Literacy Spot #45: Visual Schedules

Using a weekly schedule tailored to your child’s regular activities not only engages them with a literacy based tool in a purposeful way but also helps children to learn about routine or rhythm and provides them with a visual prop that helps them to be involved with getting organised for the day.

Tips for making your own routine chart;

  • Use pictures and words to represent activities, especially for pre-readers.
  • Prepare the chart with your child to maximise the literacy learning (talking through the days of the week and their regular activities) and to provide them with a sense of ownership. Nicole of Planning With Kids recently shared the process that she goes through with each of her children (of different ages) to set up a routine chart at the beginning of each school term.
  • You may also like to add drawings and words that depict what they need to get ready for each activity, for example, dress in swimmers and pack a towel and goggles for swimming lessons.
  • Laminate your chart and display it at child’s height in a position where they will see it each morning.
  • Develop the habit of asking your child to refer to their chart each day to see what activities are on and what they need to do/wear/organise to be ready on time.
  • A useful alternative would be to print and laminate a blank chart to display on the fridge and to make your own magnets with pictures and words representing your regular activities. This would have the advantage of allowing you to easily change planned events, especially for days that are free from routine commitments.

If you like the idea of using a visual schedule you might also like to check out this previous Literacy Spot Post, Routines with Printable Picture Cards.

What tools do you use to help your children learn to be more organised?

10 Comments

  1. Hi!
    I’m a Speech Pathologist, and use visual timetables/schedules with the kids that I work with. They are terrific for some kids!
    Just thought I’d point out that these nice printable pictures here on the internet, if you are looking for some inspiration!
    http://www.visualaidsforlearning.com/

  2. Thanks for linking to me Christie! I think visual schedules for kids are such an efficient tool to help them organise themselves.

  3. Emily @ Random Recycling says:

    Love the easy and sweet illustrations on the calendar. I might try this on a dry erase board to also be able to make adjustments for the inevitable changes.

  4. We keep it simple. Simple under-scheduled schedule, a place to put everything so it can be easily found again, and a calm daily routine that becomes internalized. Not everyone’s lifestyles accommodates the simplicity we have adopted; and I think you’ve shared a wonderful (and fun) way to simplify busier schedules for children.

  5. Love love love our visual schedules – I just blogged today about the visual menu plan I did for this month. Best way of stopping the kids nagging me about what is for dinner.

    Another great source for images is – http://www.setbc.org/pictureset/

    although MS Word clip art is great too. I find so long as I’m consistent with the visuals the kids don’t mind so much what I use.

    1. Thank you for the suggestions, Marita. I thought of you as I wrote this post 🙂

  6. I love the weekly schedule. My son loves routine and he used to ask me 1,000 times a day what we would be doing next. I now draw a schedule for him each day with stick figures and then he scribbles off each activity. He is starting to catch on to the routine of the week, though, so I think the picture you have would be simple enough for him. Thanks for all the tips.

  7. Do you have a printable calendar like the one above (1st photo)? Love this idea. Hope to start using it.

    Cheers from Darwin Australia

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