Choices, Choices, Choices!

Hi all! It's been quite awhile since I've last posted. Since then I've graduated with my bachelor's degree in early childhood, psychology, and special education. I have worked as a preschool inclusion teacher and now as a self-contained preschool teacher in a new district. I am loving my new position and plan to use this blog to share my ideas/lessons.

Today I wanted to post about my song choice board. Everyday between center time and lunch time we sing songs on the rug. I noticed my students engagement in this time was wavering, and I knew I had to find a way to get them more involved. All of my students have delays in speech, so often their expressive language is limited. Yet, I knew that if they were able to express their song preferences their interest in singing would undoubtedly be raised. I mean com'n who isn't more interested in doing something they like?! So, I created this song choice board with the help of BoardMakerOnline.com. Yay, for 30 day free trials! I love how Board Maker also allows you to import pictures from the internet also. As you can see from the picture I limit the song choices to six, but on the back I have about 9 other songs I can velcro on and off to keep in the rotation. The velcro on the mini clipboard allows for quick changes.

(front side presented to students)

(Backside)

So, when it's time for songs each child gets to pick one song by pointing to or taking a picture off and handing it to me. In my class of vehicle obsessed boys it's no surprise we sing "Wheels on the Bus" almost daily! This board has really increased participation during song time, and it allows students' whose expressive language skills are limited to be more involved in choice making!