Last week, we covered the various ways visuals can be used to teach and support students in accessing the centers in your classroom. This week, we'll discuss how to teach students to transition from center to center.

1. I like to start by teaching in whole group – morning meeting or afternoon meeting is a great time!

2. Start by showing students where each center is located. Point to each center and have students point with you.

3. Show a mini-schedule/schedule icons on your projector or hold up a physical schedule for all to view.

4. Review the names of each center on the board and have students identify the corresponding location in your room. If you'd like, you can transform it into a fun game!

5. Review the visual routine and expectations when rotating through centers. Ensure there is a visual of each expectation and model as you go through them.

When it's time to transition to centers, model using the mini or individual schedule by pointing to the first center, then guide the students to that center. Continue doing this until they find their center independently (this step will vary depending on what schedule is used). When students are learning the skill of transitioning between centers, practice by making the centers very short so they can quickly rotate through and earn a preferred activity. You can make this a game! You can also take some data using a task analysis. This will pinpoint areas of need when transitioning. There is an editable task analysis for center transitions in the Resource section.

• In the beginning, make center activities easy i.e., puzzles, coloring, Play-Doh, LEGO, books, iPad

• Focus on the skill you’re teaching - rotating through the centers

• Make it a game! – How fast can you rotate this time?

• If your students are not getting it yet, practice rotating and do it several times

• Slowly add academic work as they get they become more familiar with the routine of transitioning

If you have a student who is not yet successfully transitioning, assess whether your student has the skill set necessary to transition or if the difficulty lies within the student's willingness to transition. This is what Sasha Long from The Autism Helper calls "Can't Do vs Won't Do." Here is a great blog post on this! The blog post includes a simple "test" to see if your student can't do it or won't do it.

If you feel your student has the skills but doesn't want to transition through centers, you can adjust the reinforcement to fit the demand. For example, if your student is expected to rotate through 4 academic centers that are 20 minutes long and then transition directly to a non-preferred activity at the end, they probably won't do it. Instead, add a break into their schedule when they're done with centers.

If you discover your student can’t do it, you can try several things:

• Decrease the number of centers for that student
  
• Teach missing skills in 1:1 or small group center
  
• Use a first/then schedule instead of a longer mini schedule
  
• Provide clear expectations and directions
  

his process can feel overwhelming if your students are new to transitioning from center to center. You can start teaching a few students to use a schedule to transition and then guide your other students to the next center. As your students become more independent, start teaching a few more students.

Create a plan for how you will start next year with visuals and pre-teaching strategies to teach your students to transition through centers as independently as possible. These two strategies are so useful!

Check out the World in Bloom unit in Themes First!, which includes original songs, books, and activities that support students’ skill development and generalization with content that’s fun, accessible, and theme-based. These monthly units now include an expanded Social Studies suite, containing fun, theme-related activities that reinforce cultural engagement. Included in all Themes First! units are lessons, activities, and worksheets for group and independent work at a wide range of levels.

The latest Themes First! release, A Zoo for You, is ready to prep!!

⭐⭐ ⭐ Tip: Print all the activities you plan to use for the upcoming month as soon as they become available. Put printed activities in a "prep" area equipped with a laminator, file folders, Velcro, labels, and baggies. If you have a large laminator, laminate all the activities at once! When you and your team have a few minutes to spare, laminate, cut, and Velcro. It helps to organize activities in trays by "Needs to be Prepped" and "Finished." Don't forget to teach your team how to prep the activities and to model this new expectation.

Date/Time: May 7th, 2024 from 3:00-4:30

Where: Virtual

Cost: Free

Join us for our last ASD EBP Webinar (formally known as STAR Webinars) of the 2023-2024 school year! During this webinar, Michele Glynn, ASD Specialist, will discuss using simple video modeling, modeling, and peer modeling to practice and promote positive behaviors that support student engagement and learning.

Feel free to contact me for any questions or concerns via email or phone. I'm also available to chat via Zoom Mondays from 7:30-8:00 AM and 3:00-3:30 PM. If these times do not work for your schedule, please email me and we will find a time that will work for both of us.

Use the link below to ask questions about this week's Tuesday Tips 'N' Tricks and/or give suggestions on future topics.

Paraprofessional Training Series

Para Training Series: Step One: Define Roles

Para Training Series: Step Two: Creating a Team Mindset

Para Training Series: Step Three, Part 1: Planning

Para Training Series: Step Three, Part 2: Planning

Para Training Series: Step Four: Training

Para Training Series: Next Steps

Classroom Set Up Series

Classroom Set Up: The Why

Classroom Set Up: Visually and Physically Defining Your Layout

Classroom Set Up: Classroom Schedules

Classroom Set Up: Para Schedules

Classroom Set Up: Individual Schedules

Classroom Set Up: Individual Schedules FAQ

Classroom Set Up: Visual Supports

Classroom Set Up: Teaching Visual Supports

Classroom Set Up: Creating Visual Supports

Classroom Set Up: Teaching Routines and Expectations

Classroom Set Up: Routines and Expectations

Tuesday Tips 'N' Tricks is made possible by Minnesota Low Incidence Projects