Prior to the arrival time, our staff moves the students’ school-based seating systems to the parking lot. This makes getting the students transitioned from car to school easier and faster.

The location of the door switch ensures that the preschool students can easily access it and independently open the door to the classroom. In his hands-free walker, Will comes from the parking lot straight to the door and delights in being able to do all this on his own.

Once inside the classroom, backpacks and daily supplies are placed in the child’s cubby which is labeled with the child’s name and photo. For students with vision challenges, bright tape or shiny foil is placed around the edges to help the student independently find their storage space.

A quick high-five good-bye sends the family member out of the classroom and the student into the first activity of the day.

Aidan’s grandfather eases the transition from home to school with a smile and a reminder for him to be a good boy!

Jackson opens the door for his Mom as she leaves the classroom.

A familiar routine at the beginning of the school day helps the students transition from the home to the school environment. Talking about who’s at school each morning gives the teacher many opportunities to present each child’s name and emphasize how it’s spelled.

In addition to introducing numbers, the names of months and days of the week, the calendar serves as a point of reference for special events during the month.

Every student wants a turn to inspect the calendar. Having a display that you can move closer to them helps ensure that they can see the relevant things on the calendar and indicate something that might interest them or that they may want to discuss further.

Jet wants to know more about Amber and when she is coming back to school. He can ask Ms. Caitlin by pointing to the place on the calendar with the notice that she is returning.

Savannah is excited to be back in school after the summer break. She’s focused on the first day of school for the year.

Student name cards are used throughout the year in a variety of activities. There is extra spacing between each letter so that students with vision needs can better discriminate the name shape.

The black background reduces visual clutter and helps students with vision needs recognize the visual target. Students have the opportunity to look at and read the name presented within their appropriate visual field and with the assistance of the teacher.

Jet waits carefully to read and hear his name and then lets the teacher know, ‘I’m here!’ by touching his chest and vocalizing.

Students are assigned jobs for the Morning Circle activity. The weather monitor goes outside and determines which icon is appropriate for that day’s weather. The weather report is programmed on a switch so that the weather monitor can make the announcement to the rest of the group.

Preschoolers take their jobs seriously and the job chart provides a visual reference for them throughout the week.

Jackson uses a number line to count how many students are in class. The students’ photographs are placed above each number as another visual reference.

Jet uses his Go Talk 20 to count the students.

Ms. Caitlin demonstrates how the students can use a Step-By-Step™ to count.

Savannah uses eye-gaze to pick one answer from the choice of two presented by the teacher. Ms. Caitlin confirms her choice by pointing to the one Savannah looks at.

As the year progresses many students begin to more independently ‘read’ the job chart. Students get additional practice in reading their names and tracking text to determine their job for the week.

Jet and Adam can’t wait to get outside ahead of the teachers. Jet reports that Outside Time is his favorite time of the day.

The preschool environment has been engineered so that across the room there are a variety of AAC/AT tools and supports children can access for a variety of communication purposes. Will walks to the door in his hands-free support walker and touches the BIGMack Communicator switch to tell his teachers, ‘It’s time to go outside!’

Being outside allows the students time to observe the environment and the changes that occur across seasons. Adam helped plant the seeds and now he is ready to harvest the lettuce in the garden. The planting bed is raised so that it can be easily accessed by students in hands-free support walkers or in wheelchairs.

Arman’s favorite toy is the fire engine. He uses his feet on the ground, rather than the pedals, to propel himself independently around the garden, classroom, parking lot, and playground.

Boxes and packing crates provide excellent opportunities for creative play. Jackie and Jet built a maze out of these boxes and then chased each other around the deck.

Tag is always a favorite game amongst the preschoolers. Hands-free support walkers make it possible for them to play this game independently. Adam is ‘it’ and chases after his friends as they run away.

Our students love playing with the accessible sand and water tables. These are placed at a height that allows the children to see and reach the objects in each and to interact with each other as they play. Arman and Phoebe are washing some dishes together.

The door to the garden is highlighted in red tape and a string of lights so that students with vision needs can locate it from across the room.

Students get to choose what activity they want to do when they are outside. Aidan walked over to the swing in his hands-free support walker to tell Ms. Caitlin his choice.

Students have the opportunity to interact with same-age peers from North School when they are on the playground. When necessary, Bridge School staff support peer interactions.

A large, colorful parachute can be used in many different games and students love to be involved. When we take a parachute outside, children from North School frequently join in the fun.

Joey loves to explore and is ready to embark on a ‘playground adventure’ with Ms. Lindsay. He walked all around the playground to see what he could find.

The Bridge School parent group partnered with North School parents to redesign and construct a playground that would be accessible for all students. This play structure is equipped with ramps and other accessible features that allow students in wheelchairs or hands-free support walkers to access it independently. The rubberized playground surface is smooth so that wheels can easily move across it.

This custom-made cup holder allows Jackson to independently pull the cup towards his mouth when he wants to drink.

Commercially available suction cup bowls keep the bowls steady and in one spot so that students can more easily find and scoop food items.

A variety of adapted utensils are commercially available. These utensils have a range of different textures, grips, and widths. The middle spoon is curved to help students more easily angle the food into their mouth.

From a choice of two food items, Savannah used her eye gaze and voice to say she wanted to eat her pudding. She then works on self-feeding with assistance from the teacher. The teacher helps maintain Savannah’s grasp on the spoon, while Savannah independently brings the spoon to her mouth when she is ready for a bite.

Using a Step-By-Step, Jet shares a funny story on his home news with the group. He told his friends and teachers how his Daddy got all mixed up helping him get dressed this morning. Jet’s Daddy put his socks on his head!

Mid-Morning Meal, in addition to providing needed nutrition, is a time for social interaction and sharing. The preschoolers look forward to this activity and have a lot to do and learn.

Every student has a chance to say, ‘Hi’ to ‘Storyfriend’. Then the teacher asks students to tell ‘Storyfriend’ about the book we are reading, giving them another opportunity to practice and recall new vocabulary concepts and access to their AAC/AT tools and supports.

While reading the book The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins, the students rang a real doorbell and passed out play cookies to support comprehension of the content. Materials were mounted on a black background to help reduce visual clutter and help students with vision needs more accurately find the desired prop.

While reading a book about construction, students were able to use a variety of tools seen in the book. This hammer has been adapted with a rubber band support so that students can independently hold the prop on their wrist and hammer in the pretend nail.

Ms. Dana explains to Roman and Cannon that the purpose of reading this book is to learn more facts or true information about dinosaurs.

Joey is drawn to the picture of the red fire engine. Ms. Janelle explains how we can use the pictures to ‘read’ and tell us about what is happening in the story. Then she points to the print where we read the words. She also demonstrates how to track the text from left to right by following the print with her finger.

Students can refer to the ‘I Know About That’ board during Storytime and Centers to connect personal experiences to the book and theme content knowledge.

Jackson raises his hand to tell his teacher he knows something about the fire station while reading the book Dot the Fire Dog, by Lisa Desimini. By reading the note from home on the ‘I Know About That’ board, it is discovered that Jackson has visited the fire station close to his house several times.

During Reader’s Theater, the students choose one part of the book to act out. They pick the parts to play and put on costumes from the dress-up rack. Jet, Savannah, and Jackson have decided to act out the part in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle, where the caterpillar pops out of the cocoon.

Jet and Savannah act out the part and ‘pop’ out of their blanket cocoons just like the caterpillar does in the book. The acting part takes only a few minutes, but the preparation offers the students many opportunities for choice making, communication, and fun with the book.

Storytime allows students to experience the joy of reading and storytelling, a critical component of the literacy experience.

Many students choose to display their artwork on the classroom art wall and feel proud to show it off to friends and teachers.

Materials are adapted to ensure more independent access. Foam has been added to the top of this pen so that the student can more easily grasp the pen.

Amber chose to make a footprint ghost for art during the Halloween theme. She painted with her feet.

During the Scientist theme, students mixed paint to get new colors just like in the book we were reading, Mouse Paint, by Ellen Stoll Walsh. Savannah independently mixed the paint colors with her feet while positioned in her hands-free support walker.

Directions for the art project, along with a completed example, are provided on a dry-erase board. Students are provided with another exposure to text in a list format. They can check off each direction as the task is completed.

While positioned in her hands-free support walker, Abigail is able to walk directly up to the art wall and hold onto a rounded handle paintbrush to add to the classroom fall tree mural.

While making a card for his mom, Jackson used his hand to spread the red glitter glue around. He then chose a picture to glue onto the card.

During the Shopping Mall theme, students browsed through catalogues and created ‘wish lists’ of things they wanted from the mall. They used adapted scissors to cut out the items they chose and then glued them onto the list.

Jet used shredded paper, beans, pasta, and rice to glue onto his pretend pizza at the art table during the Pizza Parlor theme.

During the Firefighter theme different play schemas and the materials to support them are made available. In the ‘firehouse’ students can choose to cook, get ready for bed, take phone calls, or study the map. Students also have the option to pretend to drive the fire truck and fight a fire.

During the Service Station theme students have many play routines to choose from. Students can drive the car and fill up at the gas station, be a gas station attendant, fix cars, or take phone calls to set up appointments at the car repair shop.

Using the GoTalk Now app on the iPad, pre-programmed scripts are created so that students can independently access and act out the vocabulary while playing camping.

Various mid-tech devices are programmed for the students to access and use while playing during the Firefighter theme.

Various environmental print and print materials are placed throughout the pretend play area to support literacy skills. During the Bakery theme, a cake recipe was created so that students could experience reading a list.

Picture supports along with written words help students read the menu available at the ‘Bridgeville Café.’

As often as possible, real world experiences are made available to the students to provide for deeper understanding of the theme and theme concepts. Aidan feeds a sheep during the Farm theme. A mobile petting zoo was able to bring several animals to The Bridge School.

Jet took a field trip to the grocery store to learn more about the theme. He was able to independently choose what to explore in the store while positioned in his hands-free support walker.

As part of the grocery store field trip students wrote a grocery list in order to make fruit smoothies. Every student was in charge of getting a specific item. Savannah found the juice aisle and picked up some juice for the class.

During the Service Station theme Ms. Lindsay opened up her car for the students to explore. Niels is checking out Ms. Lindsa’s engine and can later use this real world knowledge to enhance his understanding of the pretend play schemas.

The next day students washed Ms. Lindsay’s car, just like they might act out in the pretend play area within the classroom. Jet and Arman can get very close to the car and use their hands while positioned in their hands-free support walkers.

Jet uses his personalized low-tech communication book to tell Ms. Laura all about a time he made cupcakes at home during the Bakery theme.

Families write in about what their child knows about/has experienced in relation to the theme so that familiar concepts can be incorporated into play routines, allowing the students an even richer and more relevant experience with the theme.

During the Doctor theme, two vocabulary words studied were ‘sick’ and ‘hurt.’ Here Savannah is using her eye gaze to make a choice of why Ms. Holly needs to call the doctor’s office.

Joey uses a toy hammer to fix the car during the Service Station theme.

Dress-ups are always available to the preschoolers. Savannah put on a special outfit to wear to the mall during the Shopping Mall theme.

Abigail put on a dress up skirt, then checked herself out in the mirror. Children love looking at themselves in the mirror, which also helps promote positive self-esteem and image.

Jet rakes leaves during the Fall theme. In his hands-free support walker he is able to look down and see what he is doing. He was sure to run through the leaf pile once it was complete. The upper handle of the rake has been built out with some thick tape for students to better grasp it independently.

Niels plays with the toy garage. The garage has been placed on a raised table so that he can more easily access and manipulate the different garage materials.

Teachers show how to play/act out different play contexts and provide the students with appropriate language models. Ms. Elisa acts out the part of the police officer during the Community Helpers theme. When Abigail is done driving the bus she can take on the role of the police officer and know what to do and say.

Jackie and her teacher count how many toy insects she finds while digging in the dirt during the Garden theme. She wanted to give one insect to each of her friends so she needed to make sure she had enough. Counting and other mathematic concepts can be incorporated within a child’s play routine while still keeping it fun.

Amber uses a SuperTalker to ask, ‘Can I see?’

Phoebe uses a Step-By-Step to tell her friends all about her new doll and what she likes to play with her.

Niels very generously shares his stuffed monkey with Jackson after he asked.

Adam holds up his sharing item for the class to see.

Jackie chose to share a picture from her personalized low-tech communication book.

Sharing items can be anything the child shows interest in, including a toy, an earned medal,

lunchbox (including what food is inside it), a favorite or new book,

photographs of family activities, and artwork they created outside of school.

Student sharing items are placed on the sharing table and remain there throughout the week. Students are welcome to go play with the sharing items (after asking their friend first) at other times in the day. Additional practice with reading names is available during Sharing. A list of students who want to share that day is created and students can read who is next on the list and know when it is their turn.

Adam uses his voice to tell Ms. Caitlin that letter a says, ‘a,’ which is also the first letter sound of his name!

During Reading and Math students are expected to be learners within a larger group. This gives students the opportunity to practice taking turns, listening to the teacher and the directions, and finding ways to remain an active participant and learner.

Activities are created that allow hands-on opportunities for learning. Abigail is completing a counting puzzle, where she must cover all 3 squares while learning about the number 3.

Jet learns about the number 4 and counts that there are 4 wheels on a car. Later that day he relates what he has learned to his everyday environment by counting the number of wheels on his own car and finding out there are 4.

The preschoolers could not believe it when they found out that there are also 4 wheels on Ms. Caitlin’s stool. That number 4 is everywhere! The teachers find multiple ways to reinforce concepts whenever the opportunity arises.

While learning about patterns, the preschoolers created their very own with Ms. Caitlin. Uh-oh, Ms. Caitlin made a mistake though and broke the pattern. Can the preschoolers help her figure out her mistake?

Will learns about the words ‘big’ and ‘little’. He had a chance to hold and feel a little pumpkin, then later he did the same with a big pumpkin. It is important to provide multiple sensory inputs as children are exposed to concepts: look at the difference, feel the difference, tastes the difference, and/or hear the difference.

Ms. Sasha teaches the preschoolers about the color yellow. They get to make choices on the yellow objects they want to hold, feel, and interact with; later they made a painting using the color yellow.

Abigail counts the slices of pizza with Ms. Sasha by touching each one.

Later, Abigail counts the slices of pizza again, this time using a Step-By-Step, so that she can independently produce and say the numbers.

The iPad has a variety of apps, including GoTalk Now and Sounding Board. These can be programed so that students can participate in the singing of the song. During the Farm theme students sing, ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm.’ Using the GoTalk Now app, Jet was able to decide what animal would come next in the song and tell everyone the sound that animal makes.

Several props related to the theme are incorporated into the song to help with comprehension of the song’s meaning and order. Students are positioned in their hands-free support walkers so that they can have both hands available to hold and manipulate the props. Amber is picking some fruit while singing, ‘Way Down Yonder in the Paw-Paw Patch,’ during the Garden theme.

Students use body movements, gestures, and vocalizations throughout each song. This allows the student to gain extra practice in the production of these communication intents, and supports their growing knowledge of different ways to communicate. During the Jungle/Safari song, Adam roared like the lion. Adam began to roar like a lion the next day during Outside Time as he chased his friends around the garden in a game of jungle/safari tag.

The staff create PowerPoint slides to accompany each song. This reinforces concepts, promotes literacy, and provides students with prompts of what happens next, especially while learning the song. The backlit screen and movement between the transitions of slides attract visual attention and support students with vision needs to know where to look.

Savannah gains additional practice in using her AAC/AT tools and supports to count during the song, ‘Five Little Monkeys.’

Students go to the posted schedule of the day and pick one to two parts of the day to talk about on their school news.

Amber picked Storytime to talk about for her school news. The teacher then gives her choices on different things that happened during Storytime. Amber chose to talk about how she held Storyfriend during Storytime and that she read the line in the book, ‘We’re going to the moon!’

Remnants from the day can accompany school news. Arman chose to talk about his art project for school news and then brought his art work home to share. When students choose Music as their school news topic, they often enjoy including parts of the recorded song in their message.

Sometimes the students need reminders as to the events of the day. Niels tries on his favorite construction hat and tool belt from Centers with Ms. Elisa, then he picks what to talk about on his school news.

Jet uses a gesture to tell Ms. Elisa he wants to talk about the part of the ‘Five Little Monkeys’ song where Mama calls the doctor in his school news.

Amber plays a computer game during independent time. Once the switches are set up she is able to independently play and access the game. She uses her voice if she needs to call the teacher over for assistance.

During independent time Arman plays with some of the toys and materials set out for Outer Space, the current theme. Arman is able to move between the toys and materials as he pleases in his hands-free support walker; he walks over to the teacher if he needs assistance.

Phoebe does some last minute painting during independent time. She can use her foot to independently create her masterpiece.