Visually Prepared: The Importance of Visual Schedules for Young Learners
Truth time– when we’re home all day with small children, the days can feel long. Like, really long. When I would try to have a “go with the flow” type of day, chaos ensued and not much got accomplished. When I would try to plan out fun, structured activities, transitions were hard. My daughter would ask me about 4,828,128,847,284 times per day, “What are we doing next?”
So I tried something new: a visual schedule.
Little did I know that a visual schedule would have such a positive impact on our daily life! It has added routine and structure into our day, but in a flexible way that keeps our options open.
I made these visual schedule cards, printed them on white cardstock, and glued each one to a magnetic tile. Each morning, the kids and I pick out the tiles we need for the day and add them to the fridge. Super simple!
Here are some of the reasons why I love my magnetic visual schedule:
Provides predictability and structure to our day.
It’s such a great way to build routine, not only for our kids, but for me too! It holds me accountable to accomplish the most important tasks in our day. It helps keep us organized. My kids know what to expect and are learning that it’s possible to finish necessary tasks while having lots of time for play, exploration, and fun!
Teaches time concepts and sequencing.
The format of a visual schedule clearly illustrates the sequence of events for the day. Kids can literally see what comes next. It teaches more abstract concepts like first, next, later, last, etc.
Eases transitions.
Switching tasks can be extremely tough for smaller children, especially if there are unexpected changes. The ease of the magnetic tiles makes a world of a difference! If I need to move an errand before going to the park instead of after, my children can still visually see and confirm that park time will still happen! I’m not deleting it…just moving it to a different part of our day.
Provides independence.
Visual schedules reduce the need for my kids to ask me what’s next. Does it still happen sometimes? Yes, but much less frequently! They know that they can go check the fridge for the sequence of our day instead of asking me. They also feel a sense of accomplishment when they can visually see all that they have accomplished throughout the day.
Supports literacy development.
Since my visual cards incorporate pictures with words, they aid in comprehension and recognition of words.
Try out these visual schedule cards and I bet you’ll be hooked too
If you want to purchase some Magnet Tiles I like Picasso Tiles as they are cheaper than MagnaTiles but just as good! Also you could simply buy magnetic stripping and laminate the cards to then glue the magnetic strip
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