Individual Student Schedules

Some of you probably saw this image last year…. and it’s prompted a lot of questions! SO, today you get all the inside scoop.

These are my wall schedules! The background and visual storage is out of student reach is veltex fabric… find all about that here.

How did you get the board so low?

The physical board in the photo is a regular old bulletin board. The key here is befriending the custodians and begging them to move it down to a height your little ones can reach.. I mean how cool is it to have a board this low!! I’m definitely in love with this set up. I covered the board with black fabric I bought from michaels. If you have been reading my blog you know that I am a big fan of bright colors on black background. It’s far less stimulating and creates a uniform look around the room.

How did you make the long strips?

Of course, there are versions available commercially from a couple of big name sites, but I prefer making my own (the colors are better this way!)  The color coded strips are made of Astrobrights paper.

Here’s my stash!

I pick a series of colors for color coding in the classroom- and I use this for most of that students materials and labels. The more uniform things are the more structured the room feels.

So YES, this is the paper I use… and here is how I get it to be LONG strips.

First pick a color. Cut 2 sheets of that color in half.

Once you have 4 11 inch strips.. you will need 2 smaller rectangles, see below. I attach one of these to the top and bottom of each strip.

Then laminate all of the pieces. Attach them into a longer strip user scotch packing tape.  Then you have long strip! Attach soft velcro strip down the middle. I always do “hard on the card” because I love using the veltex fabric to store (which acts as the soft velcro)

Why do you have 2 of each color?

The students in my classroom who are utilizing wall schedules use a “left to right” schedule system. The schedule is on the left side… as they complete it they more it to the right. This is the way my task box system works, reading a book, turning a page, etc. It is essentially a life skill and a way we naturally organize ourselves. Some may have a bucket underneath one schedule to collect pieces in- but I prefer the left to right system.

Where do you store the visuals?

I store all my visuals that are not in use up top on a veltex board that I made (read how here) out of cardboard, spray adhesive, and veltex fabric. They are out of student reach, organized by activity, and easily accessible for staff that may come in and out (like speech) and need a certain visual for a student. The more accessible for the student the less interruptions you will have.

I have also stored the pieces in baggies- and when you prep I suggest you do this before you get them to school.

Are your visual pieces color coded too?

Yes, absolutely. (There are 11 colors included in this set) This is something I have only been doing the couple years. It makes it easier to find pieces, know who lost one, and match to the schedule board. It seriously makes life easier and your classroom more structured.

Do you use the same visuals for the whole group schedule?

Yes, I use the same exact visuals and have students match them to the larger whole group words. The whole group schedule is far less personalized and more general. You can read about my interactive whole group schedule here. 

Where can I get the schedule pieces mentioned here!?

You can find them here!  It includes the whole group, individual, and center schedule pieces.

Where can I find the materials used?

+ Astrobrights

+ Paper Cutter

+ Scotch Packing Tape

+ Velcro

+ Veltex

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