Many skills can be taught through a student store, snack bar, or some kind of a small canteen or shop. Products may be made by the students themselves (such as baked goods being made in a cooking class) or commercially-available products may be sold. Some of the skills that can be taught through this activity include:
- math skills (making change, adding totals)
- money identification
- communication (greeting customers, asking what they would like, vocabulary)
- social skills (interacting with customers and peers, manners)
- motor skills (lifting, grasp and release, bi-manual coordination)
- literacy (reading menu, price list, shopping list, labels; writing signs, describing experience)
- basic cognitive skills (matching, sorting, sequencing)
Materials
- items to sell (snacks, school supplies, etc.)
- cash register or cash box
- signs advertising products
- display racks
Procedure
- Determine what items will be sold. Students can be included in this discussion and simple business concepts can be introduced, such as profit, capitol, etc. This activity is also a good opportunity to address nutrition, hygiene, and other life skills in a functional context
- Assign different students to different work stations, depending on their needs and abilities. A non-verbal student with limited motor skills may begin by working on stocking shelves, while a student working on multiplication may run the cash register)
- Make signs in print, braille, with picture and tactile symbols to advertise products
- Decide when the store will be open (during school break, recess, after school, etc.)
Variations
- Try selling different types of things in different seasons, such as holiday-related items or food that is typically eaten at a certain time of year
- Rotate the students through the store, depending on their interests and skills
