Break Bucket and Break Bags

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Working in special education, I feel it is important to be prepared to meet the needs of our students. This includes helping them meet their IEP goals, state and district curriculum goals, but also to keep students feeling successful within the classroom. This year, I am working with students with a variety of disabilities. Although some students have the same disability, each student has different needs that need to be supported within the general education setting.


Something that I have created this year that has helped my students is my break bucket. This is something that we use within the classroom, and when taking tests (MAP testing, PARCC testing, etc). My break bucket started off with just play-doh and stress balls, has grown into a tool that all of my students can use throughout the day. It has continued to develop as I have been working on ways to help prevent my students from feeling upset or anxious in testing situations. Although I have a general “break bucket” that all of the kids can use, I have created individual “break bags” for my students to utilize during our state testing.


What does the bag include?


My students have modifications and accommodations in their IEPs that allow them to have math tools on state tests. Their bags each have a multiplication chart, a number chart, red and yellow chip, two bookmarks that help remind the students what to do when they are feeling overwhelmed, a small container of play-doh, homemade stress balls (sugar and balloons), pencils, eraser, and mints.  



My break bucket also includes Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, scented putty, toy bugs, and stress balls. (Many of the toys that I have bought for my bucket have been from the dollar store!)


Although there are many different things within the break bags/bucket, I think the most powerful tool that they have used is a red and yellow sided chip. The students keep this chip next to them during the tests and use them to help “ask” for a break. When I first started telling the students that they could take a break during our testing, I told them that all they had to do was raise their hand and ask. Although I thought this was a great idea, I didn’t realize that some of my students had a difficult time noticing when they needed to take a break and then having to ASK for a break. This is where I came up with the red and yellow sided chip. The students keep the chip on the yellow side when they are doing okay and don’t need a break. When the students feel that they need a break, they can flip it to the red side and take the break independently. This simple change in how students were to take a break,  made such a difference for my students! Instead of having students shutting down and not completing the test or taking a break, these students were not only identifying when they need a break, but they were taking their breaks independently. Then they were able to complete the test!


When creating a break bag/bucket, I encourage you to think outside of the box, but really think about your students. If something isn’t working, keep thinking and trying new things. What do they need in order to be successful? What can you do to help them reach these goals? What can we do to help our students gain independence?

Kim Palmisano

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