Syllabus
Multi.-Cat. Special Education Primary Syllabus (K-2)
Dr. Lynda Reeves (Lead Teacher)
Lake Forest Elementary 2023-2024 Room 404
Mrs. Laura Jennings, Teacher Assistant
Mrs. Maysoon Habboub, Teacher Assistant
Daily Schedule: A daily, individualized schedule will be provided to each family. Please check the teacher’s website for the classroom’s daily schedule.
Long Range Plans:
The Special Education Multi.-Cat. classroom’s long range plans are based from the student’s IEP goals. Students are placed into groups with similar goals and ability levels to increase individualization of instruction for all students. Goals are based from student need and the progression of grade level standards.
Units of Instruction:
Reading/Writing/Phonics (ELA):
SPIRE is a reading intervention program that increases students’ reading skills through explicit teacher-led instruction, a 10-step lesson model, and multisensory teaching. Lessons consist of a review of letters and sounds, phonological awareness, word building, decoding and sentence reading, reading, sound dictation, spelling, and sentence dictation. Students complete workbook pages for comprehension and vocabulary. Students will be placement tested to determine where they place in the program and will receive instruction through the SPIRE program daily.
Sounds Sensible is a program for beginning readers that builds the foundational skills of reading through a series of listening, rhyming, segmentation, and dictation to teach the letters, sounds, and letter-sound relationships. Kindergarten students will receive daily instruction through the Sounds Sensible program. First and Second grade students will be placement tested to determine where they place in the program and will receive instruction through the Sounds Sensible program daily if needed.
Additional reading instruction is also provided, based on general education standards and the students’ individual instructional levels. Students in K, 1st, and 2nd grade will participate in guided reading groups. First and second grade students will work on 3-5 spelling words and 1-word family per week. They will be tested each Friday. Spelling words are listed in the newsletter each week. Kindergarten focuses on one popcorn word per week and is also tested on Fridays. Word families are introduced to kindergarten around March.
Kindergarten Popcorn Words: a; he; at; in; see; an; I; at; in; see; an; I; so; and; is; it; to; can; up; am; me; we; go; on; the; like; my; you; do; come; of; for; that; was; are.
Additional reading and phonics instruction includes spelling, word families, and reading comprehension. We do a daily read-aloud, and writing is incorporated and integrated throughout all subjects, including multi-sensory and movement activities. In addition, we use i-Ready; Smarty Ants; Unique Learning; IXL.
Math:
Students will receive a combination of math instruction from the state standards, as well as the Saxon Math Curriculum. This scripted program includes concepts such as counting, one-to-one correspondence, addition, and subtraction, in which students complete a lesson and workbook page approximately every 2 days. There is constant review and repetition as we move through the lessons. In addition, we use i-Ready; Unique Learning; Dreambox; IXL; multi-sensory activities; movement activities.
Kindergarten Math Units:
Identifying and Describing 2-D Shapes
Classifying 2 and 3-Dimensional Shapes
Rote counting/Understanding amount counted
Writing and representing numbers 1-10
Classifying and Counting Objects
Rote Counting to 50 and representing 20 objects
Comparing numbers
Understanding and Representing Addition and Subtraction to 5
Adding and Subtracting within 5
Describing/Comparing measurable attributes
Composing 10
Understanding Adding and Subtracting within 10
Counting to 100 by ones and tens
Developing Foundations of Place Value
Modeling Shapes
Solving Problems and Demonstrating Fluency
1st Grade Math Units:
Ten Ones Make a Ten
Developing Addition/Subtraction Strategies
Exploring Quantities to 100
Measuring, Ordering, and Comparing Lengths
Using Data to Add/Subtract within 20
Telling Time to the Hour and Half Hour
Distinguishing Attributes of Shapes and Patterns
Extending Addition and Subtraction Strategies to 20 and Story Problems
Place Value
Adding Multiples of 10
Composing Shapes
Understanding the Equal Sign
Understanding Place Value to Add/Subtract
Applying Properties of Operations to Add 3 Addends
Finding Equal Shares of Shapes
Identifying Coins
2nd Grade Math Units:
Fluency to 20/Exploring Even and Odd Numbers
Using Place Value to Add/Subtract within 100
Exploring Standard Units in Length
Relating Addition/Subtraction to Length
Relating Skip Counting to Time
Solving Problems with Money
Place Value to 999
Expressing/Comparing Three-Digit Numbers
Skip Counting to Add/Subtract
Reasoning with Shapes and their Attributes
Applying Strategies to Add/Subtract within 1000
Social-Emotional-Learning Skills:
We integrate social-emotional-learning skills throughout our daily routines, but we also focus on a new social skill each week through video modeling, teacher modeling, peer role playing, literature, and personal experiences. The intention of focusing on specific social-emotional-learning skills is to assist students with generalizing these behaviors and appropriate interactions to their own personal experiences and self-regulation. The skills we will focus on include but are not limited to: Being a kind friend, using personal space, asking for help, understanding feelings/emotions, starting a conversation with friends, being a respectful listener, greetings and goodbyes, playing appropriately with friends: Sharing, taking turns, not interrupting, waiting our turn. We use Conscious Discipline; “Zones of Regulation”; rethink Ed; Social Thinking.
Social Studies/Science/Themes:
Social studies and science are integrated throughout each day through read-aloud and group discussions, and they follow a theme each week. We incorporate the Kindergarten themes/units as our weekly areas of focus. In addition, we use Unique Learning.
Students will participate in general education classroom inclusion for science/social studies if indicated on their IEP.
South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards:
Because this class is a multi-grade class, we pull from the ELA and Math general education state standards when planning instruction. A complete listing of standards can be accessed through South Carolina State Department website: http://ed.sc.gov/instruction/standards-learning/
Homework Policy
In our classroom, homework is very limited. All students should read at home with a parent for 20 minutes each night. 1st and 2nd grade students should review spelling words each night for spelling tests at the end of the week. Kindergarten students should practice weekly sight word recognition with their flashcards as the words are introduced. Parents can always review with their child by practicing letter and sound identification, rote counting, number recognition, and one-to-one correspondence with various objects including Play-Doh. Parents can help reinforce the concepts learned in class by reviewing the work students bring home each week.
Evaluation of Student Progress: Individual IEP goals
Students will be evaluated according to progress towards their individual IEP goals. The following descriptions will be used on progress reports every 9 weeks to explain student progress towards IEP goals along with supporting data:
NI: Not Introduced
MP: Minimal Progress
SP: Satisfactory Progress
M: Mastered
NM: Not Mastered
Kindergarten and 1st Grade Students: Will receive standards-based report cards according to their grade level every quarter according to the following scale:
M: The student consistently meets or exceeds end-of-year expectations for this standard.
P: The student shows expected growth/progress in meeting this end-of-year standard.
B: The student is beginning to progress toward meeting this end-of-year standard.
N: The student needs intensive support at school and home to develop this end-of-year standard. If left blank, this standard was not addressed or assessed during this reporting period.
2nd Grade Students: Will receive grades based on the school-wide grading scale:
A: 90-100
B: 80-89
C: 70-79
D: 60-69
U: 59 or below
School-Wide “Conscious Discipline”: Lake Forest Elementary vision is “Taking Pride in Learning.” The mission of Lake Forest Elementary School is to provide a nurturing, student-centered learning environment where students are empowered to learn about the world, persevere through challenges, and develop positive character traits.
Specific classroom expectations for our class are as follows:
We try our best.
We keep our hands to ourselves.
When the teacher is talking, we are listening.
We use kind words.
We use walking feet.
We take care of our things.
Classroom Management Plan:
Parents will receive a brief message about their child’s school day in their “Daily Take-Home Communication Folder”. Phone calls and e-mail are other ways I communicate with parents. Individualized behavior charts/plans will be developed/implemented depending on each student needs. Reinforcers include: Edible, Sensory, Tangible, Activity.
Procedures for Routines:
Morning Routine: Students sit with our class in the lunchroom upon arrival; free breakfast is available for any student. At 7:30, our class walks to our classroom: Enter the classroom; unpack bookbag; “Daily Take-Home Communication Folder” and water bottles are placed in designated baskets; bookbag and jackets are hung; make a lunch choice; begin morning work.
Breakfast and Lunch: Free breakfast and lunch is offered daily to all students. Our school offers different lunch options daily. Students make their own lunch choice daily or choose to bring a lunch from home. Lunch menus can be found online.
Restroom: We have a bathroom in our classroom. Students are able to use the restroom as often as needed. Individual bathroom schedules/routines are implemented as needed. Students who are not toilet trained need to bring in pull-ups and personal cleaning wipes on a weekly basis. All students need to bring in one set of the following in case of an accident: Shirt, Shorts/Pants, Socks, Underwear. Please place all items in a Ziploc bag with your child’s name on it.
Recess/Physical Activity: Recess is 20 minutes each day. Students are expected to play appropriately by keeping their hands to themselves, social distance, and follow teacher directives on the playground/indoor recess. If the weather prevents us from going outside; we will have indoor recess.
Transitions: During transitional times, students must listen to the teacher and move quickly to the designated area to begin their work. Picture cues, visual timers, and bells are used as reminders for appropriate behavioral expectations. Circle spots are in the hallway in front of our classroom for all students to sit on to help with transitioning to and back to our classroom.
Communication with Parents:
Parents will receive a brief message about their child’s school day in their “Daily Take-Home Communication Folder”. Phone calls and e-mail are other ways I communicate with parents. Parents are welcome to call, e-mail, write a note, or send a message at any time if they have any questions, important information, or concerns about their child. Please let me know when your child has a rough morning before arriving at school so we can help with the transition to the school day. I will contact the parent back within 24 hours. Please note that if a phone call is made; the classroom phone will not ring during the school day.
We will meet for each child’s annual review of his/her IEP before the IEP ending date.
The IEP team is legally required to meet once a year for an Annual Review IEP meeting. At the meeting, the team will discuss present levels including strengths/needs, future goals, services, accommodations, and extended school year. Parents have the right to request an IEP meeting at any time during the school year. Please contact me to initiate this.
A weekly newsletter will be posted on the class website and sent home (Daily Take-Home Communication Folder) to parents on Mondays with information about what we are doing in school each week. This newsletter also includes reminders and important upcoming dates.
Organization: Money needs to be sent in a bag or envelope and placed in the “Daily Take-Home Communication Folder”. It should be labeled with your child’s name and what the money was sent in for. Please send exact change if possible. Please note that we do not check pockets or bookbags for money. Only folders are checked on a daily basis.
Transportation: If your child needs to go home a different way, we must have communication (note, e-mail, phone call) from a parent. No early dismissals will be permitted after 1:45 p.m.
Absences: If your child is absent, please send a note with an explanation or a doctor’s excuse when applicable. Another option is to fill out THIS form about your child’s absence. Students are only permitted 10 unexcused absences each year.
eLearning Guidelines for Inclement Weather: In the event of inclement weather, the teacher will communicate class assignments.
Dr. Reeves Contact Information:
E-mail: lpreeves@greenville.k12.sc.us
Phone: (864) 355-4028
Website: https://sites.google.com/greenvilleschools.us/lpreeves/home