July 2024 Newsletter | Setting up for a Successful School Year

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Setting up for a Successful School Year

The start of a new school year brings excitement, opportunity, and a unique set of challenges for educators, students, and caregivers. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting out, the tips and tools in our July newsletter will help you optimize your teaching environment to enhance student learning experiences as you prepare for a successful academic year! 

Plan for Success With the STAR Curricula 

Starting the year off with systems in place for student success begins with a strong curriculum. STAR Autism Support offers themed units as the foundation for our monthly rotating content.

• For primary students, Media Center subscribers can access Themes First! content using themed vocabulary throughout engaging lessons spanning academic and social and life skills for students working at all levels.
• For secondary students, our Links curriculum users have access to theme-based Academic Teaching Units (ATUs) filled with leveled academic, social-emotional, current events, and vocational life skills lessons.

New themes are introduced on the 10th of each preceding month, allowing plenty of time for preparation. To see what’s coming for Themes First! and Links ATUs this year, check out the schedule for upcoming units (Primary: English and Español | Secondary: English and Español).

Consider our tips for preparing your learning environment for rotating content as you start the school year—and set your students up for success all year long!

Prep Tips for Seamless Implementation

Streamline your content preparation process with our functional curricular features.

• Utilize the monthly calendar: Plan your lessons for the entire month using our detailed monthly calendars. Check out the monthly themed calendar for our Back to School units (Primary: English and Español | Secondary: English and Español) to see examples of a comprehensive plan to help you cover a full scope of leveled content all month long.
• Consider our “Print all” feature: Easily print or save all activities for a specific curricular area using our convenient "Print all" option.
• Access digital content: If you regularly navigate challenges with printing and laminating, explore our digital REELs for a hassle-free alternative for leading lessons. Themes First! users, check out digital REEL examples featuring our updated ELA content in this year's Back to School unit (English | Español).
• Align instruction with IEP goals: Ensure activities align with individual student IEP goals and objectives using our IEP alignment charts (Primary: English and Español | Secondary: English and Español).

• Check out STAR’s planning resources: We’ve developed material checklists, visual supports like classroom maps, scheduling tools (including our popular E-scheduler), and guides to help you get started with the curricula. Users can access these resources and more on our website!
• Use strategic organizational and scheduling methods: Consider common student routines, and develop functional systems to support students and staff in group activities. Use color- or image-based visual supports on students’ materials and match them to instructional tools (e.g., staff schedules) to support smooth rotations and transitions. To streamline activity preparation, label bins by day and/or theme so materials and lesson plans are readily available when you need them.

• Share information with caregivers: After identifying routines and systems for your classroom, share your organizational ideas and resources with caregivers to encourage generalization for students at home. Be sure to remind them of STAR’s free Home Supports tools—and don’t forget that each unit features a newsletter with an overview of the lesson content to keep caregivers informed and encourage progress at home!