying
where they need to go next.
They just need to check their schedule and they know,
and they go there and the work's there ready for them
and they get on with it.
What would you suggest to help support a child
who bites to communicate?
Well done for recognizing this communication
because it always certainly is.
It's also probably certainly a sensory need.
Our mouth is incredibly sensitive.
Our tongue is the only muscle
that we actually have direct access to.
So it's incredibly sensitive.
So if they're sensory seeking,
then it's likely that they are going,
it's gonna be something to their mouths.
So biting, licking, mouthing, you know, that kind of thing.
So I would provide a textured chewy.
Some chewies also vibrate as well.
So it gives them loads of oral feedback in their mouth.
So I would suggest that.
I would also suggest having either regular crunchy snack
breaks or always out crunchy snack breaks
in like a little lunchbox on their table.
Something like dry cereal is a really good one.
Apples are a really great one that just get loads
of oral feedback again through their,
through their, they are a biter.
Now you say it's to communicate.
So I wonder if they are frustrated
and they want people to be away from them
because biting is a really great way of getting people away.
So also try and read those signals when they're bubbling up
and give them space or give them an opportunity
to be able to request space in a safer way,
either through a visual or a photo
or an object of reference or gesture, you know,
teach gesture and honour that just as quickly
as you would biting, react to that just as much
and just as loudly and just as big as you would
if it was biting because we need to replace
that behaviour with a safer option.
It could be help me, sometimes biting is help me.
And in doing so, you know, when you, again,
when you see those wobbles, maybe they have a help symbol
or a, you know, I need this symbol
and reduce those demands around that
to avoid that biting behaviour.
Please can I have advice on helping children
who don't like to eat certain foods?
Yes, this is incredibly common amongst neurodiverse people
and, and autistics in general
because we have our safe foods and our comfort foods.
It can be, if it's extreme, it can be called ARFID,
A-R-F-I-D, if you want to research that.
The National Autistic Society have really great medical
given advice on PICA and ARFID.
So my first point of call, if you were in my DMs
would be to send you the link
to the National Autistic Society pages on PICA and ARFID.
And eating disorders, it's really common for people
with autism to have an eating disorder
because it's a way of controlling their environment
in a very confusing and overwhelming world.
They don't like to eat certain foods.
I mean, lots of us don't like to eat certain foods.
It depends how limiting and unsafe that is for a child.
I know I've had some students before
that have only eaten one or two things
and then it can become quite limiting and unsafe.
And then typically it would be about exposure,
but without exposure to the foods and textures and smells,
but without pressure to eat.
So we do weekly cooking sessions in my class every Wednesday
and that's a great chance to explore different smells
and textures and flavors without any pressure to eat at all.
They can just chop and eat and move and roll and squish
and just be on the table with the food sometimes
is enough for the children, just to be in the class
with the food sometimes is enough for the children.
And it gives them the opportunity to be around that food
and they might just taste it.
Also having adults and eating around the children as well
is a really great idea.
Often in schools that is frowned upon,
you have the adults go out to eat or snack.
But in my new class,
we've started having snack with the children
because they need to see adults eating a healthy diet,
sitting down with their table cloth out,
using their AAC device or using their communication.
And because they model,
so show, don't, say is our focus of the week in my class
for right adults.
And that needs to work at snack time as well.
We're gonna show the children
that it's okay to have a varied diet
and that this is what it smells like
and this is what it feels like and tastes like.
You don't have to eat it, that's fine,
but I'm gonna eat it and I'm gonna eat it here
and nothing will happen, it's okay.
So that's really, that's a great way
of introducing new foods and flavors.
And then we have our next course,
and our next boards have a little pouch at the back
with loads of little symbols in,
just in case symbols that we can Velcro to it,
like little versions of all the symbols and the choices.
So that would be a great way as well
if you didn't want too much Velcro around.
Another great way is also a whiteboard,
you know, the Attention Autism style,
I use it all the time.
I just grab a whiteboard and do first, then,
just withdrawing and writing,
bit like Attention Autism and I use it, yeah,
out of the session, I use it all the time.
I use it with a child today
that didn't wanna take their waterproofs off.
So first waterproofs off, then inside.
It works really well,
because I didn't have a waterproof symbol,
so I just drew it on the whiteboard
and it supported them to understand what I was saying
and kind of regulate them and negotiate with them.
So that's really good, and I'm really excited about it.
Thank you so much for the CoreWord curriculum.
I can't believe the progress my class have made.
Oh, that's so great to hear, honestly, so great.
It's worth all the hours of hearing feedback like that,
because it took so many hours,
and I'm finding the same in my class as well.
It's so rewarding to watch them progress and learn
and watch how excited the staff are, honestly,
all signing it and they're all doing the AAC.
We've only got one adult iPad for AAC in my class,
because they're so expensive.
So I had the AAC and I prodized him.
I was like, oh no, sorry, do you want it?
And he was like, no, it's okay, I'll sign it.
And as he was signing it, it was so lovely.
And that hasn't happened before in my classroom ever.
So that's really exciting to me to see
the adults' confidence in using AAC and signing as well.
It's really, really great.
And they're remembering the previous week signs as well
and using those and putting them together.
So I think it's just as exciting watching the adult progress
as it is the child's progress as well in my class.
Really great.
I have a child who constantly peels the actual Velcro
off of the walls, et cetera.
Any ideas to redirect this behavior
as it means symbols are not where they should be
as it affects the other's communication?
Yeah, really, really hard.
Maybe try glue gunning the Velcro.
So it just makes it a little bit harder.
There's also something on Amazon called Tack-It.
It's in my classroom essentials folder
on my Amazon storefront, which is in the link in my bio.
And it works just as soon as Velcro.
It's like glue, but it stays tacky.
So you can put things on and off.
You kind of leave it, you spray it,
you leave it to dry over 24 hours
and it's just always tacky.
So that might work as well, because you can't peel it off.
So maybe that's a good alternative.
How do you plan your lessons around behavior?
So I typically plan lots of different things
that we could do within the lesson.
And then on the moment, in the minute, in the second,
I decide what that lesson's gonna look like.
So I know they're gonna go to the teaching table
because I've set that on their timetable,
but what is that lesson actually gonna look like?
How much support am I gonna give them?
What are the demands gonna be?
If they're on green and they're content
and focused and ready to learn,
I might extend their learning way longer
and I might challenge them a little bit more.
I might prompt them to be more independent.
I might put more demands on them.
But if they're a bit wobbly, they might be on yellow,
they're feeling a little bit anxious,
then I would reduce the demands.
I might do a little bit more for them.
I might do the whole thing
and then just let them put one thing on
and then they can go.
So it can look quite different.
So that's kind of how I manage learning around behavior.
I have realistic expectations, honestly,
is what it comes down to.
How do you plan your lessons around behavior?
Best time to do whole school sensory circuits break
before or after school.
Typically, I do it at least every hour
of full sensory circuit.
So I would do it as soon as they come in,
just before home time,
and then a good few times in the middle of the day.
Play times are great
because that's your alerting already.
PE is great because that's your alerting already.
If you've got any movement like dance breaks,
before register or after register,
they're great because that's your alerting.
So get your alerting in every hour
and then do a bit of Simon Says squeezes
and back to your chair, wiggle on your hands,
breathing technique.
It doesn't need to take long.
Sensory circuits after playtime and after PE,
after they've got all their alerting out,
alerting is usually the longest thing.
It really can be just a couple of minutes.
As they're walking in from break,
you could be doing Simon Says with some cross motion.
You're already walking in there, that takes no time.
And then as they're walking through the door,
you can give them three squeezes down their arms.
That's their grounding and they're ready to go.
So it doesn't need to take long
and you could do that every hour on the hour, I would say.
I'm struggling.
What would you suggest if a now and next timetable
doesn't work?
I'm struggling going from one task to the other
with four children in class and different needs.
Also love everything you do.
If now and next isn't working,
then whatever's on the next isn't motivating enough.
Sometimes I show a child first workstation and then PE
and then they just look at me like, but I don't want PE.
So I'm not gonna do workstation.
I don't care about your visuals, go away.
And then I think, huh, okay, that didn't work.
What can I do instead?
Because I really need them to do workstation.
But PE is definitely next.
So what's gonna happen there?
Well, maybe they do workstation
and then we slough a little really fun thing in the middle.
So it could be workstation then,
and then I think what is their favourite thing,
their special interest?
What will meet their needs right now?
What do they really want to do?
What would they choose to do if they had the choice?
Okay, it is this particular puzzle
that they've brought in from home
that they really, really love.
Great, that takes five minutes.
I'm gonna finish workstation five minutes early
so that we can get that done and then we can go to PE.
So on there now and next board,
it will be workstation first,
then puzzle.
And I know that that's gonna work
because that's what they've been talking about
the whole time and that's what they really want to do.
And then when they've done the puzzle,
it will be time for PE.
So then it'll be PE first, then,
and it might puzzle again, or it might be actually now.
They really, really love this thing that we did,
you know, that we're gonna do in PE
and they might wanna take it back with them
and do it in the class.
Well, then that's gonna be their motivation.
So just make sure the second thing is always the thing
that they really, really, really, really want.
If it needs to be first, next, then,
because you need two things before the really,
really great thing, sometimes that happens,
then maybe have three sections.
So it could be workstation, PE, and then puzzle,
just because they need to always see
that that thing is gonna be the reward.
It needs to be rewarding, basically.
Now our next has to be rewarding.
And if you haven't got time for the reward,
then you've kind of lost them.
You know, that's not a them issue.
You need to be finding, embedding concrete pillars
in your day for a reward or for sensory breaks
and those kinds of things.
They need to be there because it's a need really,
not a want, often what they're asking for.
So,
basically, please explain social stories
a little bit more.
I hear about them all the time, but have never used them.
So a social story is written in the first person,
so in the child's voice.
So for example, if a child is struggling to get on the taxi,
it might sound something like this.
I need to get on the taxi for school.
I love school.
I like going to school because I get to see my friends.
The taxi drives me to see my friends.
This makes me happy.
When I sit on the taxi, sometimes I get bored.
I can use my iPad or I can sing a song
if I get bored on the taxi.
This makes me happy.
So that's how it sounds.
So it's kind of talking them through the situation
and the scenario in their voice,
and it needs to be written down
because then it is the same every time.
That's the point of social stories.
It's different than an adult guiding you through it
because sometimes it's different every time
and language is confusing often,
especially if you're feeling anxious.
So social stories are great
because they are the same words every time.
Whoever reads it, it's laminated, it's printed,
it's laminated, whether the parent read it,
the TA reads it or the teacher reads it,
it's the same every time.
And that breeds predictability and consistency
and reduced anxiety around
whatever it is you're talking about.
Maybe the child doesn't wanna clean their teeth.
Cleaning my teeth feels funny.
Cleaning my teeth is important
because otherwise all my teeth, they're gonna rot.
And that's not good and it makes my breath smell.
I like having nice smelling breath, whatever it is.
First I need to clean my teeth and count to 10
and then I can spit and have a break and then I go again.
I can listen to a song when I clean my teeth.
This makes me happy.
I often finish social stories with this makes me happy.
Finding ways that they can find joy
in the things that make they feel anxious.
So that's what a social story typically sounds like.
If you Google social story,
there are loads of examples that are already written for you
and that you can use as templates
or that you can just print and use straight away.
I've done them for moving house.
I've done them for school trips.
I have done them for all sorts of different things.
Typically my class at the moment
don't tend to access social stories
because they're kind of a bit too complex
in their understanding for that.
They're a bit too high support needs.
However, in my class that are working kind of
early years, year one level, it worked beautifully
and they worked and supported them really, really well.
So yeah, I highly recommend social stories
if your children are sounding similar to that.
I have a child who I think has PDA.
We do a first then with a motivator as the then.
He likes that, but then when we get to a motivator,
it's a no suddenly yeah, because with PDA they want control.
So maybe have a first then choose.
So whatever it is that they have done, that's great.
And then they get their choosing box
and they choose what they want at that time
because ultimately children with pathological
demand avoidance don't want demand.
They find it really, really difficult.
And sometimes you saying you chose this
is too much of a demand
and they want that control over them.
And sometimes saying no to something is,
even though they're avoiding the thing
that they really want is actually satisfying
that PDA profile need.
So yeah, just having a choosing box is great.
And you could have first this then choosing box
and then they can choose.
Yeah, I would do that.
What's an alternative to climbing
that still meets that need?
Something indoors on rainy days.
School have tried a mini trampoline,
but this child doesn't like this,
gets frustrated and climbs.
We go out in all weathers firstly in my class.
It can be absolutely pouring with rain
and we are still outside.
I highly recommend getting some overalls,
waterproofs, wellies, coats,
sending them in with the children.
So getting parents send them in
and then get your staff having them as well.
So you can just get dressed up and you can go outside
and you can still do your climbing, running, jumping.
Typically the children that are climbing
do not care about the weather
and they need that kind of stuff.
Indoor swings or hoists or anything that's kind of swings
is great if you've got space for that.
A pea pod, it looks like a canoe.
I've showed it on here before.
Squeezes you, that's a really lovely thing to have.
Exercise balls, rolling on exercise ball upside down
on their backs, on their tummies or rolling them over them
is a really great way.
So don't think it just has to be high and climbing.
Often it's about a stibular.
So you kind of want that vestibular upside downy,
swing aroundy kind of movement.
Could be rolling them up in a blanket
and then rolling them back again
or rolling up in a gym mat and back again.
It's that kind of roundy, swingy movement
because that's what the height gives you.
It kind of gives you a bit of vestibular.
So yeah, I would do that for your indoor climbers.
I wonder if you've got a climbing wall
or equipment in your hall
that maybe if it's a rainy day or wet play
you could use the hall for some climbing, maybe.
The child is still not using the call word
after a week or two, would you just move on?
Yes, I would always just move on.
It's about modeling, it's not about the expectation.
Lots of my children will never be able to say the call words.
That's kind of not the point of it,
but they might be able to understand them
or it might help understanding of them.
Or all of a sudden after week four or five,
when you're not just stopping,
we're not stopping saying I want after week one,
we're still saying it, it would be, I want, I like,
I want it, I want toys, I like it.
So it's kind of like a string,
a bit like when you do phonics, you don't learn S-A-T-P-I-N
and then forget them.
You know, they are embedded all the way through phonics,
all the way through.
Well, that's kind of how I envisaged
my call word document as well.
So that's why I started with I want,
because then that runs all the way through the others
and it comes up all the time in the games
and the songs and the activities.
So just because they didn't get it the first week
is absolutely fine, it's almost expected.
I wouldn't expect them to be saying it
straight away right off the bat.
Move on, but continue embedding and modelling that language.
And when it comes up, you know, model it, use it on the ASE,
sign it, you know, have that language develop in your class.
And then after the year, you'd have covered everything
and then just see what happens.
Maybe keep a log of the things and then maybe start again,
move on to the next teacher or whatever.
It doesn't hurt.
The fact that they might not have said anything
is absolutely fine.
It's still all about understanding.
It still gives examples of modelling.
It's giving them rich experiences
and facilitating an opportunity to learn.
It's up to them to actually take it,
but at least we're giving them that
and that's our job, isn't it?
What kind of learning activities would you do
for a three-year-old non-speaking
who loves nursery rhymes and books,
but looking for more encouragement, engagement
for new ideas?
So I have a song bag.
It's like a little canvas bag
and I've got little objects that represent a nursery rhyme.
So it could be a fish for five-year-old fish.
It could be a frog for five speckled frogs.
It could be a red bus for wheels on the bus,
that kind of thing.
They're all in the bag.
And then either you pick one at random and start singing it
or you give them a choice of two
or they choose in the bag and pick one
and then you sing together.
So that's a really lovely turn-taking task.
You can do it as a group as well.
That's really lovely.
Also the whiteboard.
Whiteboard is old laptop or iPad
is really super motivating for often lots of children.
So having a choice board or them choosing
from a picture of the thumbnail on YouTube or whatever,
they can pick it and then we sing together
and do the actions and then you can do it again.
We do that often in maths.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
Thank you for your amazing questions
because I know they're gonna help more than just you.
They're gonna help lots of people in the future.
So thank you so much for being here and asking those.
Thank you.