**--Scroll down to find lots of useful information about the Wiggler's Checklist.
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WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS WEBSITE?

Connie Averitt Williams is an author and retired school teacher in California.  She is blessed with three kids and their spouses, ten grandkids, and a husband who loves his flip phone.  Connie enjoys reading, playing the piano at church, and doing things like taking phone-photos of God’s amazing nature in the sunlight glare--and later viewing her work only to discover she has eight new selfies of her chin.  Life is full of surprises.

Contact Info:​
Email:  Wednesdaywinks@yahoo.com
Facebook:  Connie Averitt Williams Author
​Author Interview:
YouTube: Connie Williams Interview/Ants Across the Page

Ants Across the Page is published by CrossRiver Media and is available in paperback, hardback and Kindle.

To Receive Wednesday Winks by email join my email group:  I'd love to hear from you.
​Wednesdaywinks@yahoo.com
​

​​"An excellent book that could stand alone on its merit as an engaging, heart-warming story, but in addition; this book is filled with instructive life wisdom, spiritual insights and rock-solid techniques for helping children with learning differences." - Amazon reader

https://www.crossrivermedia.com/products/Ants-Across-the-Page  
​
Also available on Amazon, GoodReads, etc.

Scroll down to the end of this section to find book club questions and Maggie's chili recipe.
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Read about a struggling student's self-identity in Teachers of Vision Magazine. 
Here's the link:
https://magazine.ceai.org/stories/student-identities
Wednesday Wink #22 “A Wiggler’s Checklist”
Things to consider when making a struggler’s checklist.
  1. Use a physical list, whether it be on paper or a big board. (i.e. white board, chalk board)
  2. Several individual steps are better than a paragraph.
  3. Use few words.
  4. When first trying this, make the list easy and not too long. This’ll help student get in the groove.
  5. Try to incorporate tasks the student can accomplish without help. Then let him take his paper or tablet to a grading station. (See the Wednesday Wink provided above.)
  6. When doing math problems, do the first few like this:  Student works problem, stops, and checks the answer with a helper &/or calculator.  Make corrections as needed.  Then do and check the next problem, etc. – until you know he understands the process.  This will let you know that he can handle the problems correctly before he does the whole set.  Then shorten the assignment. When he finishes, he may go to the checking station to see how he did.
  7. Be available to help as needed.  Put the grading station near you.
  8. For math and spelling, instead of using paper, let student write on a big board.  This uses different muscles, and you can see how he’s doing without hovering over him.
  9. If a student is unable to get his work done, evaluate his progress and make adjustments to his workload.  Our goal here is independent success. 
  10. Always include a quick “fun” activity near the end of the list.  Silliness is a plus.
  11. When a student gets out of his seat to grade a paper or do the “fun” activity, it does two things:
             Advertises that he had success in getting his work done.
             Spurs the other students to keep plugging away. 
 
Examples of “fun” list activities for home and in class:
At home:
          Salute a parent.
          Pet the dog.
          Eat a specific snack.
          Ring a bell.
          Go look out a window.
          Get a cuddly stuffed animal and bring it back to your desk. 
          Stand up and stretch.
          Get a drink.
          Choose a coupon. (See “Prizes That Don’t Pinch the Pocketbook” section of this website.)
          Dance to a favorite tune.
          Choose a sticker and put it on your forehead.
          Choose a sticker and put it on somebody else’s forehead.
 
In a school classroom. Stress silence so others are not disturbed.
         Salute the teacher.  (Nothing better than seeing the smile on a kid who’s proud of herself.)
          Get a drink of water.
          Draw a smiley face on the whiteboard.
          Get a snack.
          Go wink at your teacher.  (I love seeing those winks.)
          Stand up and stretch.
         Go look out a window.
         Choose a sticker and put it on your forehead.
         Choose a sticker and give it to a friend.
         Choose a coupon. (See “Prizes That Don’t Pinch the Pocketbook” section of this website.)
         And my all-time favorite – Ring the cowbell and say, “Mooo.”  (Strangely enough, this is the best
                     motivator I ever used. It is most effective if used sparingly and for long-term assignments.)
 
                    There are more examples in this website under these headings:
                              Dyslexia and Others
                              Doodlers and Dawdlers

​Have questions?  Email me (a live person) at wednesdaywinks@yahoo.com.
 Email: Wednesdaywinks@yahoo.com     
Facebook:  Connie Averitt Williams Author 
YouTube: Connie Williams Interview/Ants Across the Page