Schedules are an evidence based practice that can help children be more available for learning. They are helpful to all children by clarifying what is going to happen, increasing predictability, and making abstract concepts such as time concrete, and they help children be more independent.
Here are a few ideas on how you can utilize schedules to provide structure for your child.
Tip 1: Begin by scheduling your day. There are two ways to do this: using concrete windows of time, or providing a list of things to do when it fits.
| Schedule with Time Noted |
| This type of schedule is helpful if you have specific windows of time things must happen. For example, if you need to schedule the time you work with your child around your own meetings.
Example:
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| Schedule without Time Noted |
| Think of this as a checklist. This schedule removes the concrete times and allows for more flexibility for both you and your child. It is simply a list of things to do during a set period of time.
Example:
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When creating this schedule, do your best to find the balance.
- Balance activities that require sitting and listening with activities that involve movement and response.
- Balance activities that involve high level of verbal or written responses and demands with activities with low demands.
- Balance activities that are required with time for children to choose what to work on.
Tip 2: For activities or children that may need more support, create an activity schedule breaking down the individual components of a task.
| Example: Get Ready for the Day |
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| Example: “Into the Hive” Science lesson |
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Tip 3: No matter which schedule you choose, you must teach your child how to use the schedule you designed.
First, make the schedule visible to your child. Create an image for each day. You can make this on something as simple as a Post-It note, or you could make a digital schedule on a cell phone.
Next, model using the schedule. Talk through the schedule with your child in the same way you would any other task you’re asking them to perform. Reference it before an activity begins and once an activity is complete.
‣ VKC Resources
[April 2020]