How does it help?

Routines in the learning environment are predictable and consist of frequently repeated sequences of activities that remain the same even when the content or the instructional format changes. Providing age-appropriate visual schedules (in the form of pictures for young learners) at learner eye-level can show the sequence of upcoming activities or events. This practice can be embedded as a part of the daily morning routine so children know what to expect during the day. Schedules indicate both what is the same and what is different in the current or upcoming day, and as such can help children cope with change and transitions.

Consistent routines enable you to:

• enhance structure
• provide predictability
• increase learners’ ability to focus
• increase learners’ ability to stay on-task

Routines can include:

• packing their bag
• eating a meal
• packing up the room
• packing up and putting away play materials
• cleaning up before home time
• packing up and putting away outdoor sporting equipment

In order to develop a specific routine, you’ll need to consider all the actions required to complete a specific task and the order that they must be completed. For example, a routine for after an art and craft lesson might be:

1. Make sure child’s name is on their painting
2. Put painting in the airing trays
3. Wash the paintbrushes
4. Empty the water containers
5. Clean the art desks
6. Take off the art apron for cleaning or drying
7. Wash hands with soap and water

Have a think about which activities would benefit most from consistent and explicit routines to ensure the smooth operation of learning.

How do routines and schedules support inclusive classrooms?

Visual schedules and routines are helpful for all children, regardless of need or diagnosis.

Think about how much you rely on diaries or planners to organise your day and how knowing what comes next makes you feel comforted. It’s the same for your learners.

Using these tools consistently provides predictability, and gives learners boundaries and expectations to uphold in the classroom.

Why is consistency so important?

Consistency is key to establishing a new behaviour or expectation in the classroom. Attempting a new strategy without sticking to it means you will have difficulty determining if it has been successful or not. The length of time for a ‘trial’ is also dependent on your learners’ abilities.

The balance, order, and tempo of activities/events should be considered when developing class and/or individual schedules. Consider the learner’s attention span and when they are most alert. 

When preparing a visual schedule or routine, think about the information that must be included, and how you can make it accessible. Ensure all learners can see the visual schedule and turn their attention it at regular intervals.

Consider where it will be placed in the room and how you will use it.

It works better if:

• the schedule, including upcoming changes, is available at the beginning of the day and at regular intervals
• attention is drawn to what is staying the same as well as what is different
• learners are positively reinforced for following a routine and for accepting change
• the independent use of schedules is encouraged by fading cues over time
• some learners are provided with both a whole-class schedule and an individual schedule i.e., individual schedules move with learners across settings and activities
• schedules are adjusted to be less demanding if a learner is stressed or just having a bad day.

It doesn’t work if:

• the form of representation used is inconsistent with the learning needs of the learner, e.g., words are used instead of pictures
• the schedule is long and complex or changes often
• the visual schedule is not age appropriate
• the learners don’t understand the purpose of the schedule or routine
• it is not updated
• it is not referred to frequently