Warm Up
School Family Hello
Objective: Students will greet each other and the teacher, recognizing familiar faces as part of their school family.
Instructions:
1. Gather students in a circle.
2. The teacher will start by saying, "Hello, my name is [Teacher's Name], and I am part of our school family!"
3. Pass a soft ball or a toy around the circle. As each student receives it, they say, "Hello, my name is [Student's Name], and I am part of our school family!" For nonverbal students, encourage a wave, a high-five, or pointing to their picture on a communication board.
4. Encourage students to make eye contact or a small gesture (like a wave) to the person they are greeting.
5. Repeat until all students have had a turn.
Lesson Plan
Our School Family Fun!
Students will define and identify characteristics of a "school family," recognize themselves and others as members, and understand the importance of positive interactions within this community.
Understanding the concept of a "school family" helps preschool special education students feel secure, valued, and connected, fostering a positive learning environment and promoting social-emotional development.
Audience
Preschool Special Education Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion and collaborative activities with nonverbal communication supports.
Prep
Review Materials
10 minutes
- Review all generated materials: Lesson Plan: Our School Family Fun!, Slide Deck: Our School Family Fun!, School Family Hello Warm Up, Building Our School Family Activity, School Family Matching Game, and School Family Participation Rubric.
- Print any necessary visuals or activity sheets mentioned in the activity/game.
- Gather a soft ball or toy for the warm-up.
- Prepare picture cards for the matching game (e.g., pictures of school staff, classroom objects, students - if appropriate and with consent, or generic happy faces).
- Ensure a whiteboard or chart paper is available for discussion.
- **Prepare communication boards or picture symbols for key vocabulary (e.g.,
Step 1
Warm Up: School Family Hello
5 minutes
- Begin with the School Family Hello Warm Up to greet everyone and establish a sense of group.
- Guide students to pass the soft ball/toy and say their name and "I am part of our school family!" **Provide nonverbal students with options for greeting, such as pointing to a
Step 2
Introduction: What is a School Family?
5 minutes
- Use Slide 1: Welcome to Our School Family! and Slide 2: What is a Family? to introduce the concept.
- Ask students: "Who is in your family at home?" (e.g., mom, dad, sister, brother, grandma). Provide picture options for common family members.
- Transition to: "We also have a special family here at school! Who do you see at school every day?" (e.g., teachers, friends). Use visual aids or point to actual people.
Step 3
Activity: Building Our School Family
10 minutes
- Facilitate the Building Our School Family Activity.
- Guide students to identify different roles and members of their school family and discuss what makes them a family (e.g., helping each other, learning together, being kind). Ensure nonverbal students can participate by pointing to pictures or using pre-prepared communication visuals.
- Use Slide 3: Our School Family Helpers and Slide 4: Being a Good Family Member to support this discussion.
Step 4
Game: School Family Matching
5 minutes
- Introduce and play the School Family Matching Game.
- This game reinforces recognition of school family members and common school activities.
- Use Slide 5: School Family Matching Game! to introduce the game.
Step 5
Cool Down & Reflection
5 minutes
- Review key ideas using Slide 6: We Are a School Family!.
- Ask: "What is one thing you like about being part of our school family?" Provide picture options or a communication board for students to express their likes.
- Conclude by having everyone say, "We are a happy school family!"
- Use the School Family Participation Rubric to assess student engagement during the lesson.
Activity
Building Our School Family Activity
Objective: Students will identify different members of their school family and discuss positive interactions within the school community.
Materials: Large piece of chart paper or whiteboard, markers, pictures or drawings of different school members (teacher, aide, principal, librarian, custodian, other students), glue or tape, communication board with key vocabulary/roles.
Instructions:
1. Introduce: "We talked about who is in our family at home. Now, let's think about our family here at school! Who helps us learn and play?"
2. Identify School Members: Show pictures of different school members one by one. Ask students to name the person or their role (e.g., "This is our teacher, Mrs. Smith!"). For nonverbal students, prompt them to point to the picture, point to the actual person, or use their communication board.
3. Discuss Roles: For each picture, ask: "How does [person's name/role] help our school family?" (e.g., Teacher helps us learn, friend plays with us, custodian keeps our school clean). **Provide simple, visual choices for how people help (e.g.,
Game
School Family Matching Game
Objective: Students will recognize and match pictures related to their school family and common school activities.
Materials: 6-8 pairs of matching picture cards (e.g., a picture of the teacher matching another picture of the teacher, a school bus matching another school bus, a book matching another book, a happy child matching another happy child). Print on cardstock and laminate if possible.
Instructions:
1. Preparation: Lay all the picture cards face down on a table or on the floor in a grid pattern.
2. Introduce: "We are going to play a matching game with pictures of our school family and things we see at school!"
3. How to Play:
* Students take turns flipping over two cards.
* If the cards match, the student says what is in the picture (e.g., "Teacher!" or "Book!") and keeps the pair. For nonverbal students, they can show the matched cards or make a happy gesture. They get another turn.
* If the cards do not match, the student turns them back over, and it's the next person's turn.
4. Guidance: Provide verbal prompts and assistance as needed, especially for students who may struggle with identifying images or remembering card locations. Ensure nonverbal students have opportunities to indicate their choices, such as by pointing or eye-gaze.
5. Reinforce: When a match is made, say, "Yes, that's [picture name]! [Picture name] is part of our school family/helps us at school."
6. End Game: The game ends when all matches have been found. Celebrate everyone's participation.
Rubric
School Family Participation Rubric
Objective: To assess student engagement and understanding of the "school family" concept during the lesson and activities.
| Criteria | Emerging (1 Point) | Developing (2 Points) | Proficient (3 Points) |
| :-------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Participation in Group Activities | Rarely participates or requires significant prompting to engage. | Participates with some prompting (verbal or visual cues); may engage for short periods. | Actively participates in group discussions and activities with minimal prompting (verbally or nonverbally). |
| Identifying School Family Members | Unable to identify school members or requires maximum support. | Identifies 1-2 school members with moderate support (e.g., pointing, picture exchange). | Identifies 3+ school members independently or with minimal support (e.g., pointing, using communication board). |
| Demonstrating "Family" Behaviors | Does not consistently demonstrate positive social behaviors (e.g., sharing, turn-taking). | Demonstrates positive social behaviors with frequent reminders or adult support (e.g., gestures, sharing objects). | Consistently demonstrates positive social behaviors (e.g., sharing, turn-taking, kindness) towards peers and adults (verbally or nonverbally). |
| Understanding of School Family Concept | Shows limited understanding of what it means to be part of a school family. | Shows emerging understanding of the school family concept with support (e.g., through gestures, pointing to relevant pictures). | Clearly demonstrates understanding of being part of a school family (e.g., through verbal responses, gestures, actions, or using a communication board). |
Teacher Notes: Use this rubric to observe and document student progress throughout the lesson. Focus on individual growth and adjust expectations based on student IEP goals and individual needs. Ensure to observe and credit both verbal and nonverbal forms of participation and understanding.
Slide Deck
Welcome to Our School Family!
Today we will learn about our special family at school!
Welcome students to the lesson. Use a warm and inviting tone. Point to the title and ask, "What do you think a school family is?" Encourage students to respond verbally, with gestures, or by pointing to a relevant picture.
What is a Family?
Who is in your family at home?
We have a family at school too!
Ask students about their home families. "Who is in your family at home?" (Mom, Dad, siblings, grandparents). Provide visuals for common family members that students can point to. Explain that a school family is similar – a group of people who care for each other and learn together.
Our School Family Helpers
Our teachers help us learn!
Our friends help us play!
Other helpers keep our school safe and happy!
Discuss different people at school who are part of the school family. Show pictures (if possible) or point to actual people in the room/school. Ask, "How do these people help us?" Have students point to pictures of school staff and activities, or use a communication board to express their ideas.
Being a Good Family Member
We are kind to each other.
We help our friends.
We share and take turns.
We listen to our teachers.
Talk about actions that make a good family member. Use simple words and gestures. "What does it mean to be a good friend?" (Share, be kind, help). Relate this to the Building Our School Family Activity. **Provide picture cards for
School Family Matching Game!
Let's play a game to find our school family pictures!
Introduce the School Family Matching Game. Briefly explain the rules or review them before playing. Emphasize that it's a fun way to learn about our school family. Ensure all students understand how to indicate a match, verbally or nonverbally.
We Are a School Family!
We learn together. We play together.
We help each other. We are kind.
We are a happy school family!
Summarize the lesson. Reiterate that everyone is a valued part of the school family. Ask a concluding question: "What is one thing you like about being part of our school family?" Provide students with picture options or a communication board to express their likes or make a positive gesture. Conclude with a group cheer.