Presented is a curriculum guide for teaching basic life skills to students with exceptional educational needs (primarily the moderately to severely retarded). Separate sections deal with the following persisting life needs: communicating ideas, understanding one's self and getting along with others, traveling and moving about, adapting and functioning in one's physical environment, keeping healthy, living safely, contributing to one's financial maintenance, assisting in homemaking, using desirable recreation sources for leisure time, and developing creativity through art and music. Each life skill area is analyzed in terms of content areas, developmental levels and curriculum items; curriculum items are broken down into skill descriptions and instructional activities with information on appropriate equipment and materials. It is explained that the guide's format is designed to serve as a functional assessment and record keeping device to aid individualized programing. (CL)