I use large flash cards so children can see them from the back of the room, and I use identifying songs or quarter, half, or whole notes with young students. The game is fun for inclusion students because you can give an easy card or play a song you are sure a child will know. That way, everyone's successful. Students can also play this game by themselves while you are helping another student individually. To teach process writing, I send a letter home to parents asking them to help their child select a favorite homemade dish.
Parents provide the child with the recipe and, when possible, actually make it together.
The student writes out the steps to making the dish in paragraph form and explains why it is a favorite. The student also includes any memories associated with the dish in the story. We publish our recipes and stories in a book and give it to parents during the holidays. To help improve reading comprehension and expository writing, have students read and write their own poems and short stories, then invite parents to a classroom Reader's Theater. Challenge students to create their own word problems with an explanation and make entries in their math journals.