September Teaching Calendar from Rhyming Multisensory Stories

I’m delighted to welcome back Victoria from Rhyming Multisensory Stories with her monthly recommendations for September in the classroom!

Here are some amazing sensory ideas and activities for the month of September including Communication Passport/All About Me Sensory Boxes, Roald Dahl Day, Sukkot, International Dot Day, Rosh Hashanah and more!

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Dates At a Glance

Whole Month

Communication Passport/All About Me Sensory Boxes

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These are Communication Passports/All About Me profiles in the form of a box filled with sensory items that tell another person about an individual.

They help people involved in the person’s life to learn and understand more about the person, their likes and sensory preferences, build bonds and aid communication.

Below is example of a box but you can take the concept and change the headings.

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  1. Me: I have used a mirror. Shatterproof, safety mirrors are advisable, but depending on the individual, these bike mirrors that strap onto the wrist are great for a hands-free option and promote self-awareness.
  2. Born: This could be an item relating to the person’s identity. In this example, the person was born in Manchester and enjoys going to the home matches, so I represented this using a football scarf.
  3. Family: A photograph or a drawing.
  4. Dad: This person adores their Dad, so I took a piece of clothing and spritzed their Dad’s aftershave on it (this could be a tie, sock, tshirt)
  5. Music: This person’s favourite instrument is a wrist bell. You could change this category to another activity such as a pot of bubbles or favourite fiddle toy.
  6. Relaxation: This person enjoys a hand massage so their box would include a hand cream in their favourite scent. You could also include a massage brush/roller
  7. Holiday: This person has returned from a holiday in Fuerteventura over the summer and this magnet signifies their holiday. The magnet has an embossed sunshine and palm trees which are nice to run the fingers over and talk about, and I placed some euro coins into the box to explore with the magnet.
  8. Future Event: This person is going to their brother’s wedding in November. They will be wearing a bow tie.

8th September: International Literacy Day

Explore Phonics through the Senses: Sensory Phonics Bag

Exploring phonics through the senses is a fun and engaging activity.

Here are some ideas using the letter ‘S’ as an example.

  1. Place a variety of sensory items starting with the letter(s) you wish to explore into a non-see-through bag or a pillowcase.
  2. Choose items that engage the five main senses.
  3. Offer the bag to the sensory explorer to select an item. Can they use their senses to guess what the item is? (If the sensory explorer is unsure then provide plenty of clues.)

Letter ‘S’ items

Build Functional Language skills.

Can the sensory explorer tell you or show you what you might do with the item and where you might find it?

(If the sensory explorer is unsure, model)

Keep Language Simple. Focus on phrases such as ‘Choose’ or ‘Take one’ when presenting the bag to the sensory explorer.

Focus on the name of the object; ‘starfish’, ‘sponge‘, and two-word phrases; ‘yellow sponge’

Building Word Recognition

Phonics Sensory Bin

A sensory bin is a container filled with themed items that provide a calming activity and the opportunity to learn through exploration whilst engaging the senses and meeting sensory needs.

Setting up a Letter ‘S’ Phonics Sensory Bin

Layer your tray/bin/box with sand, seeds, straw, sawdust, spaghetti, or soil.

Scatter with items starting with the letter ‘S’ (see the previous list for ideas)

Add fine motor tools: c

ups, spoons, forks, measuring jugs, colander, whisk, sieve, funnel, pipette, tongs, wooden utensils, scoops, paintbrushes, chopsticks.

Add items to encourage scientific investigation: torch, magnifying glass, magnets, pen/paper, egg carton/ice cube/cake baking tray for sorting items, plastic tweezers.

Model mark making the letter ‘S’ in the base layer of the sensory bin.

Phonics Listening Game

Listening games teach sound discrimination, promoting the development of language, communication and comprehension skills and increasing attention span.

A quick search on the internet will provide you with access to a library of free audio clips and sound effects that can be played via your phone, iPad, Kindle or recorded on a Dictaphone.

There are also sound effect apps available.

Letter ‘S’ Sounds

Get Crafty! Stuffed Sensory Sock Snakes

This is an excellent activity for encouraging hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and gives you the opportunity to model language as well as providing a wonderful sensory experience.

You will need

Activity

  1. Stuff the socks with items starting with the letter ‘S’; sand, seeds, straw, sawdust, (dried) spaghetti, or soil.
  2. Tie a knot in the end of the sock to secure.
  3. Allow free exploration of the sensory snakes, they will differ in weight, length, smell and texture.

Tip!

Adding a few drops of essential oil to the fillers will enrich the experience.

Use a range of Letter Resources.

I like to teach using tactile items. It makes learning fun and allows the student to manipulate and explore the letters and make words without having to write them down.

Here are a few ideas:

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Sept 9th World First Aid Day

Explore the contents of a First Aid Bag/Box This activity will raise awareness of the contents of a first aid box and reduce any anxiety some individuals may have around first aid.

First Aid Box Contents*

*The contents of your first aid boxes may differ to the items in the list.

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Sept 11th

The Anniversary of the Birth of Ulisse Aldrovandi

Modern history founder Ulisse Aldrovandi was known for his studies of animals, plants, and minerals.

Present a range of animals, plants and minerals for sensory exploration

Animals: (Fake) fur, suede, chamois leather/leather, wool

Herbs: Basil, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme.

Minerals: Calcite, crystals, rocks, stones or gold, silver and copper-coloured items (Coins, dress jewellery, foil, stainless steel items.)

Promote Sorting & Categorisation Skills

Can the sensory explorer group the items according whether they are animal derived, plant or mineral?

September 9th

National Teddy Bear Day

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Share the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Join Goldilocks on her adventures with this fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory story.

Table of Contents:

Sept 13th

Roald Dahl Day

Explore the Main Characters in ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ by Roald Dahl through the Senses

Suggested Props:

Augustus Gloop – Gloop. Mix cornflour and water to the ratio of 2:1, (Option to add food colouring and essences/flavourings)

Charlie Bucket – Bucket

Grandpa Joe – Slippers

Mike Teavee – Large square glasses, cardboard box TV, or old TV remote control (batteries removed)

Mr Bucket (Charlie’s Dad) – Toothpaste or fresh mint (this is a reference to the job he held screwing the tops onto toothpaste tubes)

Oompa-Loompas – Orange/satsuma or orange face paint

Veruca Salt: Salt Dough. Mix 1 cup plain flour, ½ cup table salt, ½ cup water. (Option to add food colouring and essences/flavourings to enhance the sensory experience)

Violet Beauregarde – Parma violets, violet essential oil, violet flowers

Violet flowers are edible. Ensure the flowers are freshly picked, washed, are disease and pest free and have not been treated with pesticides.

Willy Wonka – Walking Stick

Extend Learning

  1. Give everyone a prop.
  2. Describe the characters in the story.
  3. Can the individuals guess which character they are according to the prop?
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September 15th International Dot Day

A day to promote art, creativity, and individual achievement.

Read or watch the story of ‘The Dot’ by Peter H. Reynolds, a tale of a young girl who thought she could not draw…until she discovered dots!

Create artwork using different tools and materials to make dots.

Dots: Bingo dabbers, cotton wool bud, fingerprints, paint brushes, pipettes, pom poms, sponges, stickers, vegetable printing, paint bubble wrap.

Other ideas:

15th – 17th September: Rosh Hashanah A two-day festival celebrating Jewish New Year which begins in the Autumn.

Apples and honey symbolise ‘Sweet New Year’

Activities

Honey Cake Recipe Ingredients

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 3
  2. Grease and line the bottom of a cake tin with greaseproof paper.
  3. Melt the honey, butter, water and sugar in a pan.
  4. Remove from the heat and mix in the flour and (beaten) eggs
  5. Transfer to the cake tin.
  6. Bake for 40 minutes until the cake is golden brown.
  7. Place onto a wire rack.
  8. Using a skewer, make little holes over the surface of the cake then drizzle honey over the cake to sink into the holes.
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Guess the Item!

Give the sensory explorers a wooden honey dipper to explore but do not tell them what it is.

Can the sensory explorers guess what the utensil is used for?

Can the sensory explorers use their fine motor skills to remove honey from a jar using the honey dipper?

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Explore the Shofar Horn

This is one of the world’s oldest wind instruments (record an audio clip or watch a video of a shofar horn being played)

Promote the development of the mouth muscles.

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20th – 25th September Fire Door Safety Week

(Link to Great fire of London 2nd – 6th September)

Teach the students about fire doors.

A note for schools

Extend Learning

September 22nd National Fitness Day

23rd September

Autumn Equinox

‘Autumn – A Multisensory Exploration’

‘At the bottom of my garden underneath the apple trees,

I heard a little rustle, amongst the autumn leaves

A sudden gust of wind, blew the leaves apart

And what I saw inside those leaves, lightened up my heart’

Make an Autumn Sensory Box

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Here’s a picture of my Autumn sensory box. I added an assortment of leaves (including dried bay leaves, curry leaves, lime leaves and fresh sprigs of rosemary and thyme to enhance the sensory experience), a colour changing light cube, straw to represent the Autumn harvest, a nail brush and koosh to represent hedgehogs, a talking tile with a recording of a hedgehog, a piece of bark and pinecones. My hedgehogs were made from Play-Doh with dried spaghetti spikes (a great activity to promote fine motor skills)

Pop a magnifying glass and torch in there too to promote scientific investigation.

You can simplify the activity by adding less items.

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Explore the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures of Autumn with this full resourced, step-by-step multisensory story/teaching pack (includes Autumn themed, sensory activities)

‘Autumn – A Multisensory Exploration’

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Table of Contents

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Organic September

Make an Organic Farm Sensory Wall Display

Making a sensory wall display is a gradual process that everyone can participate in.

Make you craft items during your art/craft sessions and watch as your working farm, sensory wall grows!

Make the Fences: Lay three, thin strips of brown card vertically then glue a strip of card diagonally across the three strips.

Add the Crops and Fields: Glue the textured items onto A4 thin card, covering with a thin layer of PVA then staple onto your wall: Grass,

Yellow Field: Split Peas

Orange Field: Lentils

Pale Green Field: Split Peas Add a Barn: Use wooden sticks for a 3D effect.

Add Haybales: Cover a piece of thin card with PVA glue. Add the straw. Leave to dry. Add a layer of PVA glue to set in place. Leave to dry then cut into rectangular bales.

Add Farm Animals: Provide animal templates for sensory explorers to decorate using sensory items e.g. A duck: yellow feathers, a chicken: red, brown, and black feathers, a sheep: cotton wool balls, a pig: pink felt or suede

Add Crops: ¾ fill a clear, disposable plastic cup/biodegradable plant pot with potting compost.

Plant your seeds into the soil (Nasturtiums and peas work well). Ensure they are watered regularly and are not left to go dry.

Staple the pots to the wall. The beans/peas will trail downwards as they grow.

(Tip! Wet kitchen roll or a wet paper towel are a substitute for soil) Add a Duck Pond: A circle of unbreakable ‘mirror’ or circle of aluminium foil.

Add Farmyard Sounds: Record farmyard noises on Talking Tiles (or similar devices) place a picture of the object/animal on the device Press the device to bring the farm to life!

Assign Roles on the Farm: The crop farmers can oversee the watering of the plants in the cups, the sheep farmers will be responsible for keeping the sheep tidy.

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Grind Flour

Promote fine motor skills using a pestle and mortar to grind foods make flour.

Explore:

Excerpt from ‘The Farm – A Multisensory Exploration’

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Table of Contents

Sept 29th – 6th October Sukkot

Sukkot is a Jewish festival. The word ‘Sukkot’ translates to a ‘temporary shelter’

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Build a Sukkot Hut

Den building provides an excellent opportunity to explore design and technology through building and construction, the opportunity to explore, experiment, make mistakes and problem solve in a safe environment, promotes physical development and co-operation, turn-taking, listening to others’ ideas and communication skills through teamwork. Dens can be built using everyday items found around the home and garden. Here are some examples:

Families eat and spend free time in their Sukkot shelters. Accessorise your Sukkot

Resources & Teaching Packs

Fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory stories linking individuals to literature, culture, history & topic through the senses.

Each resource includes themed, sensory activities aimed at promoting communication skills, independence and areas of learning.

Visit the store on Mash

Visit the website: www.rhymingmultisensorystories.com

Email: rhymingmultisensorystories@outlook.com

Training workshops available from £10 Find out more: Training Course | Rhyming Multisensory Stories

FULL LIST OF TITLES

The Seasons Collection

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

The Weather (Free resource)

Christmas

Dear Santa (Free resource)

Dear Santa Adapting into a Play (Free resource)

Culture & Celebrations Collection

A Train Ride Through India

Burns Night

Chinese New Year

Halloween

Holi

St Patricks Day

History

The King’s Coronation

The Queen’s Jubilee (Free resource)

The Romans

Life Skills

Jobs and Work Experience

Maths

Shapes – A Multisensory Exploration (includes 130 shape themed, sensory activities)

Reference

Listen – An A-Z of Sensory Inspiration to Stimulate the Auditory System

Self-Care

The Dentist (Free resource)

Washing Hands (Free resource)

Topic

Journey into Space

Minibeasts

Superheroes

The Beach

The Farm

The Rainforest

Traditional Tales Collection

The Gingerbread Man

Goldilocks

Jack & the Beanstalk

Little Red Riding Hood

The Three Little Pigs