Early Childhood Special Education Lesson Plan

Teacher Candidate: Megan Ryan

Grade Level: K - ICT

Sample Writing Lesson

Unit of Study: Fall
Goal of Lesson (Common Core State Standards/Division of Early Childhood where appropriate)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are
writing about and supply some information about the topic.
This is important and appropriate for Kindergarten. Children will be expected to begin writing, drawing and/or dictating after the first
week of being exposed to information about Fall through literature, reading activities, sensory activities and other learning
experiences.
Objectives:
Children will begin to use the information they have learned about Fall to create a writing sample about their favorite thing
they have learned so far. Children will be expected to portray their favorite aspect of Fall through writing, dictation, and/or
drawing, with limited prompting.
Pre-Assessment:
Before beginning the unit, the class will create a list on chart paper of things we already know about Fall. There will be room
on the chart for a what weve learned section after information is taught. This baseline will also dictate the types of lessons
and literature that is necessary and appropriate in beginning the unit.
Post-Assessment:
Teacher will observe and assess writing sample during and after the activity through a checklist and anecdotal data.
Child will be assessed based on the strength of their writing sample based on their individual capabilities. For example, if they
were only drawing last week did the child write words during this sample? If the child was previously writing, has their
writing improved? Are there more difficult words in their sample, new vocabulary from the unit perhaps?
Child will also be assessed on if their sample includes information that was taught explicitly in a lesson, an idea that would go
on the what weve learned side of the chart that was created.
Anecdotal data will be used to note specific strengths or weaknesses shown by the lesson.

A checklist will be used to assess if each child met the objectives of the lesson. The checklist will note what type of writing
they did such as dictation, drawings or writing, and also if they successfully used something that they learned during the
lesson.
This assessment will actively assess not only if their writing skills are improving, but whether or not they are retaining the
new information that is being presented and using it in new work.
Materials:
For the specific writing activity, children should all be given paper that provides space for pictures and also has lines for
writing. Writing materials should include various writing tools such as pencils for those who are capable, as well as crayons
for the children who need to draw their sample, and even markers for students who may have a hard time gripping a pencil
correctly. For the students who are dictating, they should still be given writing tools to explore with during the activity, before
or after dictation.
Use of Technology:
In this lesson explicitly, as well as the unit of study (Fall), technology should be used to create a cover page for their writing
samples. Each student should individually, with the help of a teacher, create a cover page for their writing sample to compile a
What Ive Learned booklet for the unit. This should be done with every unit as a mode of assessment and tangible evidence
to go home to show what is going on in the classroom.
Differentiation:
The common core standard and materials listed both address the need for differentiation. Children will be expected to create
the writing sample, but will have any amount of support necessary to complete the activity. For children who need very little
support, they will write their samples on their own and have it checked after. Students who need moderate support will work
on drawing and perhaps labeling their pictures depending on where they are at individually. Children who need heavy
support will be allowed to dictate their samples, using verbal cues or language, AAC devices, or any means of communication
that they are capable of.
Seating Configuration/Use of Physical Space:
Children will work in groups. Each group may contain children of different capability levels. Each table will provide the same
materials. Any child requiring heavy support should have a teacher support at the table. If there is only one teacher in the
room, the children requiring heavy support should be grouped together, but not alone or separated.
Teaching roles and collaboration:
All adults should be actively engaged in the lesson. Ideally there will be an adult with each group. Teachers should start
discussions with their individual groups to get them thinking of ideas to use for their writing sample. Brainstorming will be
built into this section of the lesson and will be supported by teachers. Since there are no specific 1:1 needs in the classroom,

teachers should use IEP specifications, anecdotal data, and knowledge of the classroom to work successfully to aid those who
need extra support.
Classroom Management:
For children without individual behavior plans, a Working Towards chart will be created. Based on the needs of the
classroom children will either individually or as a whole work towards a reward. Rewards will be discussed and decided with
the help of the teacher. Rewards will be given periodically throughout the day, specifically during Work Time. Students that
are participating appropriately will earn stickers towards their reward.
For children with interfering behaviors and individual behavior plans, rewards and consequences will be decided on an
individual basis. If behavior is not interfering with learning of the class, attention or breaks will be given to further their own
learning if does not result in an interference.
Engagement of students/anticipatory set/Motivation:
The working towards chart is implemented to get students excited about learning because they know that they will be
rewarded for positive behavior and learning. Children should be engaged by appropriately integrating material that interests
them. Students should have opportunities and options in the lessons that they are participating in and ultimately basing their
writing sample off of. Following a writing or reading activity that may require a lot of focus and attention at writing tables or
reading areas may want to be followed by a fun science experiment, or a math activity to create a snack.
Connection to Previous lesson/Prior Knowledge:
Using the What We Know and What Weve Learned chart in the lesson will help see where the gaps are in their knowledge
about fall and where their strengths are so they can build to a higher level on those.
Lesson Presentation:
Estimated Time:
Review Information What Weve Learned 5-7 minutes
Create an example to refer back to on large chart paper for students to reference during the activity that includes a drawing
and writing 3-4 minutes
Transition to writing tables 5 minutes walk break, drink of water, etc.
Writing Time 20 minutes Includes brainstorming, drawing and writing.
Students will be monitored throughout activity to help choose ideas, gain support for writing, be pushed to strengthen
their skills and move to the next stage of writing. As this is one of the first units of the school year, this will be a good
time to gauge how much time the students need to effectively complete an activity.
Transition & Share 10-12 minutes Children will return to carpet to discuss some of the things they included on their
individual writing samples.

Guided Practice/Active Involvement/Small group work/Independent Practice:

Estimated Time:
After assessment, during the technology aspect of creating a cover page for What Ive Learned for the Fall Unit Study, the
teacher should take the opportunity to review the students work to create a dialogue about their writing and develop a plan
or next step to build off their current knowledge and skill.
Final Summary/Closure:
Estimated Time:
The teacher will use this activity as a way to demonstrate the way lessons will go in the classroom during the share time at the
end of the activity. Each lesson will be purposeful and will go on to create and be apart of something larger, such as their
What Ive Learned packet. Creating the routine will help children know what is expected of them and allow children with
special needs to know what to expect in the classroom and during activities.
Extension:
After discussing What Weve Learned, the teacher should make a new list, What We Still Want to Know. This will give the
teacher time to gauge what the children still are confused about or what really interests them about the topic to continue into
its next week.