The skill I chose for the task analysis is washing hands. Several children improperly wash their hands while I'm in the classroom. They often forget soap or get soap and immediately put their hands under the water rinsing the soap off. Washing hands is an important part of self-help skills, personal hygiene, and encourage healthy habits for the classroom. Especially with young children, germs live on their hands and they have to be taught how to take care of themselves.
The text states in Figure 9-1 "Tasks must be broken into simple short steps that can be sequenced from easiest to most difficult," (p. 307). The task analysis for washing hands that I have created goes like this:
1. Go to the sink.
2. Turn on warm water.
3. Wet hands.
4. Get 1 pump of soap.
5. Rub all over hands (inside, out, between). Make bubbles.
6. Rinse hands with warm water.
7. Get paper towel.
8. Turn off water with paper towel.
I am going to pair these step with pictures. I will introduce this poster during a large group time explaining the steps to the children and when they should wash their hands. Then as I see the children at the sink, I will watch them and refer them to the poster. Hopefully after several times of using the poster for reference the children will pick up the steps to washing their hands properly.
ReferenceCook, Ruth E., Klein M. Diane, & Tessier, Annette. (2008). Adapting Early Childhood Curricula for Children with Special Needs (7th Edition). Columbus, OH: Pearson Prentice Hall.
I can relate to children not washing their hands properly in the classroom. Your task cards sound like they will be a big help. I find that the last task of turning off the water with a paper towel is the one that they forget the most.
ReplyDeleteSince as adults we wash our hands without thinking, it is interesting to see the steps broken down. This poster will be a great resource and reminder for all the children in this classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of also teaching my observation child to wash her hands since I have caught two colds from her and had to take antibiotics for 10 days twice this month plus 3 doctor visits. I like your list! I would just add one thing that I learned from a website on Hand Washing--they need to scrub their hands for 20 seconds. I am going to teach my child how long 20 seconds is by having her sing her ABCs or Happy Birthday TWICE. I had thought one had to sing it only once...so I learned something too. I am also going to teach her to wash all surfaces including backs of hands, between fingers, tips of fingers, and thumbs. You are correct about children forgetting to wash their hands properly. Enjoy your lesson-it is important.
ReplyDeleteI took pictures of my kids at the beginning of the year doing each step of the hand-washing process. It hangs in my bathroom, but they have gotten slack about it. I have some that think they are clever and go into the bathroom, turn on the water, and come right back out without washing at all. They seemed shocked when I call them on it.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great skill to teach. It seems no matter how many times I say it, the kids still want to just rinse and run. Perhaps you can add in there, "Sing the _____ song," so they are washing their hands for the correct amount of time. I like, "Tops and Bottoms," and, "Wash, wash, wash your hands." When my kids rinse and run I remind them to, "Make white gloves," which reminds them to make bubbles all over their hands to look like gloves before washing. This could be step five in your analysis. Good luck with this important skill.
ReplyDeleteThe students in my class love singing songs as they are washing their hands. Teaching students, how to properly wash their hands is a life long skill that can keep them out of the doctors office and you out of the doctors office, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat task to teach, germs are rampant in school! I like the suggestion to take pictures of the children washing their hands, they love to see themselves in photos! Our licensing person provided us with a poster of this, with pictures accompanying the instructions. The children have to be reminded on proper technique often, they try to rush through it!
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