Not all worksheets are created equally. Worksheets need a focus with promise of learning. I've listed a few here that have specific goals for some of the more common areas of need found in students with learning difficulties or disabilities.

• Using Capital Letters
• Using Homonyms
• Doing a Daily Edit
• Telling Time

See also the Phonics and Printing worksheets.

Students with behavorial or emotional concerns will benefit from strategies that will help them to self-monitor their behavior. Some of those strategies include a safe place to focus, some teachers refer to this as a time-out, however, I much prefer to use the term: focus place. Children can be taught to determine when they're anxiety is escalating or when they're in jeopardy of escalating with a negative behavior. Provide a focus station and a cue for the child to remove themself from the situation. You will also find these daily reports helpful once the child is able to take ownership of them.

If you have a child with special needs and an IEP has been developed, then you are probably quite familar with the term accommodations. In fact, accommodations are a large part of the 'action' in an IEP. Accommodations usually occur in 3 areas: Instruction, assessment and in the environment.

Instructional accommodations include paired groupings with helpful peers, graphic organizers, extra time, more clarifications and repetitions, technology options etc. Environmental accommodations will include preferential seating, noise reductions, assistive equipment, alternative work spaces etc. and Assessment accommodations will include additional time, oral responses, computer options, augmentative support, additional breaks, scribing etc.

These are just a few samples of what some accommodations will look like in the IEP. For additional information see the full list.

We often take life skills for granted, however, some students with special needs will require the direct teaching of life skills. The school environment can be a great place for teaching authentic life skills. Students can be linked in with the custodian, the office staff or the librarian for components of their day where appropriate. To see how you can link life skills authentically within the school environment, read on.

See also:

• Life Skills Literacy Checklist
• Worthwhile Life Skills