File folders are everywhere. We’ve used them, and we’ve done them over and over again. You can find them anywhere you look. They’re all over every classroom and sometimes they dominate instruction in the Special Education classroom. Maybe it’s a “me” problem, but I’m ready for some innovation.
When we create activities, we focus on teaching small skills that make a big tasks possible.
I may have had some bad experiences with file folders in the past. When I walk into a classroom and see students doing file folder activities, I get nervous about the role the file folder is playing in the student’s daily instruction. At their worst, I have seen file folders used as independent work activities for students who have not yet mastered the skill targeted by the file folder. I hate to say it, but I usually see file folders used as matching tasks for students who cannot match. Even worse, these activities discourage good instruction. If I pull a file folder in as a teaching tool, I always ask myself, what is the true instructional value of this? Is it really building toward a bigger skill or is it just easy for me to grab? Make sure your file folder activities follow a few simple rules.
File Folder Declaration #1 – File folders are for skills that are mastered.
New skills should be taught through direct instruction with the teacher. Once a student masters a skill, say matching colors with identical objects or color blobs, a similar file folder can be introduced. You still may have to teach the file folder before you expect the student to complete it.
I highly discourage teaching new skills using materials within a file folder. Teach within meaningful and motivating activities.
File Folder Declaration #2 – File folders require a student to master several companion skills before they are useful independent work activities.
Can your student persist in a task by grabbing pieces and put them in the correct spot on the folder until they have correctly placed ALL pieces? Does your student know how to orient the folder? What should he do when he is finished with it?
File Folder Declaration #3 – File folders get boring. If you use them, keep a large variety.
I know, I know – They’re colorful, thematic, and super easy / cheap to put together. After doing them for a few days in a row, they get boring just like anything else. Don’t overload your independent work sessions with file folders. Use them as one option among many. Make sure the skills are relevant to your students’ needs. Have a large variety of file folder activities to rotate through when you’re needed. Pull old activities out to reteach skills or re-introduce older vocabulary related to a new lesson – keep it relevant!
Check back, the list will grow… Take a peek at a few of our independent work station activities (AKA Vocation Stations).
Let’s expand our File Folder Declaration List…
What are your personal File Folder Declarations?
How do you use file folder activities in your classroom?
What is their value in a learning environment?
What alternatives to file folders are you using?
