Visual Schedules in the Special Education Classroom

Visual schedules help students see what’s coming next in their day. Flip visual schedules give students the visual of checking off a part of their day.

Visual schedules are a great way to help students manage their school day and having a print-and-go visual schedule template makes teacher life easier and saves us a bunch of time.

Before you can utilize a visual schedule in the classroom for your students (or at home), you need a visual schedule!

[ Find all visual schedule resources here. ]

You can grab the free flip visual schedule base template in the Resource Library here.

The video above shows you how to make a stationary flip visual schedule, or one where you cannot change out the visual pieces of the schedule.

If you want a more editable schedule to adapt to the daily changes of teaching, you can follow the steps below to make an editable flip visual schedule. (Editable meaning using velcro to change out the visual schedule pieces when the schedule changes.)

The process of making a changeable flip visual schedule is pretty similar to the video.

You’ll print the flip base template and laminate it. You know I am all about the Color Coded Classroom, so I color coded each student’s visual schedule.

Next you’ll add velcro to the base (on the back – so not on the side with the checkmark) and still cut the lines between the checkmarks (as shown in the video above).

I follow the “soft stays, hard travels” velcro rule. The loop velcro goes on the base or the stationary item (so on the flip schedule base), and the hook velcro goes on the movable, or traveling, pieces.

Then you can add your visual schedule pieces, fold over the checkmarks and get started!

What I love about these flip visual schedules is that you can make them stationary, like velcro-ed or taped to a wall, where students can always find their schedules.

Or you can make traveling flip visual schedules for students to take to and from inclusion or to different centers as they’re working.

How do you utilize visual schedules in your classroom? Have you ever tried a flip visual schedule? Tell us in the comments below!

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