Schedules are an important way of life. They keep us in a routine and get us to the places we need to be. In a preschool classroom, a schedule is the backbone to our day. It helps us get all the things done that we wanted to accomplish. While I had my written schedule hanging up in the room, I found that many of my students were asking 'what do we do next?'. So, I knew it was time to create a visual schedule for my little non-readers!
The benefits of displaying a visual schedule in the preschool classroom.
But, is a visual schedule really worth the time it might take to make it? The simple answer- of course! Here are some great benefits to displaying a visual schedule in your home or classroom:
- Students having a hard time being away from home can take comfort knowing what comes next. We take a card out after finishing each event. Sometimes I will have my students that struggle with separation to help me with this.
- Helps children who do not like transitioning. I give a warning for when center time is ending. Letting students know that the bell is going to be ringing and we will be cleaning up to have circle time.
- Children learn the class routine more quickly when displayed in a way that they can understand it (with pictures).
- When the regular routine changes, a visual schedule is great to reference. As children might feel out of sync when the routine is different, a visual schedule helps them know what is next.
- Visual Schedules are a great way to help children learn the sequence of events in the classroom, especially when using the words 'first', 'next' and 'last'.
