At Education Emporium we carry an ever-expanding selection of special needs products.  In fact, most of our selection has been requested as special orders by our customers; since there is a need for these products we stock them regularly.  If you do not see what you need in our current list, please ask and we will do our best to get it in.  Each item is sold separately, colours will vary.  Prices include GST.  Please contact us at eaberard@telusplanet.net or call 403-580-2292 to place an order or inquire about product availability.

 

Fidgets

Many children have difficulty sitting still and concentrating in class.  Our selection of fidgets addresses this difficulty.

The Bitty Bottoms wiggle seat has a diameter of 23 cm (9 inches).  It has beads inside that prevent it from compressing too much.  Place it on the child’s seat and it will allow the child to squirm without becoming disruptive.  $41.99 each.

There are four different types of pencil fidgets.  Each of them allows a child to keep their hands busy while doing seat work.  The pencil fidgets fit on any standard round pencil so they remain useable when the pencil they come with is used.  $3.50 each

Yes, the picture looks appalling but the Deskerciser is really a very useful tool.  Clip it onto a child’s chair and they can push against it (illustrated) or put their feet on the outside and bounce against it; the Deskerciser eliminates the need to have two desks for some children.  $22.00 each

The tangle is one of the most useful fidgets I have encountered; they are virtually indestructible (my daughter has had two in her grade six classroom for three years) and it is not possible to straighten them out.  $5.25 each

Chewlery necklaces are great for children who chew their clothes or hair.  An unobtrusive way for children to chew.  $12.60 each; colours vary.

Chewlery tubes are another unobtrusive way for children to chew.  Place the tube on the end of a standard pencil (they are easier to remove if the pencil does not have an eraser) and give a child an alternative to chewing their pencil.  $15.99 for a package of three.

Fine Motor Skills / Pincer Grip

 

Stetro pencil grips train the hand in the correct pincer grip, come in a variety of colours, may be used by both right- and left-handed people and they are inexpensive enough to have one for the entire class!  $0.65 each, please ask about colour choice.

We stock two types of O-ball, the original 4-inch ball and the three-in-one ball.  These balls help develop hand strength but are not as stiff as standard stress balls.  $17.99 for the 4-inch ball; $19.99 for the three-in-one ball

Fishsticks are a really cool way to develop the pincer grip.  Each plastic fishstick consists of the two prongs with a fish or other marine animal on top; they are used to pick up small objects while naturally training children in the use of the pincer grip.  $3.75 each, please ask about colour and animal choices.

 

Lacing is an excellent way to develop fine motor skills because the needles or plastic ends force children to use a pincer grip.  The Melissa and Doug sets each contain 5 wooden panels and 5 laces.  The pictures may also be traced.  The Roylco set contains 24 6inch discs, 24 plastic needles and 48 pieces of yarn (8 each of 6 colours).  Each of these kits are sold separately; $12.75 each.

We have a large selection of wooden puzzles that help develop fine motor skills in young children.  Only a few of the jumbo knob, chunky and peg puzzles we stock are pictured.  These puzzles range from three to 26 pieces; all puzzles are $10.50.  Please ask about our selection.  

                                                                                                                          Scissors

We carry a variety of scissors that help develop fine motor skills and teach children how to cut with scissors.  The helper scissor has two sets of finger holes which allows hand-over-hand practice; $5.25 each.  Loop scissors help develop hand strength; $5.25 each.  Left-handed scissors are specifically designed for left-handed people, $14.99 each.  The spring-clip on the special needs scissors allow cutting without using the finger holes, $5.25 each.

                                                                                                                              Timers

Timers help children organize their time; they can be used to help children stay focused and to help increase time-on-task.  Our 3 inch Time-Timer with the red section that shows the time remaining is $36.99; our 8 inch 60 minute Jumbo Timer is $26.50.

Printed Resources

These print resources are primarily designed to help teachers improve their students’ reading.

The sign language flashcards contain 105 cards and include the ASL alphabet, the numbers 1-20 and common words.  Each package is $9.50.

The Four-Blocks method of language instruction was initially designed to address students’ different learning styles.  The blocks are: Guided Reading, Self-Selected Reading, Writing and Working with words.  This approach has been used since the early 1990’s to help improve the reading skills of students with disabilities.  $34.99 each.

Strategies for Struggling Readers uses research into how the brain learns as the basis for improving instruction for children with disabilities.  $19.99 each

Dr. Fry’s teaching reading books may be used separately or together.  Informal Reading Assessments does not require any specialized training to assess a child’s reading ability.  It indicates the growth in a child’s reading over time and contains a number of tests that help determine specific reading issues.  $15.99 each.  How to Teach Reading provides practical step-by-step instructions on how to teach reading.  $18.99 each.

Word Wizard is a computer program that allows you to customize your spelling and vocabulary lists.  Use the over 500 words in the word bank or from your own list.  Ideal for extra practice.  Windows and Macintosh compatible.  MSR price is $26.50; now on sale for $21.00.