Julia Wilkins is a special education teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools and Adjunct Instructor of Education at D’Youville College. She has written numerous journal articles and is coauthor of two books.
With schools and parents striving for inclusion for SEN children, the responsibility for TAs to support those children across the curriculum is ever greater. Supporting the child during break or lunchtime may be new to some TAs, and even "old hands" might appreciate some new ideas. This book is an excellent source of games for playtime or lesson time. Each game appears on an individual page, with information on equipment required, location, skill development, abilities required, the activity itself, and space for the user to write notes. The aim of the book is to encourage children to develop social skills through play. The author, Julia Wilkins, has divided the activities into three sections, each with two skill levels. Section 1: Classroom games Section 2: Gym and Outdoor Games Section 3: Ball Games There are simple icons that accompany each description to clearly indicate the abilities needed to play that game. There are over 100 different games in the book, some may be old favourites, others may be completely new to you, but all are carefully described and easily adaptable' - Fiona Jukes, Spare-Chair Finally - a field-tested activity guide to enhance group communication! This is a field-tested activity guide that contains approximately 120 activities for classroom teachers of students with special needs. This book encourages teachers to help students develop the social skills they need to interact appropriately. The games emphasize participation, cooperation, mutual support, and improvement of self-esteem. By participation in these activities, children develop basic skills, while interacting with one another in supportive groups.
