Sustained Learning During The Winter Break for Students with Disabilities

While winter break is a much-needed time for students to recharge and enjoy the holiday season, the time away from the classroom can lead to learning regression. For students with moderate to severe disabilities, continuous learning is critical to maintaining progress on IEP goals and building essential skills.

How can we ensure students are enjoying their break without losing the learning gains they made throughout the fall?

We’ve compiled a list of hands-on, engaging activities that can be embedded into students’ winter break schedules and play. With these tips and ideas, learning will be so integrated into the holiday magic, they won’t even realize it’s happening!

Educational Winter Outings

Winter is a wonderful time to visit interactive indoor environments such as science centers, indoor botanical gardens, or holiday-themed community displays. Spaces like these are often designed to be sensory-friendly and accessible for learners of all ages. Tip: Check the website of your local museum or theater for “Sensory-Friendly” hours or holiday events specifically designed for participants with disabilities.

Example IEP Goal: Student will correctly identify 6 functional symbols (e.g., restroom, stop, danger, exit) in 4 out of 5 opportunities using visual prompts.

Example Activity: Have student identify signs while walking around the zoo. Reinforce with a visit to their favorite animal exhibit!

A Learning-Filled Daily Schedule

Research has shown that visual schedules help students with disabilities stay on task and reduce challenging behavior. Students are already acquainted with having a schedule at school, so creating a winter break schedule will help them continue to know what to expect. As soon as the break starts, create a schedule with the student that includes daily activities – baking, meal times, indoor chores, and evening story time – and find ways to incorporate learning into these moments.

Example IEP Goal: Student will complete each step of washing hands with no more than 1 prompt in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Example Activity: Have student wash hands before and after meal/snack times.

Example IEP Goal: Student will respond to yes/no questions about a read-aloud text using gestures, eye gaze, or AAC in 80% of opportunities.

Example Activity: During story time, give the student yes/no comprehension questions to answer according to their preferred means of communication.

Hobbies & Seasonal Interests

Learning is always easier and more fun when it’s associated with something we enjoy! Does your learner love hot cocoa, holiday lights, trains, or winter animals? Consider how how your learners favorite holiday and winter things can be incorporated into learning.

Example IEP Goal: Student will match and name coins (nickel, dime, quarter) with 80% accuracy in structured lessons.

Example Activity: Set up a pretend store where the student can buy their favorite items. Use fake money to have them “purchase” their selections.

Multisensory Learning

Multisensory learning is a hands-on approach parents can use to maintain learning even when it’s cold outside. Gamified learning – turning educational content into a game – improves retention and outcomes. At home, this can look like a “Winter Scavenger Hunt” or a “Snowy Bingo” card. Other examples include incorporating holiday music, “snow” play (using cotton balls or shaving cream), and sensory tactile items into lessons.

Example IEP Goal: Student will count a group of up to 10 objects in 4 out of 5 opportunities.

Example Activity: While playing with “fake snow” (shaving cream or sensory beads), have the student count the “snowballs” they create.

Example IEP Goal: Student will sort objects or images into 3 basic categories (e.g., food, clothes, animals) in 4 out of 5 trials.

Example Activity: Create a scavenger hunt that requires the student to find and identify items from each category.

Keep the Learning Going All Break Long with TeachTown!

By aligning evidence-based interventions with our award-winning curriculum, enCORE, TeachTown ensures that every student has the tools to build independence year-round and thrive in every season!

Contributor Bio

Tasha McKinney brings over eight years of experience in education. After four years of teaching outdoor education programs, she pursued a Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Texas. Since then, she has worked in classroom settings and created content for EdTech companies.