Routine is an important part of a preschoolers life. Creating a routine can help reduce anxiety, establish independence, and give your child a sense of accomplishment as they tackle daily tasks.
Creating a visual daily schedule for your preschooler is a great way to make sure you preschooler always knows what’s coming next, so they can feel more confident about their day.
WHAT IS A VISUAL DAILY SCHEDULE?
Visual daily schedules are schedules made with fun pictures describing the activity that needs to be done, placed on the day and time they should be done. Important things like Meals, teeth brushing, learning, and bedtime should be done at the same time every day, but swapping out other daily activities will teach your preschooler how to be flexible. You should always go over any changes in the schedule with your child to maintain their ability to predict what’s coming next.
WHY IS A VISUAL DAILY SCHEDULE IMPORTANT?
- A visual schedule is great for your preschooler because they can find out what’s on their to do list before they can even read. Because each task is marked with a word and a picture, your preschooler will have lots of opportunities to learn word and picture recognition.
- Your preschooler can easily go back and look at the schedule throughout the day to get reminders about what’s coming next.
- Your preschooler will become comfortable in their routines and eventually be able to follow their schedule without prompting or assistance.
- When your preschooler knows something is scheduled then you can avoid any arguments you would typically get from telling them what they need to do.
- You will save a lot of time by scheduling activities and having them done efficiently.
HOW CAN A VISUAL SCHEDULE BENEFIT MY CHILD WITH AUTISM?
- A visual schedule will help decrease your child’s anxiety and emotionally prepare them for each new thing that comes their way.
- Knowing what’s coming next can help ease the transition from one task to another.
- Many children on the autism spectrum learn better from visual aids rather than verbal ones.
- Your child will have the chance to gain independence
WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THESE VISUAL SCHEDULES?
Now that you see how much a visual daily schedule can benefit you and your preschooler, let’s get one in your home!
“I Want to Buy One”
- Schkidules sells a great magnetic board, with all the magnets you need to create a great routine for your child.
- Amazon has another great visual schedule.
“I Want to Download One”
- Conscious Discipline has free downloadable schedule cards you can use to create a simple schedule at home.
- Teaching Mama has more free downloads along with some great ideas for displaying your cards. Just sign up for her newsletter and you will get access to the visual schedule downloads immediately.
“I Want To Make One”
If buying or downloading a visual schedule doesn’t work for you; grab some paper, markers, and scissors and make your very own schedule! Have your preschooler help you draw pictures and come up with chores you can do together. No matter how you create a visual daily schedule for your preschooler, you will be glad you did!
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