Behavior Charts and Strategies for Home and School Setting

Hello all,

I thought it would be beneficial to share with you the Behavior Management System that we use in our classroom, as well as other Behavior Management Charts that would be useful to use at home.

Stoplight system for behavior in the classroom.
Green = Right on Track
Orange = Warning
Red = Written Slip and Signature from Parents.
I also use signs for visual cues to grab the students attention and keep them on task without yelling or constantly telling them what to do.

Here are some links to behavior charts that you can use at home: 

Behavior Chart Website

I have also uploaded a Webinar on Behavior Management and Working with Children with Special Needs. This Webinar is a little long, however, if you have any free time to view it, it has a substantial amount of information, tips and strategies to help your child and monitor their behavior at home. 

I hope that you have found this information helpful. Contact me if you have any other questions or concerns.

~ Ms. Pike 

alexispike@spencerborden.edu

401.556.5544

Fun with Math Manipulative's!

Good Morning!

This weeks Math Lesson involves working with fractions and finding Equivalent Fractions. This may be a hard concept for some students to understand. Math Manipulative's such as the ones shown above, provide concrete learning experiences for students to visualize and make sense of what they're learning.

For this lesson we are going to use Fraction Strips and Fraction Tower Cubes to build and compare fractions and find equal fractions that have different denominators. You can print and cut out Fraction Strips at home and practice with your child.

Contact me if you would like to purchase any Math Manipulatives or borrow any from the classroom for additional math practice.

Have a great week!

~ Ms. Pike
alexispike@salve.edu
401.556.5544

Fraction Strips: 

Fraction Tower Cubes: 

Here's a link to a site where you can purchase Math Manipulatives to use at home:

Learning Sources

Other useful Manipulatives include: 

Base Ten Blocks: To teach Place Value and Number Sense

Tangrams: Shapes and Geometry

Information and Preparation for the Annual IEP Meeting

Hello all, I hope you had a great weekend!

To prepare for your student’s annual IEP meeting, I want to share some important information and tips in order to relieve any stress or concerns you may have.

Before the Meeting:

• Review your student’s progress reports or report cards and any notes or comments from the general or special educator. It’s also important to review your child’s IEP and make any notes about questions/concerns you may have or things that you feel should be made up to date or changed based on your observations.
• While reviewing your students IEP, it might be helpful to use post-it notes to write any comments or questions that you wish to bring up about certain goals or your child’s progress.
• Talk to the members of the IEP team before, to ask them any questions you may have about how to read the IEP or about the use of certain vocabulary words. The general education teacher as well as myself would be glad to help you with any concerns or questions that you wish to have brought up at the meeting.
• If this is your first IEP meeting, it may be helpful to talk to the IEP team about what to expect so that you can attend the meeting with an idea of what will be discussed and what you would like to bring up.

During the Meeting:

• Introductions and the purpose of the meeting will be discussed at the beginning. Other members of the team will provide you with a copy of the IDEA Procedural Safeguards.
• If you have been to an IEP meeting in the past, you may have these and can jot down any questions you may have about them to ask, or you can choose to waive the discussion about them so that you may move on with the meeting.
• During meetings, members share information about the child, discuss needs, and determine the most appropriate way to meet those needs. Decisions are made by consensus. Make sure you are heard! You are an active part of the IEP team and it is important to let your ideas and concerns be heard.
• Goals and objectives will be written based on looking at your child’s assessment scores to determine a present level of performance (what your child is capable of achieving at this point).
• A summary of the meeting will be written up and given to you and it is important that you receive a copy of your child’s revised IEP.

After the Meeting:

• Review the IEP again to check for any other questions or concerns you may have. Check to see if there’s anything that needs more clarification. Review the IEP with your spouse or significant family members in the child’s life if you feel necessary to ensure that everyone is on the same page about the child’s learning process and goals.
• Talk to your child about what happened at the meeting. Discuss any changes or new parts of the child’s school day that may take place due to the new IEP. (Your child will not understand everything that occurred, just make sure they are aware of any changes in their school day, so that they will not be thrown off when changes are implemented in their classroom).
• Don’t be afraid to ask any questions or talk to another member of the IEP team about concerns that may arrive after the implementation of the new IEP.

More Tips/Links:

• Take notes and be informed before the meeting.
• Make sure to participate and voice your ideas and opinions. You are an important member of the team and know a lot more about your child and their habits.
• Ask questions! Ask any other member of the IEP team any questions or concerns you may have.
• If you’re uncomfortable attending the meeting alone, it is always beneficial to bring another person (spouse, family member, family friend) to advocate for the child and share your ideas.
• Make sure to get copies of any papers/documents that you sign for your own records.
• Here’s a link that tells you a little bit more about the IEP meeting:  Annual IEP Meeting
Here’s a video of what an annual IEP meeting may look like

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me!

Have a great week!

~ Ms. Pike

Welcome to Ms. Pike's Special Education Classroom!

Hello Family, Friends and Students,

My name is Alexis Pike and I will be your Special Education teacher in room 207 this year! I am very excited to begin the new school year with all of you. I graduated with a double major in Elementary Education and Special Education from Salve Regina and I am currently taking classes for my Masters at the University of Rhode Island.

I have been working here at Spencer Borden for 6 years now and have had experience as a co-teacher in a general education classroom, as well as working with students one-on-one in my own classroom which I teach in now.

The purpose of this blog is to keep you informed on what we are learning and working on in the classroom. It also serves to provide you with special education information and supports that may be helpful to you and your family. I will post once a week on Sunday's with important information about the week ahead.

I am looking forward to meeting and working with you all. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, please feel free to message or call me at any time!

See you soon,

~Ms. Pike
alexispike@spencerborden.edu
401.556.5544

Have Questions? Want a Support Group Outside of the Classroom? Here are some Links to Family Friendly Resources!

Hi Everyone!

I hope that everyone had an enjoyable weekend and are well rested for the beginning of a new week!

I thought that it would be helpful to provide some links to informational websites and support groups in our area, just in case you have any questions and wish to seek additional resources outside of the classroom. These links are available to provide information and support for parents and guardians and are available for viewing at your convenience.  Please feel free to leave any comments/thoughts on the links on this page, as well as inform other parents of any additional resources that you may have found beneficial in the past.

RIPIN

The Rhode Island Parent Information Network is a great source for parents/guardians of children with special needs, as well as unique health care needs. RIPIN is a non-profit organization that provides information, support groups, and training sessions to parents/family members to empower them with knowledge on the resources available.  

Family Voices

Part of national network supporting families of children with special needs. "We provide families resources and support to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among families and professionals, and serve as a trusted resource on health care" (familyvoices.org). Informational Numbers to Call: (401) 727-4144 or (800) 464-3399

RIDE

This website provides information on rights entitled to your child under IDEA and provides information of special services available. You can look through RIDE's website for more research and information on rights for students with special needs and have access to important IEP forms and guidebooks.  

Children with Special Needs/CEDARR

The Rhode Island Department of Human services link provides important information and supports for families with students who have special needs or health care needs. It provides links to Early Intervention Programs, Health and medical services for children with special needs. It also has links to services and information for adults with special and health care needs. 

Here is a link to the CEDARR Family Centers supports and programs: 

CEDARR Information

CEDARR provides information and referrals for children with disabilities and special needs. It provides supports such as Home Based Theraputic Services (HBTS), Kids Connect, and Personal Assistance Services and Supports (PASS) 

Feel Free to Contact me if you have any other questions!
Have a great week, 

~Ms. Pike 
alexispike@spencerborden.edu
401.556.5544