Snack time in a special education classroom is an instructional period where critical skills are taught. For example, skills like waiting, turn-taking and engaging in positive interaction needs to be embedded throughout the day; at the very least, practiced prior to snack time to ensure the session runs smoothly.

Additionally, in an autism classroom these skills have to be practiced routinely and across settings. Preferably, in a concerted effort with many participants, including but not limited to their therapists. For example, having the occupational therapist and the speech therapist present during a snack session is optimal to teach the child how to request and hold utensils correctly.

The snack time session may include the teacher, the classroom paraprofessional, a 1:1 paraprofessional for students who require high supports and oftentimes—a speech language pathologist to aid in communication and peer interaction and an occupational therapist to aid with fine motor and functionality skills. Last, but not least, plenty of preferred and healthy snacks and plenty of visual supports, reinforcements and positive behavior supports.

The 4-Step Snack Time Routine:

Transitioning and setting up for snack time plays a pivotal role in the execution of a smooth session. Sometimes, a snack session will fall apart before it even starts. Why? Because if students don’t know what the classroom routines and procedures are they will creatively come up with their own. LOL!

So, the first step may be for a student to change their classroom schedule to transition to snacktime. Next, they can pull out the 4-step snack time embedded schedule to follow the snack time sequence and check for completion. Then, when snack time is over, they could wait for the teacher to give them direction or it could be built into the routine that they automatically go to the classroom schedule for transitioning direction into their next activity.

Alternatively, for early finishers you may have established a reinforcement/reward agreement through a first/then or token board system. So, when the student is finished with their snack, they will have access to their reinforcement or chosen reward.

This visual snack time routine plan comes with many visual aids and embedded instruction for early learners.

Included, is a social story that can be introduced as a read a loud to the class prior to snack time. The social story speaks to the 4-steps:

After the social story, students can complete a cut and paste activity that assesses their understanding of the 4-step process. You will also find a poster to hang in your classroom wall that serves as a visual aid to reinforce positive snack time behaviors.

Differentiation and Modifications

Additionally, you get differentiated/embedded snack time schedule checklists for students to check off steps as they complete them. The schedule templates serve as a guide and self-assessment tool. You can print, laminate and velcro one for each student.

These embedded visual and word schedules will help your students with self-regulation skills, social skills, activities of daily living skills and life skills. Your students will be empowered to perform tasks that contribute to their own personal independence and character. They will learn to become good citizens by following classroom routines and procedures.

Ways To Use: Modified to Meet Different Abilities

Additional Visual Supports For Snack Time Routine

Snacktime in the classroom can be an enjoyable and educational experience for all involved in the process. This 4-step snack time lesson is easy to implement because it has a threshold of 4 steps. Most students can follow 2-3 step directions and with visual guidance they may be able to master more.

The First-Next-Then Visual schedule can be used to break down steps in the process for students who need the highest support as well as for those students that are independent but, can benefit from a visual aid. For example, for a nonverbal student with high cognitive impairments, a para can assist the student in understanding and following steps one at a time up to 3 steps. They can assist by providing prompts and/or hand over hand assistance when placing the symbols, if needed.

Alternatively, for a more independent student the first-next-then board can look like (first Snack, then Clean Up, then Computer) provided, they have mastered the skills of washing hands, setting the placemat and eating appropriately. They can bypass the steps and work off the first-next-then board in anticipation of the reward that awaits them for having shown mastery of the snack time classroom steps. They can also use the First/Then board (ex.,first Snack, then Playtime). You can click here for a First-Then freebie board.

Of course, you can adjust and add additional steps to include jobs for students during this section. As your routines fall into place you can adjust and get creative with additional steps. The snack time learning opportunities increases as the systems and procedures become streamlined.

This 4-Step Snack Time Routine is Great For:

Additional Resources and Materials

I appreciate you stopping by and reading this article. Here is the link again if you missed the  First-Then board freebie. It’s a great resource to have as you build your classroom routines and procedures.  

A great majority of my activities are available digitally on the Easel by TPT platform. You can assign the work to your students on Easel and they can access it from any device. Additionally, some activities are self-checking so your students can practice a skill and get immediate feedback on their performance.

I invite you to join the vortex2learning club to have access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time and you will want all these resources in your classrooms.=)

The post Classroom Routines and Procedures: 4-Step Snack Time Routine appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

Let’s explore what makes token boards such a valuable asset in creating engaged, motivated, and thriving classrooms.

Pairing Praise With Tokens: A Winning Combination

Pairing “praise” with each “token” creates a powerful synergy that can transform your classroom dynamics. When students receive tokens for exhibiting desired behaviors and, simultaneously, receive praise, the impact is profound. The combination of tangible rewards and verbal acknowledgment enhances motivation and encourages students to consistently demonstrate positive behaviors.

How To Use A Token Board

Using a token board is a straightforward yet highly effective process. Students select a reward from a choice board that they wish to work towards, and every time they display the desired behavior, they earn a token. The behaviors you choose to reinforce can include in-seat behaviors, sharing, waiting, and mastering new skills.

Token boards operate on the principles of primary (food/drink items) and secondary or conditioned reinforcers (toys, money, activities). By pairing a primary reinforcer (like a drink) with a secondary reinforcer (the token), the likelihood of the secondary reinforcer increasing the behavior is significantly heightened.

Consistency Is Key

Implementing a token system in the classroom is not a daunting task. The key lies in consistency, and a token board acts as a visual aid to help you stay consistent and accountable. Each time a student earns a token and places it on the board, it serves as a reminder for you to praise the student for the exhibited behavior. This consistent reinforcement builds a positive association, making praise itself a secondary reinforcer.

You can get creative with your token boards and you can use them in a multitude of ways. Below is an example for teaching a targeted skill. The student is rewarded for responding correctly in discrete trial sessions.

Token boards offer a strong visual tool that provides visual aids and support for students. They create a tangible representation of progress, making the reinforcement process more tangible and reinforcing for the students.

Creative Applications of Token Boards

One of the advantages of token boards is their versatility. You can get creative and use them in various ways to cater to different needs in your classroom. For example, you can employ token boards to teach targeted skills. In discrete trial sessions, students can be rewarded for responding correctly, fostering a positive learning environment.

Token boards can also be used to manage classroom rules, table work rules, or small group rules during routine activities. An example, the token board below monitors four in-seat behaviors that you may want your students to master.

Complete Token Board Starter Set

To simplify the implementation of token boards, I’ve created a comprehensive starter set. This set includes six “I Am Working For” token boards in different colors for each student, suitable for various class sizes. It features 5-token and 10-token boards for both classroom and targeted behaviors, ensuring flexibility for different reinforcement needs.

The set also comprises 32 primary and secondary reinforcements, two templates for reinforcement storage, and a variety of stars and emoji symbols to use as tokens. Additionally, ink-saver versions of token boards are included for practicality and resource efficiency.

In summary, token boards offer a dynamic and visually engaging method to reinforce positive behaviors in the classroom. By incorporating praise, maintaining consistency, and utilizing creative applications, you can create a positive and motivating learning environment for your students in a fun and effective way.

What Educators Are Saying

I put this on a clipboard for one of my students. It worked out really well and very easy to make / use.

— Nicole F.

Additional Resources and Materials

I am so happy that you visited my site and read through this article. If you need more behavior support materials, you may want to grab this First-Then board freebie. It’s a great addition to your classroom management tools.  

The TPT marketplace is a free website for everyone. There are many free resources that you can download. Additionally, when you purchase an item, and leave feedback, you earn points that you can use to lower the cost of future purchases.

Lastly, I invite you to join the vortex2learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time and you will want all these resources in your classrooms.=)

The post Token Boards For Positive Behavior Supports appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.