Adapted curriculum
Learning, week by week
This is a 30-week adapted home curriculum for autistic children and children with intellectual disabilities, in seven units. Each week has a theme and six subjects, with activities at two levels. Start whenever it suits your family.
Pick a level
The K–2 activities build foundational skills, and the grades 3–6 activities are the next step up. Choose by your child's skills, not their age.
Pick a subject
Spend 20 to 45 minutes per subject, depending on your child's energy and focus that day.
Follow the themes
All six subjects share a weekly theme, which helps skills carry over from one activity to another.
Repeat freely
Repetition is learning, not going backwards. Revisit any week as often as it helps, and adapt anything. You know your child best.
The plan
Grades K–2 · Functional Literacy
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Recognise and write own first name; match name to personal photo
- Activity
- Match name card to photo; trace name with finger paint or dotted font
- Materials
- Name cards, personal photos, dotted font worksheets, stamps, dot markers
- Support tip
- Use AAC to select/spell name; praise every letter attempt equally
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Read and match 5 family-role words: mum, dad, sister, brother, me
- Activity
- Match printed word card to family member photo; sort 'my family / not my family'
- Materials
- Family photos, word cards, sentence strips, pencils
- Support tip
- Use child's own family photos — familiarity boosts engagement significantly
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Match sensory describing words to pictures: loud, soft, sweet, rough, smooth
- Activity
- Touch texture samples; select the correct word card ('rough' or 'smooth')
- Materials
- Texture board, word cards, sentence starters strip, pencils
- Support tip
- Let child explore textures freely first; never force touch of disliked textures
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Learn 5 summer sight words: sun, hot, swim, cool, fun; read in context
- Activity
- Match word to picture card; 'read the room' — find summer word labels around space
- Materials
- Summer word cards, picture labels, sentence strip, simple reader book
- Support tip
- Display word wall prominently; revisit words daily in short 2-minute reviews
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Read and match 5 community helper words: doctor, firefighter, police, teacher, chef
- Activity
- Match helper photo card to role word; sort 'helper / not a helper' from mixed pictures
- Materials
- Helper photo cards, role word cards, tool cards, sorting mat
- Support tip
- Use real local photos if available (your town's fire station, etc.) for relevance
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Read 5 common store signs and labels: OPEN, EXIT, SALE, PRICE, FOOD
- Activity
- Match sign card to real/picture of sign; sort signs by indoor vs outdoor
- Materials
- Sign cards, grocery flyer, simple picture list, highlighters
- Support tip
- Bring real flyers from local stores — real context dramatically boosts learning
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Read and match 8 animal names to photos; identify animal sounds in text
- Activity
- Match 8 animal photo cards to name cards; select correct animal when sound is played
- Materials
- Animal photo cards, name cards, animal sound audio, simple fact cards
- Support tip
- Use animals the child already shows interest in for greatest engagement
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Read sight words: go, stop, slow, fast, bus, car, train; find on signs
- Activity
- Match word card to transport photo; STOP/GO flashcard game
- Materials
- Word cards, transport photos, simple timetable, STOP/GO cards
- Support tip
- Practise in real settings: read signs while in the car or at a bus stop
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Read time-of-day words: morning, afternoon, evening, night, before, after, next
- Activity
- Sequence 4 daily event photos using time words; match word card to photo
- Materials
- Daily photo cards, word cards, blank schedule strip, pencils
- Support tip
- Consistent daily schedule use is itself the most powerful literacy activity here
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Read and write 8 colour words; use colour words in describing sentences
- Activity
- Match colour word card to paint chip/swatch; colour a word using the matching colour
- Materials
- Colour word cards, paint chips, crayons, describing sentence worksheet
- Support tip
- Colour-code classroom materials by subject — builds sight word reading AND organisation
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Name and write 6 shape words; find shapes in print and environment
- Activity
- Trace shape outlines; match shape word card to drawn shape
- Materials
- Shape word cards, outline worksheets, pencils, 'shape hunt' recording sheet
- Support tip
- Go on a shape hunt around the home — circle (clock), rectangle (door), etc.
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Read and spell 8 school supply words; practise pencil grip and letter formation
- Activity
- Match photo of supply to word card; trace large letters with preferred medium
- Materials
- Supply word cards, supply photos, pencil grip aid, letter formation guide
- Support tip
- Try different pencil grips and paper angles — find what works best for each child
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Review favourite words from weeks 1–13; write/dictate one sentence per week
- Activity
- Choose 5 favourite word cards; match each to its picture; put in 'my word bag'
- Materials
- Word cards from previous weeks, mini dictionary booklet template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Let the child lead word selection — what they choose shows what had meaning for them
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Learn 6 autumn words: leaf, harvest, cool, breeze, crunch, golden; use in sentences
- Activity
- Match autumn word to photo; sort 'autumn' and 'summer' pictures
- Materials
- Autumn word cards, season photos, sentence strip, pencils
- Support tip
- Go outside and experience autumn sensory details before reading/writing about them
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Learn 5 tree/plant vocabulary words: trunk, branch, root, leaf, seed
- Activity
- Label a large tree diagram with 5 part names using word cards and stickers
- Materials
- Tree diagram poster, label stickers, word cards, simple plant text, pencils
- Support tip
- Use a real plant or tree outside to point to parts — embodied learning is deeper
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Read 6 farm and food words: farmer, harvest, crop, vegetable, fruit, field
- Activity
- Match food photo to word card; sort into fruit / vegetable groups
- Materials
- Farm word cards, food photos, sorting mats, simple farm story text
- Support tip
- Connect to foods the child eats — personal relevance cements vocabulary
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Read 6 weather words: sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, snowy, stormy
- Activity
- Match weather word to photo; make a weather chart for the week
- Materials
- Weather word cards, weather chart template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Checking the weather is a daily life skill — embed this into every morning routine
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Read Halloween and safety words: costume, trick, treat, safe, dark, bright
- Activity
- Match word card to Halloween photo; read a simple 2-page Halloween safety story
- Materials
- Word cards, Halloween safety story, comprehension question cards
- Support tip
- Keep Halloween content fun and empowering — avoid scary images that may distress
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Read 6 emotion words: happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, calm; use in sentences
- Activity
- Match emotion word to face photo; sort 'I feel this way when ___ happens'
- Materials
- Emotion word cards, face photo cards, feelings journal, pencils
- Support tip
- Daily feelings check-in (even just pointing to an emotion card) builds self-awareness
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Understand body safety vocabulary: private, safe touch, unsafe, trusted adult, NO
- Activity
- Match 'safe touch' and 'unsafe touch' cards; identify trusted adults from photo cards
- Materials
- Body safety word cards, social story, trusted adult photos, 'safe touch' sorting cards
- Support tip
- Teach with calm, matter-of-fact tone; normalise the topic so it can be discussed freely
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Read emergency words: fire, exit, alarm, help, call, danger, safe, escape
- Activity
- Match emergency word to photo; find the EXIT sign in your home/building
- Materials
- Emergency word cards, fire safety passage, EXIT sign search activity
- Support tip
- Make locating real EXIT signs a game on every outing — genuine life skill
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Read hygiene sequence words: wash, rinse, dry, scrub, lather, brush, floss
- Activity
- Sequence 4 hand-washing picture steps; match hygiene word to photo
- Materials
- Hygiene sequence cards, word cards, blank hygiene chart template
- Support tip
- Personalised hygiene charts with photos of the child work far better than generic ones
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Read gratitude words: thankful, grateful, kind, appreciate, give, share
- Activity
- Match word to action photo (sharing → share); practise saying/tapping 'thank you'
- Materials
- Gratitude word cards, thank-you note template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- A written or drawn thank-you that is genuinely delivered is the best literacy outcome
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Read 5 food group labels: grains, vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy
- Activity
- Sort 10 food photos onto a 'My Plate' diagram by food group
- Materials
- My Plate diagram, food photo cards, simple food package labels
- Support tip
- Use packages from foods the child actually eats — direct relevance
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Read a 5-step picture recipe; identify key cooking safety words: hot, sharp, careful
- Activity
- Follow 5-step picture recipe card by pointing to each step in order
- Materials
- Picture recipe cards, written recipe, highlighters, pencils
- Support tip
- Use a recipe for something the child loves to eat — motivation is everything
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Read tradition and culture words: celebrate, family, culture, special, tradition, together
- Activity
- Match word to photo of a family celebration; copy one word from family word wall
- Materials
- Culture word cards, family celebration photos, sentence frames, pencils
- Support tip
- Family photos of real celebrations are the most powerful resource here
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Read winter and holiday words: winter, snowflake, holiday, celebrate, gift, candle
- Activity
- Match word to winter photo; sort 'winter' and 'summer' photo cards
- Materials
- Winter word cards, season photos, sentence frame, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Embed winter vocabulary in real sensory experience: cold water, ice cubes, chilly air
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Read giving words: donate, volunteer, care, share, wrap, surprise, generous
- Activity
- Match word card to action photo (donate → box of items); copy one word
- Materials
- Giving word cards, gift tag template, sentence frame, pencils
- Support tip
- Choosing to give something personally meaningful teaches generosity deeply
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Write or dictate favourite learning moments from the year; create a 'My Year Book'
- Activity
- Choose 3 favourite learning moments from photo prompts; draw one memory per page
- Materials
- Blank booklet template, learning moment photo prompts, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- A Year Book becomes a treasured keepsake and evidence of growth — make it special
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Write or draw a learning goal for next year; read and celebrate favourite words mastered
- Activity
- Draw 'something I want to learn'; parent scribes the words; child decorates
- Materials
- Goal-setting template, pencils, crayons, favourite word cards from the year
- Support tip
- Keep goals displayed where child can see and revisit them in the weeks ahead
Grades K–2 · Functional Math
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Identify and count numbers 1–5; understand one-to-one correspondence
- Activity
- Count fingers on one hand; match number card to quantity of objects
- Materials
- Number cards 1–5, counters, small objects (blocks, buttons), number line
- Support tip
- Use large tactile number cards; allow pointing instead of verbal counting
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Count family members; practise more / less / same with sets up to 5
- Activity
- Count people in a family photo using one-to-one touch counting; use counters
- Materials
- Family photos, counters, comparison worksheet, crayons
- Support tip
- Allow child to point to each person; use gesture + AAC for 'more' and 'less'
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Sort a set of 10 objects by one attribute (colour, size, or texture)
- Activity
- Sort 10 blocks into 2 bins by colour using hand-over-hand if needed
- Materials
- Coloured blocks, sorting bins, attribute labels, recording sheet
- Support tip
- Start with high-contrast colours; reduce number of objects if overwhelmed
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Count and compare summer objects; read hot/cold on a simple thermometer
- Activity
- Count 1–10 summer objects (shells, ice cubes, bubbles); which pile has more?
- Materials
- Summer objects, picture thermometer, recording chart, crayons
- Support tip
- Use real thermometer outdoors if safe; connect to child's immediate sensory experience
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Count helper tools; practise simple subtraction ('5 bandages, use 2, how many left?')
- Activity
- Count 5 objects representing helper tools; remove 1 and recount
- Materials
- Toy/picture helper tools, counters, subtraction word problem cards
- Support tip
- Use objects physically — move counters away rather than abstract subtraction
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Identify coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter); count combinations up to 25¢
- Activity
- Sort coins by appearance; match coin to its name card (penny = brown, 1¢)
- Materials
- Real coins, coin name cards, classroom store items with price tags
- Support tip
- Use real coins, not pictures — tactile experience helps discrimination
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Sort animals by habitat (farm / wild / pet); count legs (2 vs 4)
- Activity
- Sort 10 animal cards into 2 groups by where they live; count and compare groups
- Materials
- Animal cards, sorting mats, tally worksheet, pencils
- Support tip
- Use large clear photos; allow pointing to sort rather than picking up cards
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Count wheels on vehicles; compare speeds (fast/faster/fastest); sequence a journey
- Activity
- Count wheels on picture vehicles (2, 4, 18); order fast→slow from 3 photos
- Materials
- Vehicle picture cards, a simple local map, counters, ordering cards
- Support tip
- Use pictures of vehicles the child has seen in real life for relevance
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Read an analogue clock to the hour; sequence days of the week
- Activity
- Match clock face showing whole hour to digital display; name 3 days of the week
- Materials
- Large analogue clock (moveable hands), digital clock, weekly calendar, markers
- Support tip
- Use a 24-hour visual daily planner displayed at child's eye height in their room
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Create, extend, and describe AB and ABB repeating patterns
- Activity
- Make a red-blue-red-blue bead pattern; extend teacher's pattern by 3 more
- Materials
- Coloured beads/blocks, pattern strips, shape stamps, pattern worksheet
- Support tip
- Use preferred items as pattern elements (favourite stickers, colours) for motivation
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Use non-standard units to measure length; compare big/medium/small
- Activity
- Measure 3 objects using linking cubes; record: 'The book is 8 cubes long'
- Materials
- Linking cubes, ruler, measuring recording sheet, objects of varying size
- Support tip
- Measure things the child cares about (favourite toy, their own shoe) for engagement
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Count school supplies; compare quantities using more/fewer; practise number bonds to 5
- Activity
- Count 5 pencils; take 2 away — how many left? Use a number bond mat
- Materials
- School supplies for counting, number bond mat, recording worksheet
- Support tip
- Concrete objects always before abstract numbers — never skip the hands-on step
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Review numbers, patterns, shapes, and money concepts from past 3 months
- Activity
- Play a mixed-skill review game: count, point to shape, copy a pattern, name a coin
- Materials
- Review game cards, mixed maths challenge sheet, coins, pattern blocks
- Support tip
- Frame as a celebration of skills gained — not a test; no time pressure
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Count, sort, and compare leaves by size and colour; practise numbers 1–20
- Activity
- Sort 10 leaves into red/yellow/orange groups; count each group
- Materials
- Collected leaves, sorting tray, graph paper, crayons, ruler
- Support tip
- Leaf collecting itself is a motivating sensory activity that primes learning
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Measure a tree trunk circumference; compare heights of 3 plants using a ruler
- Activity
- Wrap string around a tree trunk; compare string lengths from 2 trees
- Materials
- String, scissors, ruler, measuring recording table, 3 potted plants
- Support tip
- Outdoor measuring is motivating; allow movement and exploration while measuring
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Count and sort fruits/vegetables; create a simple pattern using food items
- Activity
- Sort 10 play foods into fruit/vegetable groups; count each group
- Materials
- Play food or food photos, sorting mats, pattern strips, word problem cards
- Support tip
- Real fruits and vegetables at snack time double as maths and life skills
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Create a weather tally for the week; read a simple pictograph of weather data
- Activity
- Add a tally mark each day for today's weather; count tallies at week's end
- Materials
- Weather tally chart, pictograph template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- A real week of weather data makes maths authentic and personally meaningful
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Sort and count Halloween candy by colour, shape, and type; make a pictograph
- Activity
- Sort 10 candy photos into 2 types; count each; which group has more?
- Materials
- Candy photos or real candy, sorting mats, tally sheet, graph template
- Support tip
- Use photos if real candy presents a food restriction or safety concern
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Make a weekly feelings graph; count how many times each emotion appeared
- Activity
- Place a star on the feelings chart each morning; count at week's end
- Materials
- Weekly feelings chart, star stickers, graph template, pencils
- Support tip
- This reveals patterns in emotional experience — valuable for parent + therapist too
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Reviewing number concepts using body-safe themed contexts (counting safe adults, etc.)
- Activity
- Count 1–5 trusted adults on fingers; practise number bonds to 5
- Materials
- Number bond mat, addition/subtraction cards, pencils
- Support tip
- Keep maths content positive and engaging this week; body safety is the priority focus
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Learn the 3 digits of emergency number; count fire safety steps in correct order
- Activity
- Recognise and say/type '9-1-1'; count 3 stop-drop-roll steps on fingers
- Materials
- Toy phone, number cards (9,1,1), escape step cards, home floor plan
- Support tip
- Practise with toy phone; real emergency number recognition is non-negotiable
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Time hand-washing (20 seconds); count daily hygiene steps completed
- Activity
- Sing 'Happy Birthday' twice while washing = 20 seconds; count on fingers
- Materials
- Sand timer or stopwatch, daily hygiene tracking table, pencils
- Support tip
- Gamify timing — 'beat your previous time for accuracy' rather than speed
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Tally 5 things I am grateful for; count acts of kindness across the week
- Activity
- Draw 5 grateful things; count on fingers; put a star on kindness chart each time
- Materials
- Gratitude journal, kindness tally chart, star stickers, graph template
- Support tip
- A kindness chart on the wall makes abstract values visible and motivating
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Measure food portions using measuring cups; count servings; compare sizes
- Activity
- Fill a half-cup measure with rice; compare to a full cup; which is more?
- Materials
- Measuring cups, rice or pasta for measuring, simple recipe card
- Support tip
- Measuring real ingredients is more motivating than any worksheet equivalent
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Measure ingredients with cups and spoons; count and follow numbered recipe steps
- Activity
- Scoop and level 1 cup of ingredient; count 5 drops; follow steps 1, 2, 3
- Materials
- Measuring cups, measuring spoons, simple recipe, multiplication guide
- Support tip
- These are genuine maths skills applied to real life — no worksheet needed
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Use a calendar to mark special dates; count days to an upcoming celebration
- Activity
- Circle a special date on calendar; count the days using one-to-one pointing
- Materials
- Monthly calendar, pencils/crayons, countdown strip
- Support tip
- A countdown chain (paper rings) gives a tactile, visual, daily reminder
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Count and pattern with holiday decorations; sort ornaments by colour, shape, size
- Activity
- Sort 10 ornament cards by colour; create ABAB pattern with 2 types
- Materials
- Ornament photo cards, pattern strips, sorting mat, pencils
- Support tip
- Real ornament handling is deeply motivating and naturally educational
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Count items to donate; plan a simple gift budget of $5 using coin combinations
- Activity
- Count 5 items to donate; group by type (3 books, 2 toys)
- Materials
- Counting items, price list worksheet, coins for budgeting practice
- Support tip
- Real budgeting is practical maths at its most meaningful — real coins, real choices
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Review all maths topics from all 30 weeks with a mixed skills celebration game
- Activity
- Play a game-show style review: shapes, colours, counting, coins, patterns
- Materials
- Review game cards, skills checklist, pencils, celebration stickers
- Support tip
- Frame the review as 'look how much you know now!' — celebrate the growth
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Count the 30 weeks of learning; look at a calendar for the next six months and plan ahead
- Activity
- Count 30 printed week circles; celebrate with a sticker for each week done
- Materials
- Printed week circles, stickers, 6-month planner template
- Support tip
- Visualising the accomplishment of 30 weeks is a powerful self-confidence moment
Grades K–2 · Life Skills
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Complete 3-step morning hygiene routine independently with visual support
- Activity
- Follow picture schedule: brush teeth, wash face, comb hair (with hand-over-hand)
- Materials
- Visual schedule cards, toothbrush, face cloth, mirror, sand timer (2 min)
- Support tip
- Photograph child completing each step for personalised picture schedule
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Practise one simple home chore: setting the table with visual support
- Activity
- Place 2 items (plate + cup) at each seat using a placemat template
- Materials
- Placemat template, plastic plates, cups, cutlery, visual checklist
- Support tip
- Break into smallest steps; use first-then board ('First set plate, then eat')
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Identify personal sensory preferences and use a simple self-regulation tool
- Activity
- Choose from 3 comfort items (headphones, fidget, sunglasses) when overstimulated
- Materials
- Sensory preference chart, noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, sunglasses
- Support tip
- Validate all sensory preferences; never shame a sensory need
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Practise 3 sun-safety skills: apply sunscreen, wear hat, drink water every hour
- Activity
- Follow 3-step picture sequence; practise rubbing lotion onto arm with physical guidance
- Materials
- Sunscreen (low fragrance), hat, water bottle, visual timer, picture sequence card
- Support tip
- Use preferred flavoured water if plain water is refused; pair water with fun activity
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Know when and how to contact emergency services; practise saying/typing home address
- Activity
- Identify the number '911' on a toy phone; role-play 'call for help' with script card
- Materials
- Toy phone, emergency script card, address card, AAC emergency page
- Support tip
- Keep address card visible at home; practise with calm scenario, never alarming
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Make a simple picture grocery list; practise finding an item and placing in basket
- Activity
- Choose 3 preferred items from picture list; match to real or picture of item
- Materials
- Picture grocery list template, food photos/items, small basket, shelf diagram
- Support tip
- Eventually generalise to real grocery trip with visual list in hand
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Demonstrate 3 pet care responsibilities: feeding, fresh water, gentle handling
- Activity
- Pour measured water into pet bowl; scoop and pour pet food with supervision
- Materials
- Pet care supplies (or play versions), measuring cup, pet care schedule template
- Support tip
- If no pet at home, use a stuffed animal or classroom plant as practice target
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Practise road safety: look both ways, use crosswalk, understand pedestrian signals
- Activity
- Role-play crossing with visual cue card ('look left, look right, look left again')
- Materials
- Road safety script card, drawn road on paper/tape on floor, pedestrian signal photos
- Support tip
- Practise in safe outdoor space; celebrate correct crossing behaviour immediately
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Complete full morning routine independently using a personal visual schedule
- Activity
- Follow 5-step picture schedule with physical prompts faded over the week
- Materials
- Personalised visual schedule, checklist, sand timer, mirror
- Support tip
- Photograph child completing each step and use in their personal schedule
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Match and select clothing by colour; sort laundry into colour groups
- Activity
- Sort 8 clothing items into 2 colour groups (darks/lights) for laundry
- Materials
- Clothing items, 2 laundry baskets, outfit selection visual guide
- Support tip
- Pair with real laundry day — authentic context cements the skill
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Recognise safety shapes: STOP sign (octagon), WARNING (triangle), OK symbol
- Activity
- Match shape to sign photo; point to stop sign on walk; practise stopping
- Materials
- Safety sign photos, shape cards, neighbourhood walk opportunity
- Support tip
- Real-world safety sign recognition is an essential life skill — prioritise generalisation
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Pack and unpack a school bag following a visual checklist
- Activity
- Follow 5-item visual checklist to pack bag (pencil, book, water, snack, AAC)
- Materials
- School bag, 5 school items, visual packing checklist
- Support tip
- Practise daily — independence in packing is a huge self-esteem and life skills win
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Make lemonade following a 5-step picture recipe; celebrate learning with a treat
- Activity
- Follow picture recipe with physical guidance; pour lemon juice with support
- Materials
- Lemons, sugar, water, jug, measuring cups, picture recipe card
- Support tip
- Cooking to celebrate is powerful — it's life skills + social connection + reward
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Choose weather-appropriate clothing for cool autumn days using a dressing visual
- Activity
- Lay out 2 outfit choices; choose the warmer one; practise putting on a jacket
- Materials
- Clothing items for various temps, weather chart, visual dressing sequence
- Support tip
- Focus on functional clothing skills: buttons, zips and laces need daily practice
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Practise watering a plant on a regular schedule; learn to care for a living thing
- Activity
- Use a small watering can; water when soil is dry (touch test); follow schedule
- Materials
- Small watering can, 1–2 potted plants, plant care chart, pencils
- Support tip
- Responsibility for a living thing builds empathy and executive function together
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Wash a fruit or vegetable correctly; prepare a simple healthy snack independently
- Activity
- Wash an apple with running water; dry with towel; eat as snack
- Materials
- Fruits/vegetables, running water, child-safe peeler and knife, plate
- Support tip
- Food preparation is a high-value life skill — allow messiness and celebrate independence
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Check the weather and select appropriate clothing for the day independently
- Activity
- Look at weather symbol; choose from 3 clothing options on 'what to wear' visual
- Materials
- Weather visual, clothing item photos, weather-to-clothing matching chart
- Support tip
- Post the clothing selection visual near the wardrobe for daily independent use
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Practise Halloween safety: bright clothing/glow stick, stay with adult, check candy
- Activity
- Put on a reflective vest / hold glow stick; practise staying close to adult in role-play
- Materials
- Reflective vest or glow sticks, costume planning sheet, safety rules card
- Support tip
- Comfort of costume is paramount for sensory-sensitive children — practise wearing it first
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Practise 3 calming strategies when upset: deep breathing, fidget tool, quiet space
- Activity
- Model and practise box breathing (in 4, hold 4, out 4); squeeze fidget 5 times
- Materials
- Fidget tools, calm corner space, breathing visual, blank calm-down kit card
- Support tip
- Pre-teach strategies when calm — they cannot be learned effectively mid-meltdown
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Know personal space; practise asking before hugging or touching someone
- Activity
- Hula hoop as personal space bubble; practise 'May I have a hug?' ask + response
- Materials
- Hula hoop, role-play scenario cards, trusted adult list
- Support tip
- Always honour a child's 'no' immediately — this teaches consent through experience
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Practise Stop, Drop and Roll; plan and walk a home escape route
- Activity
- Practise stop-drop-roll on floor mat 3 times; identify one way out of bedroom
- Materials
- Floor mat, home escape route drawing, meeting point sign for outside
- Support tip
- Calm, repeated practice removes fear and builds genuine confident preparedness
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Master hand-washing technique and twice-daily tooth brushing using a visual guide
- Activity
- Hands-on guided practice: wet, soap, scrub 20 sec, rinse, dry; repeat 3 times
- Materials
- Soap, running water, towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, 2-min timer, dental floss
- Support tip
- Use flavoured toothpaste preferred by child; electric toothbrushes are often easier for children who find the brushing motion hard
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Write, draw, or stamp a thank-you card and deliver it to someone
- Activity
- Stamp and decorate a card; parent scribes the message; child signs/marks it
- Materials
- Card blanks, stamps, crayons, markers, envelopes (optional)
- Support tip
- Genuine delivery matters — receiving a positive reaction reinforces the act
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Plan and prepare a nutritionally balanced plate for one meal
- Activity
- Choose one food from each group using picture cards; arrange on paper plate
- Materials
- My Plate paper template, play food or real food photos, real snack ingredients
- Support tip
- Even partial meal preparation involvement builds positive food relationships
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Prepare a simple snack: sandwich, fruit salad, or toast with spread
- Activity
- Layer bread, spread, and topping with guidance; place on plate independently
- Materials
- Bread, spread, toppings, child-safe knife, plate, washing-up supplies, checklist
- Support tip
- Clean-up is as important to teach as the cooking — build it into the routine
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Participate in family meal preparation; set a special table for a celebration
- Activity
- Fold napkins; place them at each seat; put a decoration on the table
- Materials
- Table setting materials, napkins, a simple centrepiece craft, meal prep items
- Support tip
- Table setting responsibility gives a sense of belonging and contribution to the family
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Practise safe indoor winter habits: dress in layers, stay hydrated, be careful on ice
- Activity
- Layer 3 clothing items correctly (vest, jumper, coat); drink water with meal
- Materials
- Layered clothing items, water bottle, bookmark template, markers
- Support tip
- Connect safety to their personal experience: cold they've felt, ice they've seen
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Wrap a gift using paper, tape, and a tag; practise receiving a gift graciously
- Activity
- Lay paper, place gift, fold sides, tape with help; attach pre-made tag
- Materials
- Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, gift tags, a gift to wrap
- Support tip
- Gracious receiving ('thank you, I love it!') is a social skill that needs explicit practice
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Tidy and organise personal learning space; set it up fresh for the new year
- Activity
- Sort and put away materials; choose 3 to keep out for next year
- Materials
- Storage folders, labels, stickers, material sorting boxes
- Support tip
- Organised spaces support independence — involve child in every decision
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Create a personal vision board for next year's goals; plan a celebration activity
- Activity
- Cut and paste images of things to do, see, or try next year onto a poster
- Materials
- Magazines, scissors, glue, poster board, markers, stickers
- Support tip
- A vision board displayed in the child's room is a daily motivational tool
Grades K–2 · Communication & Social
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Introduce self using name, age and one preference ('I am ___, I like ___')
- Activity
- Point to name card and AAC symbol; teacher models self-introduction, child imitates
- Materials
- AAC device/board, mirror, recording device, name card, 'I like' photo choice board
- Support tip
- Pre-program self-intro on AAC device; celebrate any approximation
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Greet each family member by name; respond to simple 'how are you?'
- Activity
- Practise waving + saying/selecting name on AAC; listen and respond to greeting
- Materials
- AAC device, greeting script card, family member photos
- Support tip
- Pair greeting with a preferred activity as natural reinforcement
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Express sensory likes and dislikes clearly: 'I like / I don't like ___'
- Activity
- Choose from 2 sensation photos on AAC ('I like bubbles / I don't like loud music')
- Materials
- AAC board with like/don't like + sensation photos, sensory items
- Support tip
- Model and accept all forms of communication — gesture, gaze, AAC, vocalisation
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Request preferred summer activity using AAC or verbal: 'I want to ___'
- Activity
- Choose from 4 activity photos (bubbles, trampoline, swim, chalk); point or tap AAC
- Materials
- Activity photo cards, AAC board with summer activities, turn-taking visual
- Support tip
- Honour all valid requests immediately when possible to reinforce communication
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Role-play visiting a doctor: greet, describe a problem, say thank you
- Activity
- Use 'I feel sick' / 'my tummy hurts' on AAC; practise opening mouth for 'check'
- Materials
- Doctor kit, AAC device, feeling/body part cards, role-play script
- Support tip
- Use preferred stuffed animal as patient to reduce direct performance pressure
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Politely ask for help in a store: 'Excuse me, where is ___? Thank you.'
- Activity
- Practise raising hand for help; select 'excuse me' and item name on AAC
- Materials
- AAC device with store vocabulary, role-play store set-up, script card
- Support tip
- Pair polite language practice with visiting a real shop when family is ready
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Use kind, calm words and actions around animals; describe an animal
- Activity
- Model gentle touch ('soft hands'); select 'gentle' and animal name on AAC
- Materials
- Stuffed animals, AAC board with animal vocab, 'gentle hands' visual prompt card
- Support tip
- Pair with videos of calm, friendly animals; avoid threatening or loud animal clips
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Request a destination: 'I want to go to ___'; respond to 'How do we get there?'
- Activity
- Point to destination photo + tap 'go to' on AAC; sequence: get in → drive → arrive
- Materials
- Destination photos, AAC board, trip planning worksheet, crayons
- Support tip
- Make it personally meaningful — use a real favourite destination
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Tell someone what time of day an activity happens; ask 'What do we do next?'
- Activity
- Point to schedule and select time-of-day word on AAC: 'Now it is morning'
- Materials
- AAC device, daily schedule board, conversation starter cards
- Support tip
- Asking about schedule is communication AND self-advocacy — celebrate it!
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Describe an object using colour; share colour preferences; compliment colours
- Activity
- Point to or name the colour of 3 items around the room; select 'I like ___' on AAC
- Materials
- AAC colour board, compliment sentence starters, colour preference chart
- Support tip
- Model compliment-giving first; keep the compliment expected and practised
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Describe an object's shape; ask and answer 'What shape is it?'
- Activity
- Point to a shape in the room; select shape name on AAC when asked
- Materials
- AAC shape vocabulary, 'I spy' shape cards, objects of various shapes in room
- Support tip
- Turn-taking in 'I spy' supports both communication AND social interaction skills
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Practise classroom communication: raise hand, say 'I don't understand', ask for a break
- Activity
- Model and imitate raising hand; tap 'break please' or 'help' on AAC
- Materials
- AAC classroom vocabulary page, role-play scenario cards
- Support tip
- Pre-teach break card use — having the skill prevents meltdowns before they happen
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Share one thing learned this summer; give a compliment to a family member
- Activity
- Select 'I learned ___' starter on AAC; point to a learned skill photo
- Materials
- AAC device, 'I learned' photo strip, compliment sentence starters
- Support tip
- Video the sharing moment — it's motivating and captures progress beautifully
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Describe the current season; share what they like and dislike about autumn
- Activity
- Select 'It is autumn' on AAC; point to one thing they like from photo choice
- Materials
- AAC season board, autumn sensory experience (leaf, cool air, crunching), sentence frames
- Support tip
- Sensory experience first — go outside — then describe; don't describe in the abstract
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Offer help with a task: 'Can I help?'; take turns in a shared gardening activity
- Activity
- Select 'I can help' on AAC; take turns watering with a sibling
- Materials
- AAC device, 2 watering cans, turn-taking visual, shared plant area
- Support tip
- Shared meaningful tasks create authentic communication opportunities
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Request a food item politely; say 'no thank you' to a disliked food respectfully
- Activity
- Select food item on AAC; tap 'no thank you' when offered a disliked food
- Materials
- AAC food vocabulary, play food, mealtime scenario script
- Support tip
- Honouring 'no thank you' consistently teaches that communication works — vital
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Describe current weather; ask 'What is the weather like today?'
- Activity
- Select weather symbol + 'It is ___' on AAC; respond to weather question
- Materials
- AAC weather board, daily weather conversation starter card
- Support tip
- Morning weather chat is a rich and predictable daily communication routine
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Say 'Trick or treat, please!' and 'Thank you'; decline candy politely
- Activity
- Practise script on AAC: 'trick or treat' + 'thank you' at 3 role-play 'doors'
- Materials
- AAC Halloween script, role-play doors (3 chairs), candy props
- Support tip
- Dress rehearsal of the whole experience reduces anxiety on the real night
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Use AAC or words to express feelings to another person; respond to 'how are you?'
- Activity
- Tap feeling icon on AAC; show emotion card to parent/sibling; they respond
- Materials
- AAC feelings board, feeling statement sentence strip, conversation partner
- Support tip
- 'I need ___' completes the expression — teach the full sequence from the start
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Practise saying 'no' firmly and clearly; identify when and how to seek help
- Activity
- Practise 'No!' / 'Stop!' on AAC; point to trusted adult photo and say 'tell'
- Materials
- AAC 'no/stop' symbols, trusted adult photos, role-play cards
- Support tip
- Non-verbal and AAC-supported refusal is just as valid and should be explicitly taught
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Practise emergency phrases: 'Help!', 'Fire!', 'Call 911', 'I need help!'
- Activity
- Select 'help!' and 'fire!' on AAC; practise shouting loudly in safe context
- Materials
- AAC emergency page, emergency script card, toy phone
- Support tip
- These phrases should be pre-programmed as a priority page on every AAC device
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Tell someone when sick; ask for hygiene products; use kind hygiene language
- Activity
- Select 'I feel sick' / 'I need a tissue' / 'I need to wash my hands' on AAC
- Materials
- AAC health vocabulary page, hygiene items, role-play scenario cards
- Support tip
- Health self-advocacy ('I feel sick') is a critical AAC priority page for all users
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Give 3 genuine compliments; respond graciously to a compliment received
- Activity
- Select 'I like your ___' on AAC; practise responding: 'Thank you!'
- Materials
- AAC compliment vocabulary, compliment sentence starters, conversation practice
- Support tip
- Model giving compliments first; many autistic children respond well to explicit modelling
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Politely try a new food; decline a disliked food respectfully without upset
- Activity
- Practise touching, smelling, then optionally tasting a new food with no pressure
- Materials
- New food to try (low-pressure), AAC 'no thank you' + preference board
- Support tip
- Never force food; one successful 'try' (even smell) is enormous progress
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Ask for help in the kitchen; offer to help a family member cook or clean up
- Activity
- Tap 'help please' on AAC when stuck; wave for attention at cooking station
- Materials
- AAC 'help' symbol, cooking helper visual, conversation starter about the meal
- Support tip
- Cooking together is one of the richest natural communication contexts
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Share a family story or tradition; listen to a family member's story
- Activity
- Select photos and point to share a memory; listen while a family member tells a story
- Materials
- Family photos, story recording template, crayons, mealtime sharing tradition
- Support tip
- Listening to others is communication too — teach it as explicitly as speaking
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Send a holiday greeting: say it, write it, or record it for a family member
- Activity
- Select 'Happy Holidays!' on AAC; draw a card for one person
- Materials
- AAC holiday vocabulary, card blank, recording device
- Support tip
- Recording video messages gives a voice to non-speaking children in a powerful way
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Express care for another person: 'I was thinking of you'; receive thanks warmly
- Activity
- Select 'I care about you' on AAC; hand-deliver a made card
- Materials
- AAC care vocabulary, made card, wrapped gift to deliver
- Support tip
- The delivery and receiving interaction is the peak communication teaching moment
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Share an accomplishment with family: 'This year I learned to ___; I am proud of ___'
- Activity
- Point to a learned skill on a photo strip; parent shares why they are proud
- Materials
- Achievement photo strip, talk preparation guide, family audience
- Support tip
- Public sharing of achievement is deeply reinforcing — make it a family ritual
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Share goals and hopes for the new year with family; listen to family members' goals
- Activity
- Select 'I want to ___' on AAC; show vision board to one family member
- Materials
- AAC device with goal vocabulary, vision board, conversation sharing structure
- Support tip
- Mutual goal-sharing builds family connection and models the value of aspiration
Grades K–2 · Science & Nature
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Identify and name 5 external body parts: eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet
- Activity
- Point to body parts on a large body outline poster; sing 'Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes'
- Materials
- Body outline poster, washable markers, song audio, blank diagram worksheets
- Support tip
- Use physical touch cues (tap the part) alongside verbal; allow pointing without words
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Name and identify the main rooms of a home and each room's function
- Activity
- Match room photo (kitchen, bedroom, bathroom) to its key object (bed, toilet, stove)
- Materials
- Room photo cards, house diagram, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Use photos of their own home if possible for maximum generalisation
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Name the 5 senses and their corresponding body part; explore one per sense
- Activity
- Smell jars (vanilla, lemon), texture bags, sound shakers — name the sense used
- Materials
- Smell jars, texture bags, sound shakers, tasting cups (sweet/sour/salty), journal
- Support tip
- Reduce number of sensory stations if needed; allow breaks between each sense
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Observe how sunlight affects objects: shadows, melting ice, evaporation
- Activity
- Place ice cubes in sun and shade — which melts faster? Observe and discuss
- Materials
- Ice cubes, 2 trays, chalk, ruler, observation sheet
- Support tip
- Do experiments outdoors for authentic experience; take photos to review indoors
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Explore what firefighters do; fire safety basics: Stop, Drop and Roll
- Activity
- Watch a short age-appropriate fire safety video; practise stop-drop-roll on mat
- Materials
- Fire safety video (YouTube), floor mat, house diagram, pencils
- Support tip
- Focus on empowerment not fear; frame as 'I know what to do!' confidence building
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Explore where food comes from: farm → factory/kitchen → store → home
- Activity
- Sequence 4 picture cards: seed → plant → store → table; match food to source
- Materials
- Sequencing picture cards, flowchart template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Choose a food the child loves — personal connection deepens understanding
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Identify basic animal needs: food, water, shelter, space; compare to human needs
- Activity
- Match each animal need symbol (bowl, water drop, house, open field) to word
- Materials
- Animal needs picture cards, Venn diagram template, pencils
- Support tip
- Connect to child's own needs ('You need food too!') to make concept concrete
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Explore how vehicles move: wheels and axles, sails, wings — basic mechanics
- Activity
- Roll a toy car, then try to roll one without wheels; observe the difference
- Materials
- Toy cars, recycled materials (cardboard, bottle caps, straws), tape, ruler
- Support tip
- Focus on experimentation over correct outcome; celebrate problem-solving attempts
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Observe how the sky changes from morning to night; discuss day/night cycle
- Activity
- Match sky photos (sunrise, midday sun, sunset, night stars) to time of day
- Materials
- Sky observation journal, crayons, window access, day/night cycle diagram
- Support tip
- Do a real observation at window if possible; phone photos work well too
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Explore colour mixing: primary to secondary; observe rainbow formation
- Activity
- Mix red+yellow paint; blue+yellow; red+blue — name each result
- Materials
- Primary colour paints, mixing trays, prism or CD for rainbow, journal
- Support tip
- Sensory-safe alternatives: use food colouring in water if paint is aversive
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Find shapes in nature: hexagon (honeycomb), spiral (shell), circle (sun/moon)
- Activity
- Match 3 nature photos to shape names; feel a pine cone's spiral scale pattern
- Materials
- Nature photos, pine cone, shell, camera/tablet, nature shape journal
- Support tip
- This activity supports scientific observation skills naturally and joyfully
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Conduct a simple sink/float experiment; observe, predict, record results
- Activity
- Drop 6 objects in water; predict before each one: sink or float? Circle the answer
- Materials
- Clear bin with water, 8 varied objects, predict/result recording sheet
- Support tip
- This foundational experiment teaches scientific method — celebrate the process
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Create a summer nature journal: draw 5 things seen, heard, felt outdoors this summer
- Activity
- Paste collected items (leaf, petal) and draw 2 nature sightings with help
- Materials
- Blank journal, crayons, collected nature items, glue
- Support tip
- Keep journals as longitudinal records — comparing year to year shows real growth
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Investigate why leaves change colour: chlorophyll, light, and autumn science
- Activity
- Place a leaf on paper and rub over it with crayon; observe the veins
- Materials
- Leaves, paper, crayons; for 3–6: coffee filters, isopropyl alcohol, glass jar
- Support tip
- Wonder and curiosity are the goals — the science process matters more than the result
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Explore deciduous vs evergreen trees; observe a seed germinating
- Activity
- Sort 6 tree photos: 'loses leaves' or 'stays green'; plant a bean seed
- Materials
- Tree sorting photo cards, bean seeds, damp paper towel, zip bag, information sheet
- Support tip
- Bean seed germination in a zip bag on a sunny window is mesmerising and fast (3–5 days)
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Learn about above-ground and below-ground vegetables; observe a seed growing
- Activity
- Sort 8 vegetable cards: grows above ground (tomato) vs below ground (carrot)
- Materials
- Vegetable sort cards, above/below ground mat, life cycle diagram template
- Support tip
- If possible, grow cress or beans on a windowsill — real growth in 5–7 days
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Learn about the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation
- Activity
- Watch water 'disappear' (evaporate) from a wet paper towel on a sunny windowsill
- Materials
- Wet paper towel, zip bag with small amount of water, sunny window, diagram template
- Support tip
- The zip bag water cycle demonstration is compelling and takes 1–2 days to observe
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Explore light and dark: reflective materials, torch beams, shadow puppets
- Activity
- Compare reflective vs non-reflective materials; shine a torch — which is brighter?
- Materials
- Torch/flashlight, reflective and non-reflective materials, shadow puppet templates, wall
- Support tip
- Shadow play is deeply engaging for many autistic children — extend freely
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Learn how the brain and body experience emotions; breathing's effect on heart rate
- Activity
- Feel heartbeat when calm vs after jumping; discuss fast/slow heart
- Materials
- Timer for heart rate, graph template, simple brain diagram to colour
- Support tip
- Biofeedback (feeling their own heartbeat) is a powerful self-regulation tool
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Learn how the body signals discomfort: stomach ache, fast heartbeat, uneasy feeling
- Activity
- Identify body signal illustrations; 'My tummy says no — that means stop!'
- Materials
- Body signals illustration cards, journal, pencils
- Support tip
- Interoceptive awareness is especially helpful for autistic children — connect body feelings to meaning
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Explore what fire needs to burn: oxygen, heat, fuel (fire triangle); smoke detector
- Activity
- Show fire triangle diagram; observe a candle being snuffed (no oxygen = no fire)
- Materials
- Fire triangle diagram, candle + jar (supervised), smoke detector
- Support tip
- The fire triangle concept is retained best through real demonstration — be safe
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Learn what germs are; observe how soap dissolves oil (science of clean)
- Activity
- Pepper-and-soap experiment: touch soapy finger to pepper-water; pepper runs away
- Materials
- Bowl of water, black pepper, dish soap, poster paper, markers
- Support tip
- The pepper experiment is reliably astonishing and makes hand-washing feel important
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Explore how kindness affects our brain and body: oxytocin, warmth, connection
- Activity
- Discuss: 'How do you feel when someone is kind to you? In your body?'
- Materials
- Simple kindness-brain info card, body-feeling illustration, journal
- Support tip
- Connect emotion → body sensation → action: kindness → warm feeling → smile back
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Learn what nutrients do: calcium for bones, vitamin C for immunity, iron for energy
- Activity
- Match food to its key nutrient benefit: milk → strong bones; orange → healthy body
- Materials
- Nutrient-food matching cards, information cards, poster paper, markers
- Support tip
- Connect to child's interest: 'Eating this gives you energy to bounce on the trampoline!'
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Observe physical changes in cooking: solid butter melts, liquid egg becomes solid
- Activity
- Watch butter melt in warm pan; feel cold vs warm — what changed?
- Materials
- Butter, frying pan (supervised), observation recording sheet
- Support tip
- These are real chemistry concepts made tangible — celebrate the scientific thinking
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Explore why food smells good when cooked: Maillard reaction in simple terms
- Activity
- Smell raw bread dough vs baked bread; 'what changed? which do you prefer?'
- Materials
- Raw dough/bread vs baked, information card, diagram template
- Support tip
- Connecting science to food and family makes abstract concepts immediately relevant
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Explore why it is cold in winter: Earth's tilt and distance from sun; snowflake symmetry
- Activity
- Look at snowflake photos; fold paper to make a symmetrical snowflake
- Materials
- Snowflake photos, paper for folding, Earth tilt diagram template, pencils
- Support tip
- Paper snowflake cutting is excellent fine motor AND produces a joyful result
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Explore why giving makes us happy: oxytocin and the 'helper's high' concept
- Activity
- Discuss: 'How did you feel when you gave someone something? In your body?'
- Materials
- Body feeling illustration, journal, simple oxytocin info card
- Support tip
- Connecting the good feeling of giving to science empowers children to seek that feeling
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Review 3 favourite science experiments from the year; revisit one
- Activity
- Look at experiment photos; choose a favourite; redo the pepper experiment
- Materials
- Experiment photos, science materials for re-doing one experiment, report template
- Support tip
- Revisiting a familiar experiment builds fluency and shows science is an ongoing practice
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Explore a fun, celebratory science activity: static electricity or fizzy reaction
- Activity
- Baking soda + vinegar volcano: 'new year eruption!'; observe and celebrate
- Materials
- Baking soda, vinegar, food colouring, container, recording sheet
- Support tip
- A fizzy new year experiment is joyful, memorable, and genuinely scientific
Grades K–2 · Arts & Movement
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Create a self-portrait using basic shapes; participate in mirror movement activity
- Activity
- Glue pre-cut shapes (circle, ovals) onto paper to form face; colour chosen features
- Materials
- Pre-cut shapes, glue sticks, crayons, mirrors, large white paper
- Support tip
- Offer choice of medium (crayons, paint, collage); display finished portrait proudly
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Draw and paint a family portrait; participate in a 'follow the leader' movement game
- Activity
- Finger-paint family figures using round blobs; teacher guides hand if needed
- Materials
- Paper, finger paints, crayons, open floor space
- Support tip
- Accept any mark-making as meaningful art; label figures at child's direction
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Sensory art: finger painting or playdough sculpting; movement to music
- Activity
- Free finger painting with 2 colours; squeeze and shape playdough
- Materials
- Finger paint, playdough, textured materials (fabric, foil, cotton), glue
- Support tip
- Offer vinyl gloves if paint/texture is aversive; praise participation at any level
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Sidewalk chalk art; bubble play; physical activity of child's choice outdoors
- Activity
- Draw a sun, house, and self-portrait in chalk; blow and chase bubbles
- Materials
- Sidewalk chalk, bubble solution, wand, open outdoor space
- Support tip
- Allow repeated play — mastery through repetition is learning, not boredom
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Dress-up as a community helper; movement activity themed to chosen role
- Activity
- Try on safe props (hat, apron, toy badge); march like a parade helper
- Materials
- Dress-up props, poster paper, markers, open space for movement
- Support tip
- Let child pick their preferred helper role for maximum motivation
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Set up a pretend store; sort and categorise 'stock'; play shopping game
- Activity
- Sort play food into 3 categories (fruit, vegetable, drink); place on 'shelves'
- Materials
- Play food, shelves/boxes as displays, price tag stickers, toy cash register
- Support tip
- Rotate roles (shopkeeper / customer) to practise both sides of interaction
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Create an animal art piece; play animal movement game (hop, slither, gallop)
- Activity
- Stamp hand-print animal (cat, butterfly, fish); move like 3 different animals
- Materials
- Paint, paper, stamp materials, open floor space
- Support tip
- Animal movement is excellent for proprioceptive input — encourage enthusiastically
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Vehicle art project; obstacle course: 'drive' (crawl), 'fly' (arms out), 'swim' (stroke)
- Activity
- Decorate a cardboard box car; drive it around an indoor course
- Materials
- Cardboard boxes, paint, markers, tape for course, timer
- Support tip
- Let child choose which vehicle to 'be' in movement activity for self-direction
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Make a personal picture schedule book; yoga morning wake-up routine
- Activity
- Cut and paste schedule pictures into a mini booklet; do 3 simple yoga poses
- Materials
- Printed schedule template, scissors, glue, crayons, yoga cards
- Support tip
- Laminate the schedule for daily use — making it durable makes it more empowering
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Rainbow art project; coloured scarf movement dance
- Activity
- Paint a rainbow using correct colour order; wave coloured scarves to music
- Materials
- Watercolours, rainbow template, coloured scarves, upbeat music
- Support tip
- Coloured scarves are proprioceptive AND visually stimulating — widely loved
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Shape collage art; shape-based obstacle course (jump over rectangle, crawl through circle)
- Activity
- Glue pre-cut shapes onto paper; jump on tape shapes on floor
- Materials
- Pre-cut shapes, glue, coloured paper, tape, ruler, open floor space
- Support tip
- Obstacle courses with shapes integrate learning into sensory-motor experience
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Decorate a pencil holder; create a self-made calendar for the month ahead
- Activity
- Paint a tin/cup to use as pencil holder; decorate with preferred stickers
- Materials
- Tin cans/cups, paint, stickers, blank calendar template, markers
- Support tip
- Having personalised school tools increases ownership and motivation to use them
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Create a Summer Highlights book; hold a mini celebration with favourite music and movement
- Activity
- Draw 3 favourite summer memories; decorate a cover; dance to favourite song
- Materials
- Blank booklet, crayons, stickers, favourite music, open space
- Support tip
- Celebrate loudly and genuinely — positive emotional memory of learning is crucial
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Leaf rubbings and leaf printing art; outdoor nature walk collecting autumn items
- Activity
- Rub over leaves with side of crayon; stamp leaves in paint on paper
- Materials
- Leaves, paper, crayons, paint, paintbrushes, basket for collecting
- Support tip
- Nature walks are grounding and regulating — ideal before desk-based learning
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Handprint tree art; tree yoga pose; movement activity in outdoor space
- Activity
- Paint hand brown, press onto paper for trunk; fingertip print autumn leaves
- Materials
- Brown and leaf-colour paints, large paper, outdoor space
- Support tip
- Tree pose (yoga) is excellent for balance and body awareness — add it daily
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Vegetable stamp printing; farm animal movement activity
- Activity
- Cut-end stamp with celery (flower shape), potato (any shape); make a farm scene
- Materials
- Cut vegetables (celery, potato, carrot), paint, paper
- Support tip
- Vegetable printing is irresistible to most sensory learners — enjoy the mess!
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Weather mobile craft; yoga poses: sun (warrior), cloud (child's pose), rain (jumping)
- Activity
- Colour and assemble a pre-cut weather mobile with 4 symbols
- Materials
- Pre-cut or blank mobile templates, string, hole punch, crayons, markers
- Support tip
- Weather yoga is a fantastic brain break — model it, then let the child lead
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Decorate a pumpkin (paint); wear costume and march in a mini parade
- Activity
- Paint a pumpkin with preferred colours; march around the room to Halloween music
- Materials
- Pumpkin (or paper pumpkin), paint, costume, Halloween music
- Support tip
- Mini parade at home is achievable, celebratory, and builds community pride
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Draw a feelings mandala; feelings yoga: pose for each emotion
- Activity
- Choose colours for 3 feelings; colour a circular feelings wheel
- Materials
- Mandala template, crayons, feelings yoga pose cards, open floor space
- Support tip
- Art as emotional expression needs no correction — accept every colour choice
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Personal space hula hoop activity; draw 'my trusted people' circle art
- Activity
- Move with hula hoop; draw 3 trusted people inside a circle on paper
- Materials
- Hula hoop, large paper, crayons, markers, stickers
- Support tip
- Displaying the trusted people poster at home is a practical safety resource
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Draw a home escape plan; fire truck dramatic play and Stop, Drop and Roll game
- Activity
- Decorate a large paper fire truck; play 'freeze when the alarm sounds'
- Materials
- Paper, crayons, markers, alarm sound clip, ruler for map
- Support tip
- A displayed escape plan that the child made themselves is used; one printed and ignored is not
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Create a personalised hygiene visual routine card; hygiene-themed movement game
- Activity
- Decorate a laminated hygiene card with stickers; do 'scrub and rinse' dance moves
- Materials
- Laminating pouches, stickers, markers, poster paper, obstacle course materials
- Support tip
- Laminated personal hygiene card stuck to the bathroom mirror = used every day
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Make a gratitude tree craft; kindness bingo movement game
- Activity
- Trace hands for leaves; write/draw one grateful thing on each; hang on wall
- Materials
- Brown paper/cardboard for trunk, green paper hand traces, crayons, tape
- Support tip
- Display the gratitude tree prominently — revisit and add to it throughout this unit
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Create a 'My Plate' food art piece; vegetable and fruit tasting sensory activity
- Activity
- Glue magazine food photos onto a paper plate template sorted by food group
- Materials
- Old magazines, glue, paper plate template, paint, markers
- Support tip
- Food art is non-threatening exposure to new foods — a step toward food acceptance
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Decorate biscuits or a dish; Thanksgiving craft and movement activity
- Activity
- Decorate a plain biscuit with icing and sprinkles; make a handprint turkey
- Materials
- Plain biscuits, icing, sprinkles, paper and paint for turkey, harvest materials
- Support tip
- Shared eating of created food is a powerful social + sensory celebration
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Family heritage art project; learn a family song or a traditional movement/dance
- Activity
- Decorate a family shield/crest with drawings of favourite family things
- Materials
- Shield template, crayons, markers, cultural pattern reference images
- Support tip
- Connecting art to identity is deeply affirming — display family shield prominently
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Paper snowflake making; holiday music dance and movement session
- Activity
- Fold and cut a snowflake; hang in window; dance to 3 favourite holiday songs
- Materials
- Paper, scissors, crayons, markers, holiday music playlist
- Support tip
- Holiday music is a powerful motivator — let the child choose favourite songs
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Make handmade gifts; kindness card-making; gift-wrapping practice station
- Activity
- Decorate a bookmark, keyring, or picture frame as a gift; wrap it
- Materials
- Craft materials (beads, card, paint, frames), ribbon, gift tags
- Support tip
- Handmade gifts carry enormous meaning — prioritise effort and intention over perfection
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Create a Year Highlights art portfolio; end-of-year celebration dance party
- Activity
- Choose 3 best art pieces from the year to display; dance to favourite songs
- Materials
- Portfolio folders, mounting paper, favourite music playlist, open space
- Support tip
- A curated portfolio validates the work and builds a sense of artistic identity
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- New Year's resolution art; confetti craft; celebration music and movement finale
- Activity
- Decorate a 'My Goal for Next Year' banner; make and toss safe paper confetti
- Materials
- Banner template, tissue paper confetti, poster materials, music, open space
- Support tip
- End on a high — joy, music, and celebration are the feelings that make learning stick
Grades 3–6 · Functional Literacy
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Recognise and write own first name; match name to personal photo
- Activity
- Write name independently; find name among 5 distractors; stamp name spelling
- Materials
- Name cards, personal photos, dotted font worksheets, stamps, dot markers
- Support tip
- Use AAC to select/spell name; praise every letter attempt equally
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Read and match 5 family-role words: mum, dad, sister, brother, me
- Activity
- Write a family member's name; fill simple sentence: 'My ___ is named ___'
- Materials
- Family photos, word cards, sentence strips, pencils
- Support tip
- Use child's own family photos — familiarity boosts engagement significantly
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Match sensory describing words to pictures: loud, soft, sweet, rough, smooth
- Activity
- Write one describing sentence per sense ('The sandpaper feels rough')
- Materials
- Texture board, word cards, sentence starters strip, pencils
- Support tip
- Let child explore textures freely first; never force touch of disliked textures
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Learn 5 summer sight words: sun, hot, swim, cool, fun; read in context
- Activity
- Use sight words in a sentence strip; read a simple 3-sentence summer story
- Materials
- Summer word cards, picture labels, sentence strip, simple reader book
- Support tip
- Display word wall prominently; revisit words daily in short 2-minute reviews
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Read and match 5 community helper words: doctor, firefighter, police, teacher, chef
- Activity
- Read a simple helper description; match helper to their tool (stethoscope→doctor)
- Materials
- Helper photo cards, role word cards, tool cards, sorting mat
- Support tip
- Use real local photos if available (your town's fire station, etc.) for relevance
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Read 5 common store signs and labels: OPEN, EXIT, SALE, PRICE, FOOD
- Activity
- Read a simple picture grocery list; find and identify each item in a flyer or photo
- Materials
- Sign cards, grocery flyer, simple picture list, highlighters
- Support tip
- Bring real flyers from local stores — real context dramatically boosts learning
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Read and match 8 animal names to photos; identify animal sounds in text
- Activity
- Read a 4-sentence animal fact card; answer 2 comprehension questions
- Materials
- Animal photo cards, name cards, animal sound audio, simple fact cards
- Support tip
- Use animals the child already shows interest in for greatest engagement
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Read sight words: go, stop, slow, fast, bus, car, train; find on signs
- Activity
- Read a simple bus/train timetable; identify departure time for one trip
- Materials
- Word cards, transport photos, simple timetable, STOP/GO cards
- Support tip
- Practise in real settings: read signs while in the car or at a bus stop
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Read time-of-day words: morning, afternoon, evening, night, before, after, next
- Activity
- Write 3 sentences about daily routine using before/after/next; read own schedule
- Materials
- Daily photo cards, word cards, blank schedule strip, pencils
- Support tip
- Consistent daily schedule use is itself the most powerful literacy activity here
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Read and write 8 colour words; use colour words in describing sentences
- Activity
- Write: 'The ___ is ___' for 5 objects; sort books by colour-coded subject labels
- Materials
- Colour word cards, paint chips, crayons, describing sentence worksheet
- Support tip
- Colour-code classroom materials by subject — builds sight word reading AND organisation
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Name and write 6 shape words; find shapes in print and environment
- Activity
- Write 'I see a ___ on the ___' (e.g., 'I see a circle on the clock')
- Materials
- Shape word cards, outline worksheets, pencils, 'shape hunt' recording sheet
- Support tip
- Go on a shape hunt around the home — circle (clock), rectangle (door), etc.
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Read and spell 8 school supply words; practise pencil grip and letter formation
- Activity
- Label a drawn school bag with all supplies; write names of 3 favourite school items
- Materials
- Supply word cards, supply photos, pencil grip aid, letter formation guide
- Support tip
- Try different pencil grips and paper angles — find what works best for each child
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Review favourite words from weeks 1–13; write/dictate one sentence per week
- Activity
- Create a 'Summer Words I Know' mini dictionary with drawings and sentences
- Materials
- Word cards from previous weeks, mini dictionary booklet template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Let the child lead word selection — what they choose shows what had meaning for them
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Learn 6 autumn words: leaf, harvest, cool, breeze, crunch, golden; use in sentences
- Activity
- Write 3 sentences using autumn vocabulary; make a season-themed word wall entry
- Materials
- Autumn word cards, season photos, sentence strip, pencils
- Support tip
- Go outside and experience autumn sensory details before reading/writing about them
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Learn 5 tree/plant vocabulary words: trunk, branch, root, leaf, seed
- Activity
- Read a simple non-fiction plant paragraph; underline 3 key facts; draw and label
- Materials
- Tree diagram poster, label stickers, word cards, simple plant text, pencils
- Support tip
- Use a real plant or tree outside to point to parts — embodied learning is deeper
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Read 6 farm and food words: farmer, harvest, crop, vegetable, fruit, field
- Activity
- Read a short farm story (3–4 sentences); answer who, what, where questions
- Materials
- Farm word cards, food photos, sorting mats, simple farm story text
- Support tip
- Connect to foods the child eats — personal relevance cements vocabulary
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Read 6 weather words: sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, snowy, stormy
- Activity
- Write a daily weather report in 2 sentences; read and draw a weather forecast
- Materials
- Weather word cards, weather chart template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Checking the weather is a daily life skill — embed this into every morning routine
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Read Halloween and safety words: costume, trick, treat, safe, dark, bright
- Activity
- Read a 5-sentence Halloween safety passage; answer 2 comprehension questions
- Materials
- Word cards, Halloween safety story, comprehension question cards
- Support tip
- Keep Halloween content fun and empowering — avoid scary images that may distress
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Read 6 emotion words: happy, sad, angry, scared, excited, calm; use in sentences
- Activity
- Write a feelings journal entry: 'Today I feel ___ because ___'
- Materials
- Emotion word cards, face photo cards, feelings journal, pencils
- Support tip
- Daily feelings check-in (even just pointing to an emotion card) builds self-awareness
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Understand body safety vocabulary: private, safe touch, unsafe, trusted adult, NO
- Activity
- Read a body safety social story; answer: who is a trusted adult? what do I do if unsafe?
- Materials
- Body safety word cards, social story, trusted adult photos, 'safe touch' sorting cards
- Support tip
- Teach with calm, matter-of-fact tone; normalise the topic so it can be discussed freely
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Read emergency words: fire, exit, alarm, help, call, danger, safe, escape
- Activity
- Read a 6-sentence fire safety passage; answer 3 comprehension questions
- Materials
- Emergency word cards, fire safety passage, EXIT sign search activity
- Support tip
- Make locating real EXIT signs a game on every outing — genuine life skill
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Read hygiene sequence words: wash, rinse, dry, scrub, lather, brush, floss
- Activity
- Read a 5-step toothbrushing guide; create own illustrated hygiene chart
- Materials
- Hygiene sequence cards, word cards, blank hygiene chart template
- Support tip
- Personalised hygiene charts with photos of the child work far better than generic ones
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Read gratitude words: thankful, grateful, kind, appreciate, give, share
- Activity
- Write a thank-you note to one family member using 3 sentences
- Materials
- Gratitude word cards, thank-you note template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- A written or drawn thank-you that is genuinely delivered is the best literacy outcome
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Read 5 food group labels: grains, vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy
- Activity
- Read a simple nutrition label; identify serving size and one nutrient
- Materials
- My Plate diagram, food photo cards, simple food package labels
- Support tip
- Use packages from foods the child actually eats — direct relevance
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Read a 5-step picture recipe; identify key cooking safety words: hot, sharp, careful
- Activity
- Read a written recipe; highlight action verbs (mix, pour, stir, bake, spread)
- Materials
- Picture recipe cards, written recipe, highlighters, pencils
- Support tip
- Use a recipe for something the child loves to eat — motivation is everything
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Read tradition and culture words: celebrate, family, culture, special, tradition, together
- Activity
- Write 3 sentences: 'In my family we ___ because ___'; decorate with drawings
- Materials
- Culture word cards, family celebration photos, sentence frames, pencils
- Support tip
- Family photos of real celebrations are the most powerful resource here
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Read winter and holiday words: winter, snowflake, holiday, celebrate, gift, candle
- Activity
- Write a winter scene description in 4 sentences; create a winter word wall
- Materials
- Winter word cards, season photos, sentence frame, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Embed winter vocabulary in real sensory experience: cold water, ice cubes, chilly air
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Read giving words: donate, volunteer, care, share, wrap, surprise, generous
- Activity
- Write a 'giving plan': who, what gift, and why; create a gift tag with message
- Materials
- Giving word cards, gift tag template, sentence frame, pencils
- Support tip
- Choosing to give something personally meaningful teaches generosity deeply
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Write or dictate favourite learning moments from the year; create a 'My Year Book'
- Activity
- Write a 5-entry learning journal: one entry per month; illustrate each
- Materials
- Blank booklet template, learning moment photo prompts, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- A Year Book becomes a treasured keepsake and evidence of growth — make it special
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Write or draw a learning goal for next year; read and celebrate favourite words mastered
- Activity
- Write 3 SMART goals for next year; illustrate each with a motivating image
- Materials
- Goal-setting template, pencils, crayons, favourite word cards from the year
- Support tip
- Keep goals displayed where child can see and revisit them in the weeks ahead
Grades 3–6 · Functional Math
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Identify and count numbers 1–5; understand one-to-one correspondence
- Activity
- Write numbers 1–5; count and group 5 classroom objects; play Snakes & Ladders
- Materials
- Number cards 1–5, counters, small objects (blocks, buttons), number line
- Support tip
- Use large tactile number cards; allow pointing instead of verbal counting
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Count family members; practise more / less / same with sets up to 5
- Activity
- Compare two family sizes: 'Who has more? How many more?'; draw and label
- Materials
- Family photos, counters, comparison worksheet, crayons
- Support tip
- Allow child to point to each person; use gesture + AAC for 'more' and 'less'
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Sort a set of 10 objects by one attribute (colour, size, or texture)
- Activity
- Sort 15 objects by 2 attributes (red big / red small); record results in table
- Materials
- Coloured blocks, sorting bins, attribute labels, recording sheet
- Support tip
- Start with high-contrast colours; reduce number of objects if overwhelmed
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Count and compare summer objects; read hot/cold on a simple thermometer
- Activity
- Read a picture thermometer (hot/warm/cool/cold); record weather temps for the week
- Materials
- Summer objects, picture thermometer, recording chart, crayons
- Support tip
- Use real thermometer outdoors if safe; connect to child's immediate sensory experience
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Count helper tools; practise simple subtraction ('5 bandages, use 2, how many left?')
- Activity
- Solve 3 simple subtraction word problems with community helper themes
- Materials
- Toy/picture helper tools, counters, subtraction word problem cards
- Support tip
- Use objects physically — move counters away rather than abstract subtraction
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Identify coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter); count combinations up to 25¢
- Activity
- Count exact coin combinations; pay for a 10¢ or 25¢ classroom 'store' item
- Materials
- Real coins, coin name cards, classroom store items with price tags
- Support tip
- Use real coins, not pictures — tactile experience helps discrimination
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Sort animals by habitat (farm / wild / pet); count legs (2 vs 4)
- Activity
- Create a tally of legs (2-legged vs 4-legged) for 10 animals; answer 'how many more?'
- Materials
- Animal cards, sorting mats, tally worksheet, pencils
- Support tip
- Use large clear photos; allow pointing to sort rather than picking up cards
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Count wheels on vehicles; compare speeds (fast/faster/fastest); sequence a journey
- Activity
- Sequence a journey on a map: home → school → park → store; count stops
- Materials
- Vehicle picture cards, a simple local map, counters, ordering cards
- Support tip
- Use pictures of vehicles the child has seen in real life for relevance
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Read an analogue clock to the hour; sequence days of the week
- Activity
- Read clock to half-hour; fill in blank weekly calendar; count days between events
- Materials
- Large analogue clock (moveable hands), digital clock, weekly calendar, markers
- Support tip
- Use a 24-hour visual daily planner displayed at child's eye height in their room
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Create, extend, and describe AB and ABB repeating patterns
- Activity
- Create a 3-element pattern with shapes; write the pattern rule (ABB); find errors
- Materials
- Coloured beads/blocks, pattern strips, shape stamps, pattern worksheet
- Support tip
- Use preferred items as pattern elements (favourite stickers, colours) for motivation
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Use non-standard units to measure length; compare big/medium/small
- Activity
- Use a ruler to measure 5 objects in centimetres; order from shortest to longest
- Materials
- Linking cubes, ruler, measuring recording sheet, objects of varying size
- Support tip
- Measure things the child cares about (favourite toy, their own shoe) for engagement
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Count school supplies; compare quantities using more/fewer; practise number bonds to 5
- Activity
- Solve 5 number bond problems to 10 using school supply context
- Materials
- School supplies for counting, number bond mat, recording worksheet
- Support tip
- Concrete objects always before abstract numbers — never skip the hands-on step
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Review numbers, patterns, shapes, and money concepts from past 3 months
- Activity
- Complete a 'Summer Maths Challenge' sheet covering all reviewed topics
- Materials
- Review game cards, mixed maths challenge sheet, coins, pattern blocks
- Support tip
- Frame as a celebration of skills gained — not a test; no time pressure
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Count, sort, and compare leaves by size and colour; practise numbers 1–20
- Activity
- Order 10 leaves by size; create a bar graph showing colour distribution
- Materials
- Collected leaves, sorting tray, graph paper, crayons, ruler
- Support tip
- Leaf collecting itself is a motivating sensory activity that primes learning
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Measure a tree trunk circumference; compare heights of 3 plants using a ruler
- Activity
- Measure 3 potted plants; record in a table; find the tallest and shortest
- Materials
- String, scissors, ruler, measuring recording table, 3 potted plants
- Support tip
- Outdoor measuring is motivating; allow movement and exploration while measuring
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Count and sort fruits/vegetables; create a simple pattern using food items
- Activity
- Make an ABAB pattern with 2 types of food; count total; solve a farm word problem
- Materials
- Play food or food photos, sorting mats, pattern strips, word problem cards
- Support tip
- Real fruits and vegetables at snack time double as maths and life skills
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Create a weather tally for the week; read a simple pictograph of weather data
- Activity
- Calculate: 'How many more sunny days than rainy days?'; draw pictograph
- Materials
- Weather tally chart, pictograph template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- A real week of weather data makes maths authentic and personally meaningful
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Sort and count Halloween candy by colour, shape, and type; make a pictograph
- Activity
- Tally 20 pieces by colour; create a bar graph; find mode (most common)
- Materials
- Candy photos or real candy, sorting mats, tally sheet, graph template
- Support tip
- Use photos if real candy presents a food restriction or safety concern
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Make a weekly feelings graph; count how many times each emotion appeared
- Activity
- Graph 5 emotions for the week; find which appeared most; calculate totals
- Materials
- Weekly feelings chart, star stickers, graph template, pencils
- Support tip
- This reveals patterns in emotional experience — valuable for parent + therapist too
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Reviewing number concepts using body-safe themed contexts (counting safe adults, etc.)
- Activity
- Solve simple addition/subtraction; review maths concepts from earlier in semester
- Materials
- Number bond mat, addition/subtraction cards, pencils
- Support tip
- Keep maths content positive and engaging this week; body safety is the priority focus
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Learn the 3 digits of emergency number; count fire safety steps in correct order
- Activity
- Sequence 6 fire escape steps; solve: 'We have 2 minutes to escape — plan your route'
- Materials
- Toy phone, number cards (9,1,1), escape step cards, home floor plan
- Support tip
- Practise with toy phone; real emergency number recognition is non-negotiable
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Time hand-washing (20 seconds); count daily hygiene steps completed
- Activity
- Time full hygiene routine; record in a table; calculate time for 7-day week
- Materials
- Sand timer or stopwatch, daily hygiene tracking table, pencils
- Support tip
- Gamify timing — 'beat your previous time for accuracy' rather than speed
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Tally 5 things I am grateful for; count acts of kindness across the week
- Activity
- Keep a daily gratitude + kindness tally; create a bar graph at week's end
- Materials
- Gratitude journal, kindness tally chart, star stickers, graph template
- Support tip
- A kindness chart on the wall makes abstract values visible and motivating
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Measure food portions using measuring cups; count servings; compare sizes
- Activity
- Follow a recipe measuring 3 ingredients; count servings a recipe makes
- Materials
- Measuring cups, rice or pasta for measuring, simple recipe card
- Support tip
- Measuring real ingredients is more motivating than any worksheet equivalent
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Measure ingredients with cups and spoons; count and follow numbered recipe steps
- Activity
- Measure exactly: ½ cup, ¼ tsp, 2 tbsp; multiply a recipe for double the servings
- Materials
- Measuring cups, measuring spoons, simple recipe, multiplication guide
- Support tip
- These are genuine maths skills applied to real life — no worksheet needed
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Use a calendar to mark special dates; count days to an upcoming celebration
- Activity
- Count and write: 'X days until ___'; calculate days between 2 events
- Materials
- Monthly calendar, pencils/crayons, countdown strip
- Support tip
- A countdown chain (paper rings) gives a tactile, visual, daily reminder
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Count and pattern with holiday decorations; sort ornaments by colour, shape, size
- Activity
- Make an ABBC pattern; count ornaments and calculate total; find the median size
- Materials
- Ornament photo cards, pattern strips, sorting mat, pencils
- Support tip
- Real ornament handling is deeply motivating and naturally educational
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Count items to donate; plan a simple gift budget of $5 using coin combinations
- Activity
- Plan purchases within a $5 budget using a simple price list; calculate change
- Materials
- Counting items, price list worksheet, coins for budgeting practice
- Support tip
- Real budgeting is practical maths at its most meaningful — real coins, real choices
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Review all maths topics from all 30 weeks with a mixed skills celebration game
- Activity
- Complete a 'Skills I Know Now' checklist; tick off each mastered concept
- Materials
- Review game cards, skills checklist, pencils, celebration stickers
- Support tip
- Frame the review as 'look how much you know now!' — celebrate the growth
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Count the 30 weeks of learning; look at a calendar for the next six months and plan ahead
- Activity
- Fill in a 6-month planner for next semester; mark themes and goals
- Materials
- Printed week circles, stickers, 6-month planner template
- Support tip
- Visualising the accomplishment of 30 weeks is a powerful self-confidence moment
Grades 3–6 · Life Skills
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Complete 3-step morning hygiene routine independently with visual support
- Activity
- Complete routine from memory using self-check list; time with a sand timer
- Materials
- Visual schedule cards, toothbrush, face cloth, mirror, sand timer (2 min)
- Support tip
- Photograph child completing each step for personalised picture schedule
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Practise one simple home chore: setting the table with visual support
- Activity
- Set full place setting for family (plate, cup, fork, spoon); count items needed
- Materials
- Placemat template, plastic plates, cups, cutlery, visual checklist
- Support tip
- Break into smallest steps; use first-then board ('First set plate, then eat')
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Identify personal sensory preferences and use a simple self-regulation tool
- Activity
- Fill in 'My Sensory Profile' chart: what I like / what is too much / what helps me
- Materials
- Sensory preference chart, noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, sunglasses
- Support tip
- Validate all sensory preferences; never shame a sensory need
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Practise 3 sun-safety skills: apply sunscreen, wear hat, drink water every hour
- Activity
- Set a timer every hour as water reminder; apply sunscreen independently following steps
- Materials
- Sunscreen (low fragrance), hat, water bottle, visual timer, picture sequence card
- Support tip
- Use preferred flavoured water if plain water is refused; pair water with fun activity
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Know when and how to contact emergency services; practise saying/typing home address
- Activity
- Memorise home address (street, town); practise reciting + spell on AAC/paper
- Materials
- Toy phone, emergency script card, address card, AAC emergency page
- Support tip
- Keep address card visible at home; practise with calm scenario, never alarming
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Make a simple picture grocery list; practise finding an item and placing in basket
- Activity
- Write/draw own grocery list for a simple snack; find items on a store shelf diagram
- Materials
- Picture grocery list template, food photos/items, small basket, shelf diagram
- Support tip
- Eventually generalise to real grocery trip with visual list in hand
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Demonstrate 3 pet care responsibilities: feeding, fresh water, gentle handling
- Activity
- Write or draw a weekly pet care schedule; practise all 3 steps independently
- Materials
- Pet care supplies (or play versions), measuring cup, pet care schedule template
- Support tip
- If no pet at home, use a stuffed animal or classroom plant as practice target
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Practise road safety: look both ways, use crosswalk, understand pedestrian signals
- Activity
- Explain pedestrian signals (walk / don't walk); practise sequence on a drawn roadway
- Materials
- Road safety script card, drawn road on paper/tape on floor, pedestrian signal photos
- Support tip
- Practise in safe outdoor space; celebrate correct crossing behaviour immediately
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Complete full morning routine independently using a personal visual schedule
- Activity
- Self-monitor routine using checklist; time the routine and aim to improve
- Materials
- Personalised visual schedule, checklist, sand timer, mirror
- Support tip
- Photograph child completing each step and use in their personal schedule
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Match and select clothing by colour; sort laundry into colour groups
- Activity
- Select a colour-coordinated outfit independently; sort and load laundry by colour
- Materials
- Clothing items, 2 laundry baskets, outfit selection visual guide
- Support tip
- Pair with real laundry day — authentic context cements the skill
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Recognise safety shapes: STOP sign (octagon), WARNING (triangle), OK symbol
- Activity
- Explain what each safety sign means; identify 3 signs on a walk with parent
- Materials
- Safety sign photos, shape cards, neighbourhood walk opportunity
- Support tip
- Real-world safety sign recognition is an essential life skill — prioritise generalisation
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Pack and unpack a school bag following a visual checklist
- Activity
- Pack bag from memory; check off list; locate each item when asked
- Materials
- School bag, 5 school items, visual packing checklist
- Support tip
- Practise daily — independence in packing is a huge self-esteem and life skills win
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Make lemonade following a 5-step picture recipe; celebrate learning with a treat
- Activity
- Measure ingredients independently; follow steps; share with family
- Materials
- Lemons, sugar, water, jug, measuring cups, picture recipe card
- Support tip
- Cooking to celebrate is powerful — it's life skills + social connection + reward
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Choose weather-appropriate clothing for cool autumn days using a dressing visual
- Activity
- Check weather and select full outfit independently; button jacket, tie laces
- Materials
- Clothing items for various temps, weather chart, visual dressing sequence
- Support tip
- Focus on functional clothing skills: buttons, zips and laces need daily practice
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Practise watering a plant on a regular schedule; learn to care for a living thing
- Activity
- Create a plant care chart (water days, amount, light check); follow for one week
- Materials
- Small watering can, 1–2 potted plants, plant care chart, pencils
- Support tip
- Responsibility for a living thing builds empathy and executive function together
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Wash a fruit or vegetable correctly; prepare a simple healthy snack independently
- Activity
- Wash, peel (banana), and slice (with child-safe knife) fruit for a fruit salad
- Materials
- Fruits/vegetables, running water, child-safe peeler and knife, plate
- Support tip
- Food preparation is a high-value life skill — allow messiness and celebrate independence
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Check the weather and select appropriate clothing for the day independently
- Activity
- Check actual weather forecast; plan full outfit for the day including accessories
- Materials
- Weather visual, clothing item photos, weather-to-clothing matching chart
- Support tip
- Post the clothing selection visual near the wardrobe for daily independent use
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Practise Halloween safety: bright clothing/glow stick, stay with adult, check candy
- Activity
- Explain 3 night safety rules; plan a costume that is comfortable and visible
- Materials
- Reflective vest or glow sticks, costume planning sheet, safety rules card
- Support tip
- Comfort of costume is paramount for sensory-sensitive children — practise wearing it first
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Practise 3 calming strategies when upset: deep breathing, fidget tool, quiet space
- Activity
- Create a personal calm-down kit; write/draw 3 strategies that work for ME
- Materials
- Fidget tools, calm corner space, breathing visual, blank calm-down kit card
- Support tip
- Pre-teach strategies when calm — they cannot be learned effectively mid-meltdown
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Know personal space; practise asking before hugging or touching someone
- Activity
- Role-play scenarios: 'Is this okay?' / 'Please stop' / 'I'm going to tell someone'
- Materials
- Hula hoop, role-play scenario cards, trusted adult list
- Support tip
- Always honour a child's 'no' immediately — this teaches consent through experience
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Practise Stop, Drop and Roll; plan and walk a home escape route
- Activity
- Walk the full home escape route; identify meeting point outside; practise twice
- Materials
- Floor mat, home escape route drawing, meeting point sign for outside
- Support tip
- Calm, repeated practice removes fear and builds genuine confident preparedness
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Master hand-washing technique and twice-daily tooth brushing using a visual guide
- Activity
- Brush teeth independently using 2-minute timer; floss with support if needed
- Materials
- Soap, running water, towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, 2-min timer, dental floss
- Support tip
- Use flavoured toothpaste preferred by child; electric toothbrushes are often easier for children who find the brushing motion hard
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Write, draw, or stamp a thank-you card and deliver it to someone
- Activity
- Write, decorate, and address a thank-you card; deliver it in person or by mail
- Materials
- Card blanks, stamps, crayons, markers, envelopes (optional)
- Support tip
- Genuine delivery matters — receiving a positive reaction reinforces the act
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Plan and prepare a nutritionally balanced plate for one meal
- Activity
- Plan and prepare a simple balanced snack plate (fruit + protein + grain); count food groups
- Materials
- My Plate paper template, play food or real food photos, real snack ingredients
- Support tip
- Even partial meal preparation involvement builds positive food relationships
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Prepare a simple snack: sandwich, fruit salad, or toast with spread
- Activity
- Prepare full snack independently using checklist; wash up afterwards
- Materials
- Bread, spread, toppings, child-safe knife, plate, washing-up supplies, checklist
- Support tip
- Clean-up is as important to teach as the cooking — build it into the routine
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Participate in family meal preparation; set a special table for a celebration
- Activity
- Set a full table: placemat, cutlery, napkin, glass; help prepare one dish
- Materials
- Table setting materials, napkins, a simple centrepiece craft, meal prep items
- Support tip
- Table setting responsibility gives a sense of belonging and contribution to the family
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Practise safe indoor winter habits: dress in layers, stay hydrated, be careful on ice
- Activity
- Identify 3 winter safety rules; write them on a winter safety bookmark to keep
- Materials
- Layered clothing items, water bottle, bookmark template, markers
- Support tip
- Connect safety to their personal experience: cold they've felt, ice they've seen
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Wrap a gift using paper, tape, and a tag; practise receiving a gift graciously
- Activity
- Wrap a gift independently; write a gift tag; practise saying 'thank you' on receiving
- Materials
- Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, gift tags, a gift to wrap
- Support tip
- Gracious receiving ('thank you, I love it!') is a social skill that needs explicit practice
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Tidy and organise personal learning space; set it up fresh for the new year
- Activity
- Organise all resources into labelled folders; set a goal for next year's organisation
- Materials
- Storage folders, labels, stickers, material sorting boxes
- Support tip
- Organised spaces support independence — involve child in every decision
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Create a personal vision board for next year's goals; plan a celebration activity
- Activity
- Create a detailed vision board with goals, places, activities, and skills to learn
- Materials
- Magazines, scissors, glue, poster board, markers, stickers
- Support tip
- A vision board displayed in the child's room is a daily motivational tool
Grades 3–6 · Communication & Social
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Introduce self using name, age and one preference ('I am ___, I like ___')
- Activity
- Record a video self-intro; practise with a peer or sibling; use full sentence on AAC
- Materials
- AAC device/board, mirror, recording device, name card, 'I like' photo choice board
- Support tip
- Pre-program self-intro on AAC device; celebrate any approximation
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Greet each family member by name; respond to simple 'how are you?'
- Activity
- Role-play greeting: face the person (eye contact not required), say hello + name, answer 'I am fine, thanks'
- Materials
- AAC device, greeting script card, family member photos
- Support tip
- Pair greeting with a preferred activity as natural reinforcement
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Express sensory likes and dislikes clearly: 'I like / I don't like ___'
- Activity
- Use full sentence on AAC or verbal; practise asking 'Can we turn it down please?'
- Materials
- AAC board with like/don't like + sensation photos, sensory items
- Support tip
- Model and accept all forms of communication — gesture, gaze, AAC, vocalisation
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Request preferred summer activity using AAC or verbal: 'I want to ___'
- Activity
- Construct a full request sentence; negotiate turn-taking with sibling for activity choice
- Materials
- Activity photo cards, AAC board with summer activities, turn-taking visual
- Support tip
- Honour all valid requests immediately when possible to reinforce communication
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Role-play visiting a doctor: greet, describe a problem, say thank you
- Activity
- Full doctor role-play script with AAC or verbal: problem → treatment → thank you
- Materials
- Doctor kit, AAC device, feeling/body part cards, role-play script
- Support tip
- Use preferred stuffed animal as patient to reduce direct performance pressure
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Politely ask for help in a store: 'Excuse me, where is ___? Thank you.'
- Activity
- Full polite request script with AAC or verbal; practise in role-play then real scenario
- Materials
- AAC device with store vocabulary, role-play store set-up, script card
- Support tip
- Pair polite language practice with visiting a real shop when family is ready
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Use kind, calm words and actions around animals; describe an animal
- Activity
- Describe a favourite animal: 'It is a ___, it has ___, it eats ___, it lives in ___'
- Materials
- Stuffed animals, AAC board with animal vocab, 'gentle hands' visual prompt card
- Support tip
- Pair with videos of calm, friendly animals; avoid threatening or loud animal clips
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Request a destination: 'I want to go to ___'; respond to 'How do we get there?'
- Activity
- Plan a pretend trip: destination, how to get there, what to bring; share plan
- Materials
- Destination photos, AAC board, trip planning worksheet, crayons
- Support tip
- Make it personally meaningful — use a real favourite destination
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Tell someone what time of day an activity happens; ask 'What do we do next?'
- Activity
- Use 'What comes next?' on AAC or verbal; discuss the day's plan at breakfast
- Materials
- AAC device, daily schedule board, conversation starter cards
- Support tip
- Asking about schedule is communication AND self-advocacy — celebrate it!
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Describe an object using colour; share colour preferences; compliment colours
- Activity
- Give a peer a colour compliment: 'I like your red shirt'; describe favourite colour + why
- Materials
- AAC colour board, compliment sentence starters, colour preference chart
- Support tip
- Model compliment-giving first; keep the compliment expected and practised
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Describe an object's shape; ask and answer 'What shape is it?'
- Activity
- Play 'I spy a shape' with sibling; ask 3 questions to identify a mystery shape
- Materials
- AAC shape vocabulary, 'I spy' shape cards, objects of various shapes in room
- Support tip
- Turn-taking in 'I spy' supports both communication AND social interaction skills
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Practise classroom communication: raise hand, say 'I don't understand', ask for a break
- Activity
- Role-play 4 classroom scenarios: ask for help, request break, answer a question, say no
- Materials
- AAC classroom vocabulary page, role-play scenario cards
- Support tip
- Pre-teach break card use — having the skill prevents meltdowns before they happen
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Share one thing learned this summer; give a compliment to a family member
- Activity
- Give a prepared short speech: 'This summer I learned ___ and I feel ___'
- Materials
- AAC device, 'I learned' photo strip, compliment sentence starters
- Support tip
- Video the sharing moment — it's motivating and captures progress beautifully
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Describe the current season; share what they like and dislike about autumn
- Activity
- Use 3 describing sentences: 'In autumn I see ___, I hear ___, I feel ___'
- Materials
- AAC season board, autumn sensory experience (leaf, cool air, crunching), sentence frames
- Support tip
- Sensory experience first — go outside — then describe; don't describe in the abstract
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Offer help with a task: 'Can I help?'; take turns in a shared gardening activity
- Activity
- Initiate 'Can I help you?' during a shared plant activity; negotiate turns
- Materials
- AAC device, 2 watering cans, turn-taking visual, shared plant area
- Support tip
- Shared meaningful tasks create authentic communication opportunities
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Request a food item politely; say 'no thank you' to a disliked food respectfully
- Activity
- Use full polite request and refusal in role-play meal scenario; practise at real meals
- Materials
- AAC food vocabulary, play food, mealtime scenario script
- Support tip
- Honouring 'no thank you' consistently teaches that communication works — vital
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Describe current weather; ask 'What is the weather like today?'
- Activity
- Start each day with a weather conversation: describe, compare to yesterday, predict tomorrow
- Materials
- AAC weather board, daily weather conversation starter card
- Support tip
- Morning weather chat is a rich and predictable daily communication routine
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Say 'Trick or treat, please!' and 'Thank you'; decline candy politely
- Activity
- Full door-to-door role play with sibling; add declining: 'No thank you, I don't like that'
- Materials
- AAC Halloween script, role-play doors (3 chairs), candy props
- Support tip
- Dress rehearsal of the whole experience reduces anxiety on the real night
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Use AAC or words to express feelings to another person; respond to 'how are you?'
- Activity
- Use a full feelings statement: 'I feel ___ because ___, I need ___'
- Materials
- AAC feelings board, feeling statement sentence strip, conversation partner
- Support tip
- 'I need ___' completes the expression — teach the full sequence from the start
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Practise saying 'no' firmly and clearly; identify when and how to seek help
- Activity
- Practise refusal and reporting role-play: say no, step back, go tell, use words
- Materials
- AAC 'no/stop' symbols, trusted adult photos, role-play cards
- Support tip
- Non-verbal and AAC-supported refusal is just as valid and should be explicitly taught
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Practise emergency phrases: 'Help!', 'Fire!', 'Call 911', 'I need help!'
- Activity
- Use emergency script with parent role-play: call for help, describe location
- Materials
- AAC emergency page, emergency script card, toy phone
- Support tip
- These phrases should be pre-programmed as a priority page on every AAC device
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Tell someone when sick; ask for hygiene products; use kind hygiene language
- Activity
- Role-play: tell parent about symptom; ask for tissue/medicine; say 'excuse me' when sneezing
- Materials
- AAC health vocabulary page, hygiene items, role-play scenario cards
- Support tip
- Health self-advocacy ('I feel sick') is a critical AAC priority page for all users
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Give 3 genuine compliments; respond graciously to a compliment received
- Activity
- Spontaneously give 3 compliments across the week; discuss how it felt
- Materials
- AAC compliment vocabulary, compliment sentence starters, conversation practice
- Support tip
- Model giving compliments first; many autistic children respond well to explicit modelling
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Politely try a new food; decline a disliked food respectfully without upset
- Activity
- Use a full polite refusal: 'No thank you, I prefer ___'; express why they like a food
- Materials
- New food to try (low-pressure), AAC 'no thank you' + preference board
- Support tip
- Never force food; one successful 'try' (even smell) is enormous progress
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Ask for help in the kitchen; offer to help a family member cook or clean up
- Activity
- Initiate 'Can I help?' at mealtime; describe what they made to a family member
- Materials
- AAC 'help' symbol, cooking helper visual, conversation starter about the meal
- Support tip
- Cooking together is one of the richest natural communication contexts
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Share a family story or tradition; listen to a family member's story
- Activity
- Dictate or write a family story; draw an illustration; share at dinner
- Materials
- Family photos, story recording template, crayons, mealtime sharing tradition
- Support tip
- Listening to others is communication too — teach it as explicitly as speaking
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Send a holiday greeting: say it, write it, or record it for a family member
- Activity
- Write a 3-sentence holiday card; record a video message; deliver or send
- Materials
- AAC holiday vocabulary, card blank, recording device
- Support tip
- Recording video messages gives a voice to non-speaking children in a powerful way
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Express care for another person: 'I was thinking of you'; receive thanks warmly
- Activity
- Say or write: 'I chose this for you because ___'; respond to 'thank you' warmly
- Materials
- AAC care vocabulary, made card, wrapped gift to deliver
- Support tip
- The delivery and receiving interaction is the peak communication teaching moment
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Share an accomplishment with family: 'This year I learned to ___; I am proud of ___'
- Activity
- Prepare and deliver a 2-minute 'what I achieved' talk at a family dinner
- Materials
- Achievement photo strip, talk preparation guide, family audience
- Support tip
- Public sharing of achievement is deeply reinforcing — make it a family ritual
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Share goals and hopes for the new year with family; listen to family members' goals
- Activity
- Host a family goal-sharing conversation; ask one family member about their goal
- Materials
- AAC device with goal vocabulary, vision board, conversation sharing structure
- Support tip
- Mutual goal-sharing builds family connection and models the value of aspiration
Grades 3–6 · Science & Nature
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Identify and name 5 external body parts: eyes, nose, mouth, hands, feet
- Activity
- Label blank body diagram; match function to body part ('eyes for seeing')
- Materials
- Body outline poster, washable markers, song audio, blank diagram worksheets
- Support tip
- Use physical touch cues (tap the part) alongside verbal; allow pointing without words
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Name and identify the main rooms of a home and each room's function
- Activity
- Draw a simple floor plan; label each room; describe what we do in each room
- Materials
- Room photo cards, house diagram, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Use photos of their own home if possible for maximum generalisation
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Name the 5 senses and their corresponding body part; explore one per sense
- Activity
- Design a 5-senses experiment journal: draw + label what they noticed for each
- Materials
- Smell jars, texture bags, sound shakers, tasting cups (sweet/sour/salty), journal
- Support tip
- Reduce number of sensory stations if needed; allow breaks between each sense
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Observe how sunlight affects objects: shadows, melting ice, evaporation
- Activity
- Trace a shadow at 9am and 2pm; record difference; explain why shadow moved
- Materials
- Ice cubes, 2 trays, chalk, ruler, observation sheet
- Support tip
- Do experiments outdoors for authentic experience; take photos to review indoors
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Explore what firefighters do; fire safety basics: Stop, Drop and Roll
- Activity
- Label a house diagram with escape routes; discuss why fire needs oxygen to burn
- Materials
- Fire safety video (YouTube), floor mat, house diagram, pencils
- Support tip
- Focus on empowerment not fear; frame as 'I know what to do!' confidence building
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Explore where food comes from: farm → factory/kitchen → store → home
- Activity
- Create a 'food journey' flowchart for one favourite food (e.g., bread: wheat to loaf)
- Materials
- Sequencing picture cards, flowchart template, pencils, crayons
- Support tip
- Choose a food the child loves — personal connection deepens understanding
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Identify basic animal needs: food, water, shelter, space; compare to human needs
- Activity
- Compare animal needs to human needs using a Venn diagram; identify similarities
- Materials
- Animal needs picture cards, Venn diagram template, pencils
- Support tip
- Connect to child's own needs ('You need food too!') to make concept concrete
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Explore how vehicles move: wheels and axles, sails, wings — basic mechanics
- Activity
- Build a simple wheeled vehicle from recycled materials; test how far it travels
- Materials
- Toy cars, recycled materials (cardboard, bottle caps, straws), tape, ruler
- Support tip
- Focus on experimentation over correct outcome; celebrate problem-solving attempts
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Observe how the sky changes from morning to night; discuss day/night cycle
- Activity
- Draw and label 4 sky observations across one full day; explain why sky changes
- Materials
- Sky observation journal, crayons, window access, day/night cycle diagram
- Support tip
- Do a real observation at window if possible; phone photos work well too
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Explore colour mixing: primary to secondary; observe rainbow formation
- Activity
- Predict result before mixing; record in colour mixing journal; make a prism rainbow
- Materials
- Primary colour paints, mixing trays, prism or CD for rainbow, journal
- Support tip
- Sensory-safe alternatives: use food colouring in water if paint is aversive
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Find shapes in nature: hexagon (honeycomb), spiral (shell), circle (sun/moon)
- Activity
- Go outside and photograph 5 shapes found in nature; label and display
- Materials
- Nature photos, pine cone, shell, camera/tablet, nature shape journal
- Support tip
- This activity supports scientific observation skills naturally and joyfully
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Conduct a simple sink/float experiment; observe, predict, record results
- Activity
- Write a hypothesis, conduct experiment, record results, write one conclusion
- Materials
- Clear bin with water, 8 varied objects, predict/result recording sheet
- Support tip
- This foundational experiment teaches scientific method — celebrate the process
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Create a summer nature journal: draw 5 things seen, heard, felt outdoors this summer
- Activity
- Write and illustrate 5 nature entries; share journal with family member
- Materials
- Blank journal, crayons, collected nature items, glue
- Support tip
- Keep journals as longitudinal records — comparing year to year shows real growth
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Investigate why leaves change colour: chlorophyll, light, and autumn science
- Activity
- Simple chromatography: extract leaf pigment with rubbing alcohol on coffee filter
- Materials
- Leaves, paper, crayons; for 3–6: coffee filters, isopropyl alcohol, glass jar
- Support tip
- Wonder and curiosity are the goals — the science process matters more than the result
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Explore deciduous vs evergreen trees; observe a seed germinating
- Activity
- Research one local tree; record: type, leaf shape, evergreen or deciduous, wildlife it supports
- Materials
- Tree sorting photo cards, bean seeds, damp paper towel, zip bag, information sheet
- Support tip
- Bean seed germination in a zip bag on a sunny window is mesmerising and fast (3–5 days)
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Learn about above-ground and below-ground vegetables; observe a seed growing
- Activity
- Draw the life cycle of one vegetable from seed to harvest; label each stage
- Materials
- Vegetable sort cards, above/below ground mat, life cycle diagram template
- Support tip
- If possible, grow cress or beans on a windowsill — real growth in 5–7 days
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Learn about the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation
- Activity
- Label a water cycle diagram; create a mini water cycle in a zip bag taped to window
- Materials
- Wet paper towel, zip bag with small amount of water, sunny window, diagram template
- Support tip
- The zip bag water cycle demonstration is compelling and takes 1–2 days to observe
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Explore light and dark: reflective materials, torch beams, shadow puppets
- Activity
- Make shadow puppets; investigate how distance affects shadow size
- Materials
- Torch/flashlight, reflective and non-reflective materials, shadow puppet templates, wall
- Support tip
- Shadow play is deeply engaging for many autistic children — extend freely
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Learn how the brain and body experience emotions; breathing's effect on heart rate
- Activity
- Measure heart rate before/after calm breathing; graph the change; draw brain diagram
- Materials
- Timer for heart rate, graph template, simple brain diagram to colour
- Support tip
- Biofeedback (feeling their own heartbeat) is a powerful self-regulation tool
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Learn how the body signals discomfort: stomach ache, fast heartbeat, uneasy feeling
- Activity
- Journal: write 3 body signals and what they might mean; discuss with parent
- Materials
- Body signals illustration cards, journal, pencils
- Support tip
- Interoceptive awareness is especially helpful for autistic children — connect body feelings to meaning
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Explore what fire needs to burn: oxygen, heat, fuel (fire triangle); smoke detector
- Activity
- Research how smoke detectors work; test detector with toast smoke (supervised)
- Materials
- Fire triangle diagram, candle + jar (supervised), smoke detector
- Support tip
- The fire triangle concept is retained best through real demonstration — be safe
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Learn what germs are; observe how soap dissolves oil (science of clean)
- Activity
- Discuss germ transmission; design a poster: 'How germs travel and how to stop them'
- Materials
- Bowl of water, black pepper, dish soap, poster paper, markers
- Support tip
- The pepper experiment is reliably astonishing and makes hand-washing feel important
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Explore how kindness affects our brain and body: oxytocin, warmth, connection
- Activity
- Read a short passage on oxytocin; draw the kindness-brain connection; journal
- Materials
- Simple kindness-brain info card, body-feeling illustration, journal
- Support tip
- Connect emotion → body sensation → action: kindness → warm feeling → smile back
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Learn what nutrients do: calcium for bones, vitamin C for immunity, iron for energy
- Activity
- Research 3 nutrients; draw a poster: 'What does this food do for my body?'
- Materials
- Nutrient-food matching cards, information cards, poster paper, markers
- Support tip
- Connect to child's interest: 'Eating this gives you energy to bounce on the trampoline!'
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Observe physical changes in cooking: solid butter melts, liquid egg becomes solid
- Activity
- Record 3 cooking changes: before and after; classify as reversible or irreversible
- Materials
- Butter, frying pan (supervised), observation recording sheet
- Support tip
- These are real chemistry concepts made tangible — celebrate the scientific thinking
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Explore why food smells good when cooked: Maillard reaction in simple terms
- Activity
- Research: what makes cooked food smell different from raw? Draw a diagram
- Materials
- Raw dough/bread vs baked, information card, diagram template
- Support tip
- Connecting science to food and family makes abstract concepts immediately relevant
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Explore why it is cold in winter: Earth's tilt and distance from sun; snowflake symmetry
- Activity
- Draw Earth's tilt diagram; compare summer and winter sun angles; label
- Materials
- Snowflake photos, paper for folding, Earth tilt diagram template, pencils
- Support tip
- Paper snowflake cutting is excellent fine motor AND produces a joyful result
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Explore why giving makes us happy: oxytocin and the 'helper's high' concept
- Activity
- Read about the helper's high; journal: describe the body feeling of giving
- Materials
- Body feeling illustration, journal, simple oxytocin info card
- Support tip
- Connecting the good feeling of giving to science empowers children to seek that feeling
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Review 3 favourite science experiments from the year; revisit one
- Activity
- Write a mini science report on a favourite experiment: method, result, conclusion
- Materials
- Experiment photos, science materials for re-doing one experiment, report template
- Support tip
- Revisiting a familiar experiment builds fluency and shows science is an ongoing practice
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- Explore a fun, celebratory science activity: static electricity or fizzy reaction
- Activity
- Explain the chemical reaction; predict and record results; adjust variables
- Materials
- Baking soda, vinegar, food colouring, container, recording sheet
- Support tip
- A fizzy new year experiment is joyful, memorable, and genuinely scientific
Grades 3–6 · Arts & Movement
Unit 1: Identity & Summer
Focus: Self, family, senses, and summer safety
-
Week 1 All About Me — Identity & Self-Awareness
- Goal
- Create a self-portrait using basic shapes; participate in mirror movement activity
- Activity
- Draw and colour a detailed self-portrait; add name, age, and 3 favourite things
- Materials
- Pre-cut shapes, glue sticks, crayons, mirrors, large white paper
- Support tip
- Offer choice of medium (crayons, paint, collage); display finished portrait proudly
-
Week 2 My Family & Home
- Goal
- Draw and paint a family portrait; participate in a 'follow the leader' movement game
- Activity
- Draw each family member with detail; play follow-the-leader around the house
- Materials
- Paper, finger paints, crayons, open floor space
- Support tip
- Accept any mark-making as meaningful art; label figures at child's direction
-
Week 3 My Five Senses
- Goal
- Sensory art: finger painting or playdough sculpting; movement to music
- Activity
- Create a 'senses collage' with textured materials, photos, and colour swatches
- Materials
- Finger paint, playdough, textured materials (fabric, foil, cotton), glue
- Support tip
- Offer vinyl gloves if paint/texture is aversive; praise participation at any level
-
Week 4 Summer Fun & Safety
- Goal
- Sidewalk chalk art; bubble play; physical activity of child's choice outdoors
- Activity
- Create a chalk hopscotch board; design and play own outdoor movement game
- Materials
- Sidewalk chalk, bubble solution, wand, open outdoor space
- Support tip
- Allow repeated play — mastery through repetition is learning, not boredom
Unit 2: Community & World
Focus: Community helpers, shopping, animals, and transport
-
Week 5 Community Helpers
- Goal
- Dress-up as a community helper; movement activity themed to chosen role
- Activity
- Create a 'wanted' poster for their helper role; perform a helper job dramatically
- Materials
- Dress-up props, poster paper, markers, open space for movement
- Support tip
- Let child pick their preferred helper role for maximum motivation
-
Week 6 Shopping & Money
- Goal
- Set up a pretend store; sort and categorise 'stock'; play shopping game
- Activity
- Set prices, make price tags, run the store with sibling as customer
- Materials
- Play food, shelves/boxes as displays, price tag stickers, toy cash register
- Support tip
- Rotate roles (shopkeeper / customer) to practise both sides of interaction
-
Week 7 Animals & Pet Care
- Goal
- Create an animal art piece; play animal movement game (hop, slither, gallop)
- Activity
- Draw a detailed animal in habitat; lead an animal yoga sequence for sibling
- Materials
- Paint, paper, stamp materials, open floor space
- Support tip
- Animal movement is excellent for proprioceptive input — encourage enthusiastically
-
Week 8 Transportation & Getting Around
- Goal
- Vehicle art project; obstacle course: 'drive' (crawl), 'fly' (arms out), 'swim' (stroke)
- Activity
- Design a transport vehicle from scratch on paper; complete timed movement circuit
- Materials
- Cardboard boxes, paint, markers, tape for course, timer
- Support tip
- Let child choose which vehicle to 'be' in movement activity for self-direction
Unit 3: Routines & Readiness
Focus: Time, patterns, shapes, tools, and review
-
Week 9 Daily Routines & Telling Time
- Goal
- Make a personal picture schedule book; yoga morning wake-up routine
- Activity
- Design a colourful weekly planner with drawings; lead a 5-minute yoga routine
- Materials
- Printed schedule template, scissors, glue, crayons, yoga cards
- Support tip
- Laminate the schedule for daily use — making it durable makes it more empowering
-
Week 10 Colours & Patterns
- Goal
- Rainbow art project; coloured scarf movement dance
- Activity
- Create a colour-wheel watercolour painting; choreograph a 4-move scarf dance
- Materials
- Watercolours, rainbow template, coloured scarves, upbeat music
- Support tip
- Coloured scarves are proprioceptive AND visually stimulating — widely loved
-
Week 11 Shapes & Measurement
- Goal
- Shape collage art; shape-based obstacle course (jump over rectangle, crawl through circle)
- Activity
- Design and build a shape picture using ruler-drawn shapes; design own obstacle course
- Materials
- Pre-cut shapes, glue, coloured paper, tape, ruler, open floor space
- Support tip
- Obstacle courses with shapes integrate learning into sensory-motor experience
-
Week 12 Learning Tools & School Readiness
- Goal
- Decorate a pencil holder; create a self-made calendar for the month ahead
- Activity
- Draw and fill in a monthly calendar; mark important events and learning goals
- Materials
- Tin cans/cups, paint, stickers, blank calendar template, markers
- Support tip
- Having personalised school tools increases ownership and motivation to use them
-
Week 13 Review & Summer Learning Celebration
- Goal
- Create a Summer Highlights book; hold a mini celebration with favourite music and movement
- Activity
- Write captions for each memory; design a cover; choose and lead a dance party song
- Materials
- Blank booklet, crayons, stickers, favourite music, open space
- Support tip
- Celebrate loudly and genuinely — positive emotional memory of learning is crucial
Unit 4: Autumn & Nature
Focus: Seasons, trees, farm, and weather
-
Week 14 Autumn Season & Changes
- Goal
- Leaf rubbings and leaf printing art; outdoor nature walk collecting autumn items
- Activity
- Create a detailed autumn scene using collected natural materials as stamps
- Materials
- Leaves, paper, crayons, paint, paintbrushes, basket for collecting
- Support tip
- Nature walks are grounding and regulating — ideal before desk-based learning
-
Week 15 Trees, Plants & the Living World
- Goal
- Handprint tree art; tree yoga pose; movement activity in outdoor space
- Activity
- Create a seasonal tree — show all 4 seasons by dividing paper into quadrants
- Materials
- Brown and leaf-colour paints, large paper, outdoor space
- Support tip
- Tree pose (yoga) is excellent for balance and body awareness — add it daily
-
Week 16 Farm Life, Food & Harvest
- Goal
- Vegetable stamp printing; farm animal movement activity
- Activity
- Create a detailed harvest scene using multiple vegetable stamps and paintings
- Materials
- Cut vegetables (celery, potato, carrot), paint, paper
- Support tip
- Vegetable printing is irresistible to most sensory learners — enjoy the mess!
-
Week 17 Weather & Seasonal Clothing
- Goal
- Weather mobile craft; yoga poses: sun (warrior), cloud (child's pose), rain (jumping)
- Activity
- Design an original weather mobile; write a weather poem to hang alongside
- Materials
- Pre-cut or blank mobile templates, string, hole punch, crayons, markers
- Support tip
- Weather yoga is a fantastic brain break — model it, then let the child lead
Unit 5: Safety & Feelings
Focus: Halloween, emotions, body safety, fire safety, hygiene
-
Week 18 Halloween, Night Safety & Community
- Goal
- Decorate a pumpkin (paint); wear costume and march in a mini parade
- Activity
- Design and paint a themed pumpkin; choreograph and lead a 3-step costume parade
- Materials
- Pumpkin (or paper pumpkin), paint, costume, Halloween music
- Support tip
- Mini parade at home is achievable, celebratory, and builds community pride
-
Week 19 Feelings & Emotional Regulation
- Goal
- Draw a feelings mandala; feelings yoga: pose for each emotion
- Activity
- Create a detailed feelings mandala; teach sibling the 6 emotion yoga poses
- Materials
- Mandala template, crayons, feelings yoga pose cards, open floor space
- Support tip
- Art as emotional expression needs no correction — accept every colour choice
-
Week 20 Body Safety & Personal Boundaries
- Goal
- Personal space hula hoop activity; draw 'my trusted people' circle art
- Activity
- Create a detailed 'my safe people' poster; decorate with strengths of each person
- Materials
- Hula hoop, large paper, crayons, markers, stickers
- Support tip
- Displaying the trusted people poster at home is a practical safety resource
-
Week 21 Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness
- Goal
- Draw a home escape plan; fire truck dramatic play and Stop, Drop and Roll game
- Activity
- Draw and label a detailed escape route map; display on bedroom door
- Materials
- Paper, crayons, markers, alarm sound clip, ruler for map
- Support tip
- A displayed escape plan that the child made themselves is used; one printed and ignored is not
-
Week 22 Healthy Habits & Personal Hygiene
- Goal
- Create a personalised hygiene visual routine card; hygiene-themed movement game
- Activity
- Design a full daily hygiene poster for their bedroom; lead a 'germ-busting' obstacle course
- Materials
- Laminating pouches, stickers, markers, poster paper, obstacle course materials
- Support tip
- Laminated personal hygiene card stuck to the bathroom mirror = used every day
Unit 6: Gratitude & Nourishment
Focus: Kindness, nutrition, cooking, and family
-
Week 23 Gratitude & Kindness
- Goal
- Make a gratitude tree craft; kindness bingo movement game
- Activity
- Create a detailed gratitude tree with branches for different life areas
- Materials
- Brown paper/cardboard for trunk, green paper hand traces, crayons, tape
- Support tip
- Display the gratitude tree prominently — revisit and add to it throughout this unit
-
Week 24 Food, Nutrition & Healthy Eating
- Goal
- Create a 'My Plate' food art piece; vegetable and fruit tasting sensory activity
- Activity
- Paint a realistic balanced plate meal as an artwork; label all food groups
- Materials
- Old magazines, glue, paper plate template, paint, markers
- Support tip
- Food art is non-threatening exposure to new foods — a step toward food acceptance
-
Week 25 Kitchen Skills & Simple Cooking
- Goal
- Decorate biscuits or a dish; Thanksgiving craft and movement activity
- Activity
- Bake and decorate simple cookies; design a Thanksgiving/harvest centrepiece
- Materials
- Plain biscuits, icing, sprinkles, paper and paint for turkey, harvest materials
- Support tip
- Shared eating of created food is a powerful social + sensory celebration
-
Week 26 Family, Culture & Traditions
- Goal
- Family heritage art project; learn a family song or a traditional movement/dance
- Activity
- Research a family cultural art style; create artwork in that style
- Materials
- Shield template, crayons, markers, cultural pattern reference images
- Support tip
- Connecting art to identity is deeply affirming — display family shield prominently
Unit 7: Celebration & Looking Ahead
Focus: Winter, giving, year review, new goals
-
Week 27 Winter Season & Holiday Celebrations
- Goal
- Paper snowflake making; holiday music dance and movement session
- Activity
- Create intricate paper snowflake; design a holiday card with geometric border
- Materials
- Paper, scissors, crayons, markers, holiday music playlist
- Support tip
- Holiday music is a powerful motivator — let the child choose favourite songs
-
Week 28 Giving, Kindness & Generosity
- Goal
- Make handmade gifts; kindness card-making; gift-wrapping practice station
- Activity
- Plan and create a set of 3 handmade gifts; label each with recipient and message
- Materials
- Craft materials (beads, card, paint, frames), ribbon, gift tags
- Support tip
- Handmade gifts carry enormous meaning — prioritise effort and intention over perfection
-
Week 29 Year in Review & My Achievements
- Goal
- Create a Year Highlights art portfolio; end-of-year celebration dance party
- Activity
- Curate and mount a small portfolio with titles; lead a year-end dance celebration
- Materials
- Portfolio folders, mounting paper, favourite music playlist, open space
- Support tip
- A curated portfolio validates the work and builds a sense of artistic identity
-
Week 30 New Goals & Fresh Start
- Goal
- New Year's resolution art; confetti craft; celebration music and movement finale
- Activity
- Design a motivational poster for their learning space; lead a countdown dance
- Materials
- Banner template, tissue paper confetti, poster materials, music, open space
- Support tip
- End on a high — joy, music, and celebration are the feelings that make learning stick
Computer-based learning programmes
Adaptive programmes adjust the difficulty as your child answers, which can make practice less frustrating. Many of the programmes below are made for schools, so contact the company about home use. Prices are approximate and date from May 2025, so please check them before you buy.
Comprehensive multi-subject programmes
-
TeachTown enCOREStandards-Based Adapted Curriculum
ELA (Reading & Writing), Maths, Science, Social Studies
Ages 5–21 · Web / Tablet · ~$189–499/yr per licence
-
IXL LearningPersonalised Practice Across All Subjects
Maths, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Spanish
Ages K–12 · Web / iPad / Android · ~$9.95/mo family / school pricing
-
Khan AcademyFree Adaptive Learning — All Subjects
Maths, Science, Computing, History, Arts, ELA, SAT Prep
Ages K–College · Web / iPad / Android · FREE
Reading & literacy programmes
-
Lexia PowerUp LiteracyReading Intervention Grades 6–12
Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Fluency, Writing
Ages 11–18 · Web / iPad · School pricing / contact for home use
-
Achieve3000 LiteracyDifferentiated Non-Fiction Reading Grades 3–12
Non-Fiction Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Writing
Ages 8–18 · Web · School pricing / contact for home use
-
Clicker 8 / Clicker ConnectAAC-Supported Reading & Writing
Reading, Writing, AAC Support, Literacy Scaffolding
Ages 5–Adult · Windows / Mac / iPad · ~$150/yr
Mathematics programmes
-
ALEKSAI-Powered Adaptive Maths K–12
All K–12 Maths: Arithmetic, Fractions, Algebra, Geometry, Statistics
Ages 5–18 · Web · ~$19.95/mo per student
-
BlueStreak MathAdaptive Middle School Maths
Arithmetic, Fractions, Decimals, Pre-Algebra, Number Sense
Ages 10–16 · Web / Tablet · School/district pricing — contact for home
-
MagridMaths App Designed for Autism
Number Sense, Counting, Basic Operations, Visual-Spatial Maths
Ages 4–14 · iPad / Android · Contact for pricing
Science programmes
-
Mystery ScienceHands-On Science Lessons K–5 Level
Life Science, Earth Science, Physical Science — inquiry-based
Ages 5–12 (functional level) · Web · ~$99/yr for home
Social studies programmes
-
Seterra GeographyInteractive World & Country Maps
Geography: Countries, Capitals, Flags, Continents, US States
All ages · Web / App · FREE (web) / small fee for app
Social skills & emotional learning
-
Zones of Regulation AppEmotional Regulation Framework
Emotional Self-Regulation, Coping Strategies, Social Awareness
Ages 6–Adult · iPad / Web · ~$9.99 app / curriculum extra
-
Social ExpressVideo-Based Social Skills Curriculum
Social Skills: Conversation, Friendships, Perspective-Taking, Non-Verbal Communication
Ages 8–18 · Web / iPad · ~$10.99/mo
-
Model Me KidsVideo Modelling for Social Skills
Social Skills: Greetings, Conversations, School Skills, Community Skills
Ages 3–Teen · DVD / Digital Download / App · ~$30–50 per module
-
OtsimoABA-Based Learning & AAC Games
AAC, Social Skills, Daily Living, Cognitive Skills, Basic Academics
Ages 4–15 · iPad / Android · Free tier / ~$9.99/mo premium
Life skills & functional academics
-
LifeCourse / Life Skills AppsTransition & Independence Skills
Daily Living, Job Skills, Community Navigation, Money, Safety
Ages 12–Adult · Web / iPad · Free tools available / school pricing for full
-
Functional Skills System (n2y)Adapted Academic & Life Skills Curriculum
ELA, Maths, Science, Social Studies, Life Skills — all functionally adapted
Ages 3–22 · Web / Tablet · School pricing — contact n2y
-
Boardmaker OnlineSymbol-Based AAC & Academic Materials
AAC, Literacy, Daily Schedules, Social Stories, Visual Supports across all subjects
Ages 3–Adult · Web · ~$299/yr
About this curriculum: it was prepared for home learning and is meant to be adapted. It is not a substitute for an Individualised Education Programme (IEP) or advice from your child's teachers and therapists. Saarthi is not connected with any of the programmes listed.