Home Base

Home Base

Home Base is an area where a child may go to escape stress in the classroom. The student may take their classwork with them to the Home Base and they may also use the Home Base for taking tests. Home Base sessions may be part of the student’s daily schedule or used whenever needed, such as when the child is feeling anxious. The Home Base needs to be viewed as a positive environment and should therefore not be used as a punishment or for time-outs. Activities in the Home Base should be calming.

A Home Base card can be used to prompt a child to go to Home Base if the teacher feels the child may need a calming break. If a child feels uncomfortable with being singled out to go to the Home Base, a peer may instead be prompted to go to Home Base first, followed by the child. This may allow the child to feel more comfortable leaving the classroom and can also develop their peer interaction skills and widen their social circle. Please see the section on Social Skills for further information on social skills strategies.

To watch Brenda Myles ‘Simple Strategies that work’: click here.