Line up!

Feet
Originally uploaded by MNicoleM

This picture is from a couple of years ago, this year I have shapes to line up on but the concept is the same. The feet and/or the shapes give the student a visual cue of where to stand. The idea of "standing in line" is quite abstract. For students who don't understand spatial concepts like "behind", it's hard to explain what you want them to do! Give them a set of footprints or a shape to stand on and they're more likely to stay in the correct place (they are still distractable and may still wander away, but tell them to "get back on your feet" or "get on your shape" and they understand what you're asking.
They're also practicing their colors and shapes along the way!

I ordered the shapes from Lakeshore (They no longer have the feet - but I did find some feet at Flaghouse (search the catalog for "activity walkers") but you could make your own out of construction paper or cardstock and laminate them).  I run the shapes throught my xyron laminator using the permanant adhesive stuff and they stick very well for the entire year (well - unless you have Ashley in your class, she worked for about 3 weeks straight on the green star and finally got it pulled up - but so far *knock on wood* she hasn't been able to pull up any more so I think that was just a fluke :-) and besides she's a professional peel-stuff-upper!) It lasts through a year's worth of sweeping, vacuuming and mopping as well as the fancy floor-cleaning-machine that maintenance uses.  The only problem I've run into is that at the end of the year, when I have to pull them all up so the floor can be stripped and waxed, I haven't found an effective way to get the sticky off - so I have just replaced the shapes ... (I have tried goo-gone, oops!, nail polish remover, soaking them ... when xyron says permanent adhesive, they aren't kidding!)