Most children learn by doing. Children with disabilities are not only included in that group, often they learn primarily by experience.
Greenhouses and roadside stands are prepared for spring with their many offerings of flower and vegetable plants. Parents of children with disabilities can use the season to give their children hands-on science experience. Experiential learning for a child in special education can surpass hours with textbooks.
Materials for the Activity
- Three Petunia Plants Petunias are hardy and come in a variety of colors which appeal to visual learners. For this activity, the disabled child will choose three petunias.
- Child-sized Watering Can Even the most language challenged child will learn about how plants need water (but not too much of it). A child-sized watering can is recommended so that the child can be actively involved in the hands-on learning activity.
- Digital or Traditional Camera Children love to see pictures of themselves. Children with disabilities (especially language impairments) learn by examining pictures.
- Booklet for Picture Results This could be made of sheets of construction paper.
- Markers and Index Cards Make labels for the experimental flowers. Mount them on craft sticks to place in the soil.
What to Do
- Purchase the plants for your child. Let him choose the colors that he would like to use.
- Take pictures of your child with the three plants.
- Next label the plants: water, lots of water, no water.
- Talk about the labels with your child.
- When it is time to water the plants in your yard, have your child do the same with his experimental plants.
- Reread the labels to help your child remember how to care (or not care) for each one. Have your child continue the care of the plants in the same manner.
- Take weekly pictures of the child gardener and the plants. Have him hold up the labels for each picture.
- Talk about what happens to the flower with no water? What happens to the flower with too much water?
- Put the progressive pictures into a book. Label each page according to the pictures: water, no water, too much water.
- Once the understanding of watering (but not over-watering) is established, encourage the child with special needs to help with watering outdoor and indoor plants and flowers.
Vocabulary Building Words for the Child with a Disability
- Colors: red, purple, white, pink, blue, yellow, green, brown
- Flower
- Water
- Too much
- Wet
- Dry
- Dead
- Grow
- Pretty
When you buy the plants for your yard this year, consider the rich language experience for the child with a language impairment. It is a small price for so many new words and concepts.
The copyright of the article Gardens for Special Needs Kids in Special Needs Parenting is owned by Lynn Moore. Permission to republish Gardens for Special Needs Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
