Are you looking to implement some classroom routines and procedures around snack time to keep your students organized and happy? Are you looking for a snack time routine that is student friendly, student-centered and easy to implement? Then you may want this 4-step snack time routine to keep your students at their best behavior—on-task, happy and organized.
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:
- Wash Hands
- Set Table
- Eat Snack
- Clean UP
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
Non-verbal, not yet readers, not yet writers can match picture symbols on visual schedule to show completion of steps. (Most Support)
Non-verbal readers and writers can use a pencil to check off step completion on the “word” schedule. (Medium)
Verbal readers and writers can use the “word” schedule and check off boxes with a pencil to show completion. (Independent)
Non-verbal reader not yet writer can use the “word” schedule and laminated check mark to show completion. (Medium)
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:
- Special Education Classrooms in Elementary School
- Autism Classrooms
- Pre-K Classroom Management
- Preschool Snack Time
- Homeschool
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.=)
