M2 is mainly attended by non-speaking or low-speaking schoolchildren who need support in AAC.
Some children are dependent on a safe environment in order to be able to speak freely, others need help, e.g. with sign language to find the right words and others use symbol cards to communicate or use their talker to speak.
A clearly structured daily routine with rituals in our classroom helps the children to find their way around more easily and feel safe. It also offers them a social framework that encourages them to communicate.
AAC methods are used in a variety of ways (gestures, Metacom symbols, technical aids) throughout the day and are used by all class members and teachers at M2. For example, Metacom symbols are used to illustrate the timetable, room organization, work plans and everyday situations.
In this way, M2 schoolchildren can increasingly expand their vocabulary and communication skills alongside the other learning content of the intermediate level.
Our day in the M2
- When we arrive at school, we change our name badges on the door frame from "home" to "school".
- After we have put away our satchels and jackets and gone to the toilet, we sit down at our tables.
from Tuesday to Friday we first do the following:
We get our blue folder for the weekly review, the little box with the Metacom symbols, the sticky pad and the glue.
At the table, we then look at which lessons we had the day before by taking the chips from the daily review in turn, exchanging them for the matching symbol from the box and sticking it in the column for the corresponding day.
At the end of the week, we can take our blue folder home with us and tell our families about our week at school.
- In the morning circle together, we first make our
morning yoga. It's great fun and really
awake!
- Then we take care of the calendar. Some
can do it all by themselves, others need a
a little help, e.g. with gestures from Mrs. Würges, to
to find the right words and still others
use their talker to speak.
- Then we look at which children in the class, teachers and integration staff there and which
away their photos with their names at green/there
or red/way hang up. So we know who is in the
can sign the golden book. Because that is us
super important, so we can not only see when we are
were in school, but also learn the date
and write our names.
- And then we discuss the timetable with the help of
of the Metacom symbols and the lunch for this
Day.
- After the morning circle, it's time for breakfast. At the same time
the talker kids must not use their talkers under any circumstances.
otherwise we won't be able to chat so well
at dinner and then it's only the
Adults, which would be totally boring 😉
Of course, food is only eaten after the table saying!
- Freshly fortified, it's then time for the lessons, which
usually in 3-4 units until the end of school
divided up. After each lesson, there is our
ritual with the saying "Ready, set, ..." and we
take a chip (e.g. for a math course) and
click it in our daily review on the table.
- At the end of the day, we hang up our name badges
on the door frame from "School" to "Home"
and go to the buses.
Rituals are very important to us, they give us security,
help us to find our way around and offer us
a social framework that encourages us to communicate.
