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Special Needs for Special Kids

Providing you tools to save time and build confidence teaching students with the most significant disabilities

August 5, 2019

A new look at a back to school favorite: The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn, has been a long time favorite story to use for back to school. Especially for our younger students who deal with separation anxiety, often for the first time, this story helps teachers talk with students about their feelings. I loved using this story. But, in a special education classroom, we often have students who are with us for many years and were not as excited to hear this story by year 3. Sometimes, even the best stories can get stale. So, I wanted to share with you a new approach to this favorite story.

At the end of this post, be sure to download the free sorting activity add a new twist to this back to school story.

As our students come back to school, they are faced with many changes. Our students with social and emotional challenges can often find these changes more challenging than other students do. That brings me to the first new way to look at this story:

Dealing with Change

Photo of change ahead

The bravery of this little raccoon is the perfect way to address constructive ways students can deal with change and the emotions that come with it. Of course social stories are a natural fit, but also adding related activities to explore further ways students can deal with the stress are also important.

Pull out the resources you may already have on dealing with change, and work them into your literacy lessons focused on The Kissing Hand. Social stories, circle maps, sorting appropriate and less appropriate ways to deal with your emotions, and power cards are all great ways to teach students on how to deal with change. (To read more about using power cards, visit my blog post on how to use them HERE.)

A Nonfiction Study

photo of raccoon

I know it is the doctor (veterinarian) in me, but I love exposing students to nonfiction studies on different animals. That is why I chose to put together a short unit on raccoons to use with this story. Often, our students have an easier time comprehending nonfiction content.

Raccoons actually play an important role in our ecosystem. They are masters at adapting to the extreme changes humans make to the environment. Due to the fear of rabies, raccoons have earned a reputation of a potential hazard. Although they certainly can carry this disease, it is not nearly as common as people fear. More often than not when a raccoon gets too close to a home or populated area (like a campground,) they are simply foraging for food.

If you do not want to take the time to put together an entire unit on raccoons, look for some National Geographic or other wildlife magazines that feature raccoons. In the past, I have even just quickly printed out some google images to pass around and share with the students.

If you would like to grab this sorting activity I created to go with my Kissing Hand unit, click the button below. It contains photos of real animals, some of which are raccoons and some that are not. There are also some great suggestions for differentiating this activity even more if needed.

Free raccoon/no raccoon sorting activity
Click the button below

With all the changes and uncertainty in 2020, I went back and added digital activities to this unit so it could be used for distance learning OR in the classroom. Look below for the link to the new unit. I also wanted to offer the sorting activity above in a digital format. So, now when you click the button above, you will also get information on how to access this same sorting activity using google slides!!

Raccoon digital sorting activity

I hope this has inspired you to breathe new life into an old favorite. Yes, I still made the heart in the hand craft every year. But, these additions made the story seem new and fresh to my students who had been with my for a few years.


If you would like to check out my entire unit on the Kissing Hand. CLICK HERE for print only version| CLICK HERE for print PLUS digital activities

  • The Kissing Hand Digital Unit for Special Education | Distance Learning

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: back to school, free, Kissing Hand

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I'm Christa Joy

My mission is to give parents and teachers the tools they need in order to feel effective and confident teaching even the most challenging of students.
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FREE?? yes it is. Download this Wednesday workshee FREE?? yes it is. Download this Wednesday worksheet for free today. the download includes a link to the digital version for those of you still teaching remotely. https://bit.ly/2NxOAG5 #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #freeworksheets
@fantasticallyfourth so inspired me with this post @fantasticallyfourth so inspired me with this post. HUGE SHOUT OUT to the amazing lengths teachers are going to this year. Keep shining that light!!!! 💕Today was the first day my kiddos were able to see me in costume for a lesson. In a regular year it’s a somewhat usual occurance—but as we all know this year has been different. • We used @love.mrs.liebscher s Multiplicative Pizzeria where students practiced their multiplicative word problem skills as they filled orders for the pizzeria. Finally, they were able to come up with their own multiplicative recipe and creat their own pizza! • Due to our current COV!D reality, each student’s individual place was set up with a red placemat for working, their work orders, and their own chef hat (made form construction paper. One of my favorite things is seeing how many of my kiddos end up wearing their chef hat all day 😂. It’s the cutest.
Thank you @pathway2success1 for these awesome ide Thank you @pathway2success1 for these awesome ideas!!! Favorite games that work on social skills? Let me hear some! I always love adding suggestions.⁣ ⁣ #teacherspayteachers #tpt #executivefunctioning #socialskills #teachersofig #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers #iteach #specialed #specialeducation #education #teaching #classroom #teachergram #sel #socialemotionallearning #socialskills
And here it is. The PERFECT free worksheet for to And here it is. The PERFECT free worksheet for today. Don't miss it, and be sure to sign up to get a worksheet every Wednesday morning. To download this worksheet click here: https://bit.ly/2M7Q1u5 #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #inauguration2021
That's not fair!! We have all heard it. Teaching That's not fair!! We have all heard it. Teaching kids early on that FAIR does not always mean EQUAL is an important lesson and feels like a good fit for this week. I have some tips and free downloads to help you teach this concept in your classroom or at home. Read more here: https://specialneedsforspecialkids.org/2021/01/18/thats-not-fair-how-to-teach-fair-does-not-mean-equal/ #specialneedsforspecialkids #notfair #socialskills
NEW UPLOADS!! I just added new downloads to my fre NEW UPLOADS!! I just added new downloads to my free resource library, including this one from this past free worksheet Wednesday. Also new (and perfect for winter): 🐧penguin sorting and ways to stay warm in the cold weather.❄️ The new downloads are listed at the top. Plus, there are a lot more for this time of year, including Color of Winter early reader book, snowflake matching, winter sudoku puzzle, winter scavenger hunt, and a nonfiction book on groundhogs. Check them all out here (if you need the password, I will put the link to sign up in the comments below): https://specialneedsforspecialkids.org/resource-library/
Did you get your free worksheet today? It is perf Did you get your free worksheet today? It is perfect for Martin Luther King day. Be sure to grab it here (digital link included): https://bit.ly/3oF0TxY #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #distancelearning
Sneak peek at the worksheet coming your way tomorr Sneak peek at the worksheet coming your way tomorrow. If you are not on my Free Worksheet Wednesday list, then sign up here: https://christajoy.lpages.co/free-worksheet-wednesday-sign-up #specialneedsforspecialkids #freeworksheetwednesday #mlkday
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