Young learners often struggle with basic readiness and "learning to learn" skills. Modifying materials and designing instructional routines are essential to attract and engage children with a range of learning challenges.
This series will emphasize how to design and present materials to increase engagement and independence for young learners with attention, cognitive, and neurodevelopmental challenges. Each WORKshop will include: illustrative and modeling videos; time for exploration and practice; opportunity to make and take a toolkit of visual supports.

Feb. 7: Getting Ready to Learn
Bright, attractive, structured materials help children to develop readiness, attending, and play skills. Design and presentation can entice children to interact with these materials and begin to make sense of how to learn. Participants will make a starter set of readiness materials and practice using them in different contexts.

March 20: Supporting Early Language, Literacy, & Math Concepts
Hands-on practice with visual materials helps young learners grasp abstract concepts more effectively. Participants will create versatile, modifiable, interchangeable setups to help children with learning challenges more independently explore academic content. Using a simple planning tool, participants will determine which materials to choose; how to adapt and expand their design; when to pre-teach or provide supplemental practice; ways to embed these materials within classroom activities and themes.

May 8: Choosing and Using Visual Schedules and Task Strips
Visual tools and structures are effective for clarifying expectations and increasing independence in daily routines and activities. Participants will create and practice using a toolkit of visual supports, including: schedules for transition; task sequences for direct instruction and daily routines; ways to use visual tools to increase independent work and play.