The Challenge: "They Weren’t Accessing Any Curriculum"

Kaitlyn’s classroom serves high-need students: non-readers with autism, ADHD, and developmental delays. Traditional methods failed to address:

• Behavioral barriers: Students couldn’t sit for 5 minutes, let alone focus on literacy.
• Gaps in foundational skills: Many lacked letter recognition or struggled with fine motor tasks (e.g., writing).
• IEP goals at risk: Social skills and academic progress were stalled.

"I needed something visual, structured, and engaging enough to meet them where they were."

Why Jolly Classroom? "The Kids Chose It"

Jolly Phonics stood out for its:

✅ Visual-heavy design: Animated sliders, wobbling "jelly letters," and story videos captivated students.

"The slider for ‘Where’s the sound?’ is gold. My kids with autism have to listen to decide if it’s at the beginning or end."

✅ Built-in OT support: Tracing activities strengthened fine motor skills.

"The tracing builds finger dexterity. We call them ‘jelly letters’—kids love how they wobble!"

✅ Routine-driven framework: Predictable steps (e.g., daily blending practice) reduced anxiety.

"Kids on breaks would see Jolly on my screen and leave their break to join. That never happened before."

Results: "This Doesn’t Match Their IEPs….In the Best Way"

Quantitative Wins

• 400% increase in on-task time (5 mins → 25 mins).
• 100% letter-team mastery for one student (from 6 letters).

Qualitative Wins

• Transfer to GenEd: Skills applied in inclusive settings.
• Student advocacy: "They’d ask, ‘No Jolly today?’ if we skipped it."
• Staff buy-in: District now funds Jolly for her classroom; Kaitlyn pushes for district-wide adoption so that more teachers and students can benefit from the program.

Kaitlyn’s Playbook: How to Make Jolly Work in Your SPED Classroom

Implementation: Small Steps, Big Leaps The strategies and steps that teachers can take are relatively small, but ultimately have a huge impact on classrooms. To set the foundation, Kaitlyn adhered to two main strategies for implementing Jolly Learning:

1. Start Simple, Stay Consistent
   • Used Jolly Classroom daily (digital + worksheets) for Steps 1–2.

2. Differentiation by Design
   • Autism supports: Color-coded letters, hands-on tracing.
   • ADHD engagement: Quick transitions between activities (e.g., blending → air-writing).
   • Data tracking: Worksheets doubled as progress monitors for IEP goals. -

"Even my most challenging student completed Step 1—his GenEd teacher saw the difference."

With those strategies in place, the steps were small and relatively simple, leading to huge leaps in students’ abilities. These steps are outlined below, with real-world advice in Kaitlyn’s own words!

1. Start Small—But Start Strong Week 1: "Just open Jolly Classroom on your smart screen for 10 minutes daily. Let kids explore the ‘jelly letters’—they’ll gravitate to it." Pro Tip: Use the segmenting slider first—it’s the most addictive tool for ADHD learners.

2. Embed Routines Like a SPED Superhero

   • Script your transitions: "I say, ‘Eyes on the wobble!’, then ‘Finger choppers ready!’ for blending. Predictability is everything."
   • Pair with physical cues: Letter choppers (DIY: craft sticks + stickers) for kinesthetic learners. Color-coded mats (green = blending, blue = tracing).

3. Hack the IEP System

   • Double-dip goals: "Track on-task time during Jolly for behavior IEPs and letter sounds for academic goals." Use Jolly’s worksheets as data goldmines (e.g., "Student segmented 8/10 CVC words").
   • Share wins: "Email coordinators clips of ‘before vs. after’ engagement."

4. Win Over Resistant Colleagues

   • Host a "Jolly Bite": "Invite GenEd teachers for a 15-minute demo during PLCs. Show them the tracing OT benefits—they’ll steal it for handwriting time."
   • Arm yourself with stats: "I lead with: ‘My kids gained 400% focus time. Want to see their worksheets?’"

5. When Kids Regress (Because They Will)

   • Reset button: "Go back to Step 1 for a week. Replay the stories—it rebuilds confidence."
   • "Secret Star" trick: "Let one student be the ‘sound leader’ to click the animations. Suddenly, everyone’s back on task."

6. The Ultimate Buy-In Hack "Let kids ‘catch’ you using Jolly during their breaks. They’ll beg to join—mine did!"

Ready to See "Against All Odds" in Your Classroom?

Start small like Kaitlyn—try Jolly Classroom FREE for 30 days. Your toughest learners might just surprise you.

You can try Jolly Classroom for free by heading to JollyClassroom.com