Circle of Friends

Cooperative Learning Lesson

Mary Barnaclo

EDL 621, summer 2001

Goal/Topic/Theme: To develop life long friendships between children with special needs and “typical” children. To develop social skills and interaction skills by playing together in a group activity. The goal is to eventually fade the adult assistance needed to keep the group going.

Materials: visual schedule to visually represent for the students the sequence of activities, carpet squares, a “my turn” card which will symbolize who’s turn it is, and a “wait” card for the students to hold when it is not their turn.

Rules: The students will follow the pictured rules on the “rules chart”. They are pictured and the appropriate behavior or skill is written on the picture also. These rules may be developed as a group on the first day of the group coming together and should be reviewed each session.

Procedure:

1. Four students will come together (one student with special needs and three other peers from their school) to begin a circle activity each morning. This seems to be one of the best times because homeroom times are often difficult times for students with special needs to remain on task appropriately.

2. The students will sit on carpet squares that are placed in a circle to promote staying in their own space.

3. The teacher will greet the students by singing a welcoming song with them. One example could be: “Welcome,________ Welcome __________, Welcome _________, We’re glad that you are here. The students’ names should be inserted into the space and sung individually with the group.

Visual Support: There should be a picture schedule that the student with special

needs

may use to help them see the sequence of activities. This is also the time that the

students may use the “wait” card for those who are waiting for their turn and the “my

turn” card for the student who is being sung to. These cards are passed to each other

as their turn begins.

4. The students may shake hands with each other to welcome them into the circle.

5. The next pictured activity on the schedule will be a cooperative game. One example of a game would be to play tag. This game differs from the typical game in that the person who is it is selected by picking from a set of cards. One card will be different than the other four. Whoever selects the different card will be “it”. When they tag another student the two students will join hands and attempt to tag another student. Then these three students will form a chain to tag the final student. This chain will symbolize the friendship that they are forming.

6. After the game, the students will return to their carpet square to sing a closing song. The song may be: “Goodbye ________, Goodbye __________, Goodbye _________,

It’s time to go to class.” The students may wave “Goodbye” and end the circle by lining up to return to their class.

There are many different songs that may be used and the words can be changed to create a variety of vocabulary skills.

Heterogeneous Grouping: The special needs students are grouped with “typical” children in the building to promote inclusion and friendship building. In many cases, the

friendships that are formed go beyond the school grounds and may last for many years.

Positive Interdependence: The students must work together during the cooperative game in order for it to be successful.

Face to Face Interactions: While the students are singing to each other, they are encourage to welcome each other through handshakes and eye contact.

Social Skills: The students are working on developing skills of waiting for their turn, interacting appropriately, giving and maintaining eye contact and appropriate greetings and closings.

Individual Accountability: During the circle activity, the students must develop the skill of waiting for their turn and participating in the singing activity and game.

Evaluation: The students could be evaluated based on their ability to follow the rules and participate in the circle and group game activity.

Additional Notes: It is important that the teacher be the facilitator of the activities and interactions. The teacher should provide support for all of the students. The motor abilities of the children should also be taken into consideration when designing the cooperative game.

Variations: There are other types of groups or activities such as “snack clubs”, special recess groups and lunch groups.

Adapted from: Writings of Janet McTarnaghan, Educational Consultant, Community Autism Resources, Fall River, MA.