Independent Living Skills Curriculum | Budget, Bills, Grocery, Cooking & Laundry

Help your students build the real-life skills they need to live more independently! This plain-language, printable, editable curriculum was written by a special education consultant for life skills classrooms, transition programs (18–21), resource rooms, and job coaches.

5th grade reading level, designed for grades 6-12. Student pages are easy to read but never babyish. Scenarios teens care about: a first job paycheck, phone bills, gaming and streaming subscriptions, fast food, sports fees, the bus, and saving up for sneakers.

Now with lots more visuals: an illustrated unit opener and a visual guide (infographic) page for every unit, picture vocabulary with icons, step-by-step picture strips, a labeled "Parts of a Bill" diagram, an original top-down grocery store map, a balanced-plate graphic, a picture recipe, drawn care-label symbols, and icons on every task card. One clean, modern teen style that prints well and is light on ink.

6 Units Included

- Budgeting Basics: needs vs. wants, income and expenses from a first job, a monthly budget, "Can I afford it?", and a new Subscription Check worksheet

- Reading Bills: 3 realistic sample bills (electric, phone, past-due water), amount due, due dates, late fees, and scam awareness

- Grocery Shopping with a List & Budget: store sections, a printable Fresh Market store map (entrance and exit, carts, checkout lanes, 6 numbered aisles with signs, and departments from produce to pharmacy), a "Find It on the Map" worksheet (find the aisle, plan the shortest route, get cold food last), 4 store map task cards, running totals, unit price comparison, and receipt checking

- Meal Planning: balanced plates, a 3-day dinner plan, a shopping list from the plan, and dinner on a budget

- Simple Cooking Safety: clean hands, knives, stove, microwave, food storage, grease fires, and a step-by-step microwave recipe

- Laundry & Household Routines: sorting, care-label symbols drawn and explained in words, washing and drying, and a weekly chore routine

What's Inside (96 pages)

- Teacher guide with pacing, 3-level differentiation, prompting hierarchy, community-based instruction (CBI) tips, and family connection ideas

- IEP goal bank with 12 measurable sample goals

- 6 detailed lesson plans (I Do / We Do / You Do, check for understanding, generalization)

- 6 illustrated unit openers and 6 visual guide (infographic) pages

- 6 picture vocabulary pages with icons and example sentences

- 22 student worksheets

- Original printable, low-ink grocery store map (Unit 3) with a route answer key

- 52 real-world task cards with answer lines (8 per unit, plus 4 store map cards)

- Data and progress monitoring: prompt-level key, 5 task analysis data sheets (laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, paying a bill, household routine), accuracy probe sheet, progress graph, IEP progress summary, and student self-check

- Complete answer keys

- Certificate of achievement

Why Teachers Love It

- Editable Word file: change names, enlarge fonts, and update prices to match your local stores

- Accessible layout with clear headings, large print, high contrast, and alt text on every image

- Original artwork and open-license icons (no clip art)

- Ready for IEP data collection and progress reports

- Works for small groups, 1:1, centers, CBI prep, and home practice

Great For: life skills classrooms, transition programs, special education resource rooms, job coaches, vocational programs, and homeschool.

Terms of Use: One license is for one teacher or classroom. Additional licenses are available at a discount. All names, businesses, and prices are fictional and for teaching only.