THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE

Student Name: Alysha Buikema Date: February 17, 2017

Purpose: In dialogue with the special education teacher, it was established that this
Reason for developing therapeutic experience. This child is an active boy and a kinesthetic learner. He has a bank of sight
could be in response to an observation, discussion words that he currently recognizes, but repetition is required to increase
with the site supervisor, etc. fluency. He currently functions at a mid Grade 1 level. To encourage and
motivate further learning, a blend of familiar and more challenging words
Observation
could be provided in a game format. The provision of large text will
- Document what you saw and heard
- Document non-verbal communication (i.e., body accommodate his visual impairment and minimize potential frustration.
language, facial expressions and voice tone)
- Document in detail: who, what, where, and when
- Documentation should be written in past tense,
objective, and in anecdotal format
OR
Discussion
Document the discussion between you and your site
supervisor that led to the planning

Therapeutic Experience
What are you planning in response to your purpose?
- Label your experience (e.g. Painting with cars).
- What are your 3 therapeutic objectives? (e.g. Sense
of normalcy, control, independence, etc)
Describe the experience:
- Who will be involved in the experience?
To provide additional opportunities to rehearse sight words and build fluency,
a Sight Word Go Fish game will be developed. The cards will be large so
that they are easily manipulated and the text is easily read. There will be a
combination of familiar sight words with some more challenging words. The
purpose of the game is to help him to identify and match sight words with
greater ease.

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- Where will the experience take place?
- List the materials and resources you will use
- Describe the implementation of the experience,
with a step by step description
- Describe any precautions you needed to take with
the activity, or any restrictions that existed,
effecting the child(ren)s ability to complete the
task (Precaution e.g. Child has a type of blood
cancer, so he/she has to be careful not to get a cut;
Restriction e.g. Child has an IV in his/her dominant
hand, limiting use of the hand)
Therapeutic Objectives:
1. He will gain proficiency in recognizing sight words that will support
progression in his reading levels.
2. He will increase his comfort level and more readily take risks in
literacy learning activities.
3. He will readily engage in cooperative play with his peers with minimal
adult intervention.
Materials:
Sight Word Go Fish cards
Implementation:
1. I will set out the materials on a table in the Special Education
Resource Centre.
2. I will invite the student to join me at the table to play the game.
3. I will review the rules of the game and distribute the cards.
4. I will encourage him to read the words aloud as the game is played.
5. While he is engaged in the game, I will ask him questions such as:
a. What words have you been able to match?
b. What words were more challenging and how did you figure them
out?
c. How would you use this word in a sentence?
6. Count the number of matches he has been able to create.
Precautions and Restrictions
He is hesitant to engage in learning tasks that are not easily visible and
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prefers to continue with familiar activities. While he enjoys competitive
activities, it is important to carefully select materials that will not be a
source of frustration. To encourage active participation, cards need to be
large and the text easily visible. I want him to feel comfortable enough so
that he is willing to take a risk and participate in something that is a little
beyond his comfort zone.

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