Life Skills Lab will make a difference at South
Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 24, 2019
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Submitted photo Tyler J. Ritchie, adaptive curriculum teacher at South Rowan High School, speaks to visitors in the bedroom portion of the new Life Skills Lab at the school.
Submitted photo The 'grocery store' portion of the new Lifes Skills Lab at South Rowan High School.
Submitted photo The new Life Skills Lab at South Rowan High School includes an aquarium.
Submitted photo A checklist helps students know what to do in the Life Skills Lab at South Rowan High School.
Tyler Ritchie is the adaptive curriculum teacher at South Rowan High School. He has been working with school administration to create a life skills lab at South for his students.
This is an area where students will be able to learn essential life skills needed to function independently. Having this lab will allow Ritchie and his assistants to teach these skills in unique, hands-on experiences.
The life skills lab will consist of five components:
- A living area — In this area, students will learn the skills needed in order to keep their rooms clean. They will be taught to make a bed, how to properly fold and put away laundry and other household tasks.
- Grocery store — Students will learn how to make grocery lists, buy groceries, use a cash register and the proper behavior in a grocery store. This section would later move to the kids cooking the meals.
- PAEs Lab — This section has hands-on tasks so students can learn how to do different occupational skills.
- Occupational skills — Students will learn the proper behaviors they will need in order to gain employment.
- Raiders Coffee Shop — Students are in charge of making coffee for the staff when they order it. This is teaching money skills and simple business skills.
Each one of these sections has a set of skills that will teach students life skills that relate to their situations.
For example, in the grocery store section, students will be given a recipe to make a shopping list. They will then go to the grocery store to select the items on their list. After they have the items, they will use simple addition, dollar-up method and change-making skills to buy the items. Once they have done this, they will return to the room and while working with Ritchie or an assistant, they will learn how to safely prepare the meal as independently as possible.
This is just one of the examples of the activities that the life skills lab has to offer.
“The exciting thing about the lab is that every student will not have the same experience,” Ritchie said. “It will be based on the need for the student. We are so close to seeing this dream turned into a reality.”
