Information, Procedures, and Recommended Practices

AT Toolkit Resource Guide

Information, procedures, and recommended practices

Table of Contents

AT Point Persons………………….……………………………………………………………………………………………page 3

Better Board Slant Board…………………………..………………………………………………………………………page 4

Hi-Write paper…….……………………………………………….……………………………………………………………page 5

“Start Right” pencil grips (6)....…..…………………………………………………………….……………….………page 6

“The” pencil grips (6)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………page 6

Multi-colored Reading Overlays (6)……………………………………………………………………………………page 7

Eye Lighter……………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………page 8

Highlighting Tape (blue & pink) …………………………………………………………………………………………page 9

Koopy Scissors………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………….…page 10

Left Hand Scissors…………………..…………………………………………………………………………….…………page 11

Loop Scissors…………………………..………………………………………………………………………………………page 12

Motivaider………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………page 13

Time Timer………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………….………page 14

Coin-U-Lator……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..page 15

AT Point Persons

~ Contact your building AT point person if you would like to loan a tool from the AT Toolkit or Lending Library. ~

Boone Trail…………………………………………………………………………………………Julie Kersten

Crossroads………………………………………………………………………………....Rhonda Schlereth

Discovery Ridge……………………………………………………………………………....Lauren Maher

Duello……………………………………………………………………………Susan Howell & Jill Auchly

Frontier Middle ………..……………………………………………………………………Laura Reynolds

Green Tree……………………………………………………………………………..….Ashleigh Zumwalt

Heritage ………..……………………………………………………………………..……………….Amy Robb

Holt………………………………………………………………………………………Stephanie Aubuchon

Lakeview………………………………………………………………………………………….LyndsayMenz

Liberty……………………………………………………………………………………………….

Peine Ridge…………………………………………………………………………………………Rachel Kohn

Prairie View……………………………………..…………………………………………………Laura Auchly

Quail Ridge…………………………………………………………………………………………Angela Basse

South Middle………………………………………………………………………………….Yvette Wieman

Timberland……………………………………………………………………………………..Laurie Dawson

Better Board Slant Writer

This writing aid is a slant board that is can be used for writing or holding materials to copy from. Slant boards have raised backs that create an angled appearance; they typically have clips or anchors at the top to hold materials in place.

These boards can serve a wide variety of purposes in classroom settings, including development of fine motor skills and promotion of good posture for all students.
Collapses to a thickness of just 3/4" AND is very, very light!

Reading: A slant board can help make reading more comfortable for students. A book or reading material placed on a slant board with the correct angle will reduce eye strain because the eyes do not have to keep refocusing as the student progresses down the page and all the text remains at the same angle.

Fine Motor: The angle of a slant board makes it easier for children to see and, as a result, develop fine motor skills. The slant of the board promotes shoulder, arm and hand coordination.
Writing: Teachers commonly use slant boards for students who may struggle with handwriting and letter formation. The angle of the board allows the child to write more clearly and with better posture than when the child is writing on a flat surface.

Hi-Write Paper

Traditional primary writing paper with the lower half of the writing area emphasized with bright yellow highlighter. Who can benefit from this paper? Actually anyone!

Helps beginning and/or struggling writers learn the basic writing concepts of top to bottom, left to right, and tall and short letter.
Encourage proper placement of letters
Yellow highlighter indicates where lower case letters should be placed
Visually simplified allowing writers to form letters correctly and with adequate space between words.
Originally designed for students with learning difficulties this paper is also helpful for individuals with low vision, visual perception issues, and attention disorders.

The Pencil Grips

Soft rubber grip promotes the correct writing grip
Clearly visible letters indicate where the thumb should be placed for either the right or left hand.
Very comfortable grip
Fits regular pencils

Start-Right Pencil Grips

Helps to correct improper grasp and keep the web space open

Barrier prevents the thumb from overlapping and a rim keeps fingers at the correct distance from the pencil tip.
Fits regular pencils.

Multi-colored Reading Overlays

These tinted strips can be used to reduce the visual stress that many struggling readers experience. Colored overlays are used to change the light wave length and often clear up the print for anyone who struggles to read, particularly those with dyslexia or ADHD.

No everyone sees the printed page in the same way!

Relieve visual stress, which frequently occurs in struggling readers
May clear up the distortion that struggling readers see on the printed aid
Increase fluency, comprehension, and reading duration

Narrow tinted strip to use as a single highlighter and tracking aid
Wide tinted strip to read or scan ahead to study diagrams, drawings, columns, etc.

Eye Lighter

Similar to the multi-colored reading overlays (page 8), the Eye Lighter is a 6" long transparent plastic highlighter. It is a very helpful tool for readers at all levels!

Helps to maintain a reader's focus, concentration and comprehension.
Allows the reader to underline the sentence they are reading.
Allows the reader to track. 1, 2 or 3 lines at a time, which is important as fluency and speed increase.
4 colors: yellow, green, blue, and pink
What color works best for your student?
This is a personal choice and will be up to the user. The best way to determine what color suits the reader best is to have them read with each color first and see which one their eyes prefer.
Individuals respond differently to colors.
The colors blue and green can be calming colors for some students.

Highlighting Tape

Highlighter Tape is a removable alternative to permanent highlighter pens.

Enable teachers and students to mark letters, words, sentences, etc.,

Can be moved around as needed and is non-destructive to materials.
Comes in various translucent colors.
An effective tool that helps students focus by capturing their attention with color and is used to teach how to highlight.
Colors can help students with visual learning disabilities, Dyslexia, Autism, or poor task focus by improving concentration.

Koopy Spring Scissors

These spring activated scissors teach kids how to cut safely, with a spring activated handle that automatically "spring open" for assisted cutting.

Spring activated scissors for an improved ease of use
Spring can be deactivated at any time so that the scissors can be used normally
Rounded tips provide protection while cutting and a smaller blade and handle size offer easier control.

Left Handed Scissors

If your student tends to tear the paper rather than cutting it, or is unable to cut cleanly along a line it may be because they are using the incorrect scissors!

Blades reversed so the top blade is always on the left side
With the left blade on top, lefties can see what they are cutting, and the motion of the scissors is natural.
While many older lefties have adapted, and can use right-handed scissors for most things, even they can cut far more accurately with left-handed scissors.
For left-handed students who may struggle with fine motor schools skills, left-handed scissors can make an enormous difference - leading to far earlier and easier learning to cut and a series of other skills.

Loop Scissors

A gentle squeeze is all that is needed for easy and controlled cutting with loop scissors.

Helps students with physical disabilities, fine motor difficulties, or coordination problems
Easy to use handles make cutting a breeze
Scissor blade re-opens automatically
Can be used with left or right hand

MotivAider

The MotivAider is a simple electronic device that enables people of all ages to stay focused and change behavior and habits quickly, easily and privately.

Helps to change and manage behaviors that may hinder learning and performance, threaten health, or interfere with socialization.
Keeps children focused on the changes they want to make in their own behavior and habits.
Promotes independence and self-regulation while relieving the teachers of the need to constantly remind and redirect.
Can be especially helpful students with ADD, ADHD, and other task focus problems.
The MotivAider is worn on a belt or in a pocket.
Replace behavior and habits with constructive new behavior and habits that teachers and students can determine together.
How does it work?
The MotivAider works by periodically, at pre-set intervals, sending the child a private, silent tactile reminder - the entire device gently vibrates.
Vibration is used to privately convey a prompt or personal message that reminds and urges students to make a desired change in behavior, i.e., “Eyes on the speaker”, or “Keep working!”
Set the MotivAider to deliver the vibration signal as often as desired- as often as every few seconds.
Phase out the MotivAider as desired behavior increases.

Time Timer

The intuitive visual countdown helps students of all ages see and understand the passage of time. Multiple uses for individual students and/or the entire classroom! The Time Timer is also available as an app!

Teach the concept of time
Improve classroom behavior
Monitor work/break intervals; shows students how much time is remaining for a work related task and/or an earned reinforcer
Discreetly provide accommodations to students, i.e., extended time for tests/assignments
Provides a visual representation of when a transition will occur
Structure time in short productive blocks
Encourage visual learning
Helps students stick to a routine

Coin-U-Lator

The hand-held talking Coin-U-Lator makes coin counting easy and fun! Itcan be used in any classroom during instruction, independent work, or in classroom centers.

Uses realistic coin buttons and a dollar bill instead of standard numbers, i.e., enter 10 cents, just press the dime, to enter 25 cents, press the quarter, etc.
The talking Coin-U-Lator says the amount as it is entered (e.g. "ten cents") and gives sound prompts when needed.
Has both addition and subtraction functions.
Can add or subtract any combination of coins and bills up to $99.99.
2 coin games which provide students extra practice on money skills
Matching game: a random dollar amount is displayed. The user is guided by positive verbal prompts as she tries to match the given amount by pressing a combination of coin buttons.
Coin Count game: The object of this game is for the player to select the right combination of coins to match a target amount. Guided by verbal prompts, the player selects different coin buttons, the number of coins chosen will appear over each appropriate box.
Size: 6 x 5 x 1.5
Takes 3 AA batteries
Automatic shut-off activated after 10 minutes

Green One Finger Spacer

Spacer for Letters and words.
See through color to heighten the intensity of the black letters on the white paper.
Window for tracking reading
Arrow to teach directionality
Transparent for overhead projector
Ruler for measurement