elementary (k-6th)
As a special ed teacher I taught all of the very lower level things. I felt it was very important my student should know how to alphabetize,so we worked on that alot. We worked on counting and we worked on place value starting very early so we could grow with it. We also worked on noun, and verbs so that we could tell the difference between doing and names of things,places and people. The students had to measure the desks, pencils, fingers, and papers,.It was also important that they learned their names and addresses. So learning to print and to communicate was equally importantly. Special ed teachers have to know alot and they have to know different ways to teach different children. I taught mentally retarded students, I taught slow students and I taught students who have learning disabilities.
phonics
When I taught Special Ed at Magoffin Middle we we instructed in teaching from the program called "The Writing Road to Reading" which was from the Spalding foundation out of Glendale, Arizonia. I had 90 hours of training in this particular system where the phonograms were a very important part. The system only lasted about four years(it was very expensive)but I held on to the cards and continued to use the cards in my 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes from the 80 and 90s until I was transferred to Chapin High. I had a student come back six years after he had graduated from high school and tell me to keep teaching those cards. He said the kids may not know it now, but they will use them down the road.As for myself. I had learned to read by sight, and could not sound out a word until I learned these sounds....now I am a much better reader and a much better teacher.