Activity Schedules and Good Teaching
May 18, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
Charlie has learned how to use an activity schedule at school. His schedule currently consists of photographs of the various tasks and activities that he does throughout his school day. The photographs are ordered in a small photo album and Charlie is to open the book as directed, turn to the appropriate page, and do the activity. As Charlie’s reading skills advance, words will be used in place of the pictures. [NB: This photo is of a sample activity schedule, not of Charlie's own.]
It is a simple, and seemingly obvious, concept. What I like in particular about the activity schedule is that it draws on Charlie’s strengths and tendencies–his penchant for things to be lined up in an orderly fashion (that changes slightly) and for concrete representations of what he is to do–in order to help him deal with one of his weaknesses, namely, how to fill his time in ways that will not excessively over-stimulate him. Our hope is that, as Charlie gets older, we can write out a schedule for him to follow without our prompting.
Learning that draws on the tools that Charlie already has to help him develop more: That’s what I call a good teaching strategy.
I love activity schedules for my students and myself! In fact, I often make the analogy of what most adults would do without their daily planners and palm pilots? So i’m looking forward to hear how Charlie does with an activity schedule you make for him and then perhaps an activity schedule/daily planner he makes for himself!
I need my little planner—am not a Palm Pilot-er, despite my techno-affiliations. We have velcro and schedule strips all the place!
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