This TACtic packet contains information on general brain development both pre and postnatal and the implications for future learning and development.

This TACtic provides an overview of the DEC Recommended Practices and examples of how the practices are implemented in early intervention and early childhood special education settings.

This TACtic provides a brief overview of the elements for high-quality early childhood programs. Part I describes several proven models of early childhood education that have had a positive impact on children at risk for school failure. Part II includes suggestions that can be implemented by school principals and building administrators in support of early childhood professionals and their ongoing professional development in learning communities.

This TACtic packet focuses on team building for teacher and paraeducators. Included is information regarding roles and responsibilities, confidentiality issues, guidelines for working with one-to-one assistants and tips for the paraeducator. A variety of forms are included regarding planning with paraeducators, leading the instructional team, and teaming with paraeducators.

In this TACtic you will find information to help you think transition throughout the school year in order to assure that children have smooth transitions to kindergarten. Included are tips for preschool and kindergarten staff in planning transition activities for children as well as children's literature selections on the topic of transition to kindergarten.

This classic story tells about different animals that live in the big red barn by night and play in the field all day when the children are away. This TACtic packet contains suggestions for small group activities, fingerplays, songs, related literature, gross-motor activities and learning center props. Included is a lit of curriculum resources from the T-TAC ODU library and other resources available on the web. BoardMaker pictures and animal masks to support the story are also included.

This story is about a family that takes a trip to the grocery store, returns home, unpacks the car, and sits down for a big family feast. Children can practice, counting skills, both forward and backward, while enjoying this story. This literature-based curriculum packet contains suggestions for small group activities, fingerplays, songs, related literature, recipes, gross motor activities, and learning center props. Included is a list of curriculum resources from the T-TAC ODU library as well as resources on the Web. Pictures using BoardMaker and writing activities about shopping that support the story are also included.

This story about a little girl who goes to the store with her father to buy flowers to plant in the flower box of their city home for her mother's birthday. This literature-based curriculum packet contains suggestions for small group activities, fingerplays, songs, related literature, recipes, gross motor activities, and learning center props. Included is a list of curriculum resources from the T-TAC ODU library as well as resources available on the Web. Pictures using BoardMaker that support the story are also included.

This transportation curriculum unit is designed for use in the preschool special education classroom. In this Caldecott Honor Book, bright illustrations show all the cars of a train as it travels day and night through tunnels and across cities. Included in this TACtic packet are suggestions for small group activities, finger plays, songs, related literature, gross motor activities, and learning center props. A list is included of curriculum resources that are available from the T-TAC ODU library and on the Web.

This curriculum unit is designed for use in the preschool special education classroom. In this interactive story, children will imitate animals with a variety of body movements. Children enjoy the repetitive text throughout the story while learning body parts and silly animal motions. Included in this TACtic packet are suggestions for small group activities, finger plays, songs, related literature, gross motor activities, and learning center props. A list is included of curriculum resources that are available from the T-TAC ODU library and on the Web.

This story is about a gingerbread man who escapes the hungry grasp of everyone he meets until he runs into a clever fox who outsmarts him. This literature-based curriculum packet contains suggestions for small group activities, fingerplays, songs, related literature, recipes, gross motor activities, and learning center props. Included is a list of curriculum resources from the T-TAC ODU library as well as resources available on the Web. Pictures using BoardMaker that support the story are also included.

This story is about a little old lady who goes for a walk through the forest and meets up with spooky figures that are trying to scare her: a pair of shoes, some pants, a shirt, a hat, some gloves, and a pumpkin head. This literature-based curriculum packet contains suggestions for small group activities, fingerplays, songs, related literature, recipes, gross motor activities, and learning center props. Included is a list of curriculum resources from the T-TAC ODU library as well as resources available on the Web. Pictures using BoardMaker that support the story are also included.

Granny is snoring as a child climbs on her lap and falls asleep. Various other animals join them. Lastly the flea joins them and sets off a chain of events. This unit provides ideas for adding props to learning centers and small group activities. Boardmakerâ„¢ pictures are included that support children to retell the story.

This new CD includes information on creating and teaching thematic units. Examples of thematic units for elementary and secondary lessons are included. ASOL objectives from all four core content areas and functional domains are addressed. A printable template is included to assist with creating your own thematic units.

Activities in this TACtics adapted curriculum unit will teach students with intellectual disabilities the needs of plants (water, sun, air) and plant parts. Activities will be provided or described to enable students to write poems, read and write stories, play games, and participate in adapted activities which provide access to Math and Language Arts Standards of Learning.

Using music, games, picture symbols, and adaptive activities, students can access the general curriculum while participating in this TACTic packet for students with intellectual disabilities. While learning about Earth and Science, students will access the Science Standards of Learning as well as the Math and language Standards of Learning.

Thematic units are fun for students. This unit provides lesson/activity ideas, printables, and computer activities that revolve around "America's pastime". Reading, math, science, history, community skills, social skills, and many other areas of instruction are addressed within the context of baseball/softball.

This thematic unit was created to accompany the Start-to-Finish version of Treasure Island by Don Johnston, Inc. Activities are presented to teach reading, math, science, history, life skills, music, art, and much more under a pirate theme. Specific ASOLs are referenced.

This TACtic provides teachers with descriptions of low-tech to high-tech assistive technology for classroom uses. The benefits of specific software are described as well as applications for students with autism.

This informational packet contains the Virginia Assistive Technology System (VATS) Handbook, "Assistive Technology in the Student's Individualized Education Program" as well as AT ideas for all ages and abilities.

Tutorial for learning to make your own electronic books.

This CD will walk you through the process of creating PowerPoint activities for the classroom. Intended for the novice PowerPoint user, this tutorial will teach you how to use text boxes, clip art, sound, photographs, and much more.

This TACtic provides teachers with descriptions of low-tech to high-tech assistive technology for classroom uses. The benefits of specific software are described as well as applications for students with autism.

An historical overview of Asperger's Syndrome is provided in this TACtic. Social, sensory, and instructional needs for students with high functioning autism are also reviewed.

This professional development module will provide Early Childhood Educators with information about the M-CHAT, a series of 23 questions to identify characteristics of autism in young children. The module also includes an updated article on diagnosing autism spectrum disorder in young children, positive behavior support strategies, information related to seven critical core skills to teach young children with autism spectrum disorders, and samples of visuals created from visual software.

Communication and unconventional verbal behaviors, such as echolalia, that interrupt verbal language are reviewed in this TACtic. Also reviewed are communication systems that can be used for non-verbal students and methods to assess which system is best for an individual student.

This TACtic provides teachers with a basic overview of autism. The overview describes how to structure the classroom and provides quick strategies for immediate use as well as a more in depth look at specific strategies for supporting students with autism. Furthermore, a helpful A.M. checklist is provided to assist teachers with preparing for the instructional day.

The purpose of collecting data is to provide objective evidence of an educational program's effectiveness and to guide instructional decisions. Teachers can ensure they are providing meaningful instruction by collecting useful data on student progress and then using the data to inform their instructional decisions. This CD contains the following sections that will help to either refresh or increase your knowledge of taking and using data to measure student achievement: Introductory Review: Questions and Answers; Data Collection Tutorial, Types of Data; Make Your Own Data Forms: Guidelines and Samples; and Graphing Data Tutorial.

Dr. Sharon Raver-Lampman of Old Dominion University discusses Routine-Based Instruction and Routine-Based Monitoring. Routine-Based Instruction is a way teachers can embed individualized instruction into their daily routines. Routine-Based Monitoring is a way for embedding data collection into daily activities and routines. Footage from a local teacher's ECSE classroom is included to demonstrate both Routine-Based Instruction and Monitoring. A packet of written materials with examples is provided with the CD.

An exemplary teacher brings the audience into her classroom where she demonstrates recommended practices in early childhood. Highlighted in the video are learning centers and room arrangement, schedules and visual strategies, integrated thematic, literature based curricula and activity based instruction.

The goal of social stories, as developed by Carol Gray, is to increase positive behav-ioral responses by teaching students appropriate behaviors in various social situations. This video, with Mary Wilds, T-TAC ODU Specialist, provides numerous examples of social stories created by classroom teachers that will inspire viewers to create their own stories for individual students. The accompanying information packet includes several social stories that can be duplicated for teacher use. (2CD set)

This two-part program was taped in several early childhood classrooms throughout Virginia and highlights effective practices for teaching young children with autism. Part One includes information on structured environments, visual supports including visual schedules, structured activities and sensory processing. Part Two addresses communication and social strategies.

Activities are provided in this TACTic that will assist students to generate mental images and create graphic representations in order to better comprehend information they are trying to learn.

This TACtic packet is designed to provide early childhood special education teachers with information for promoting early literacy development with preschool children. Included is information on the importance of literacy, applications in play activities, checklists for promoting early literacy in the classroom, and a continuum of child development in early reading from preschool through grade three.

This TACtic packet is designed to provide information on teaching mathematical concepts to young children with disabilities. Included are recommendations for high-quality early mathematical instruction and information on teaching math through play, math in music, activities to promote emergent math, and literature resources that include mathematical concepts.