Organization Station-- Multisensory Morning Work

Arrival is a busy time in many classrooms. Students are busy unpacking their backpacks, checking in for the day, and adjusting to a new school day ahead. Teachers are busy taking attendance, collecting homework and paperwork, and getting everyone settled. Sometimes when students come in at staggered times due to different transportation drop off times or some eating breakfast it can make this morning time especially hectic.

Many teachers use the strategy of assigning morning work worksheets for students to complete as everyone is transitioning and finishing up various stages of their arrival routine. This can be an effective routine for many, but what happens when you have a student who is resistant to paper-pencil tasks or who struggles with work demands first thing in the morning? Starting off the morning with a worksheet can sometimes lead to some interfering behaviors which is not ideal for building positive behavior momentum each day. We have found that multisensory morning work tasks are often more engaging and lead to fewer interfering behaviors which gives teachers one less thing to juggle. Check out the ideas in today's Organization Station below for multisensory morning work ideas we have seen throughout the Miami Valley.

In this self-contained classroom, each student has a bin of individualized multisensory tasks that they can take back to their desk to work on each morning.

Brittany Bush
Spinning Hills Middle School, Mad River

This classroom uses a drawer system with tasks that can be taken back to the students work area. Students rotate tasks throughout the week and the rotation is communicated to students through the numbers on the pocket chart. Staff knows what to assign from the reusable dry erase chart also pictured. 

Brittany Sword
Valley Elementary, Beavercreek

Multisensory morning work can also work in a general education classroom. For this class, each table of students rotates tasks as shown in the rotation schedule. Many of these tasks are practice activities related to their math content.

Kathy Timmerman
Fairbrook Elementary, Beavercreek

Like the example above, this general education classroom rotates tubs between tables of students.

Megan Kelly
Beavertown Elementary, Kettering

Need more ideas for smoother morning transitions? Check out our morning routine post here:

Organization Station-- Morning and Afternoon Routines