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Anticipate and navigate transitions more easily
- Visual timers are a great collaborative tool that help children anticipate and navigate transitions more easily. If a child understands when an activity ends and another one starts, they will be more willing to collaborate and accept this transition.
huckleberrycare.com/blog/when-and-how-do-you-use-timers-with-kids
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Oct 15, 2024 · One of the best ways to help a young child transition more easily from one activity to the next is to use a visual timer. A visual timer is a way to SHOW your child how much time is left. Young children don’t have the cognitive capacity to understand time (plus they don’t know how to read a clock!), so even if you tell them they have “two ...
Visual timers can be used to help children transition from one activity to another. For example, if you want the child to transition from playing to doing homework, you can set a timer for 10 minutes.
- 1 || Make It Clear to The Child How Much Longer The Activity Will last.
- 3 || Use A Transition Object Or Toy.
- 4 || Practice The Art of distraction.
- 5 || Make A Sensory “Pit Stop”.
- 6 || Have A Consistent Way of Signaling That An Activity Is over.
- 7 || Make “Wait” Time Less Miserable and confusing.
- 8 || Don’T Rush it.
- 9 || Practice Makes Perfect.
- 10 || Consistency, Structure, and Organization Are Key!
Try using a visual timer. Bring the child’s attention to it when you set it and keep referring to it throughout the activity (e.g. “Look! We have 2 minutes left!”) Offer a set number of turns with the activity before moving on and then count them out clearly (e.g. 10 more pushes on the swing, 3 more turns with the toy, etc.). Give lots of warnings ...
Sometimes, bringing a favorite object along for the transition is comforting for a child. Frequently, when I pick kids up to bring them to therapy groups, they will be playing with a favorite toy (cars, trains, blocks). Whenever I can, I allow the child to bring one of whatever they’re playing with along for the walk to therapy. We make a special p...
I learned this calming technique from a true master of childcare…my grandmother! Staring into the face of a potential tantrum because your therapy session is over and it’s time to go back to class, or because you’re at the park and it’s time to go home? Out come the bubbles! Yep…throw a little container of bubbles in your purse, pocket, or therapy ...
At our school, we have a mini trampoline strategically located in the hallway – actually, we just have no space so there’s nowhere else to keep it :) … but it actually works to our advantage. When kids are transitioning to the gym or to and from the bathroom or even to get on the bus at the end of the day, they can stop off with an adult to jump fo...
Try singing a consistent song that lets kids know that a transition is coming – like a “Line Up” song or a “Clean Up” song. In some classrooms where I work, the teacher simply puts on a CD with kids music to let everyone know that it’s time to transition to the carpet for circle time. In other classrooms, they turn off the lights to show that one a...
Wait time: every kid’s worst nightmare. It’s boring, it’s confusing, and it’s usually kind of abstract. Kids hate it. My best advice is to minimize the amount of time kids spend waiting for the next activity to begin (see #10 regarding being prepared and organized!). On the flip side, sometimes having to wait is inevitable. Why not give kids some t...
If you know that a child is going to struggle with an upcoming transition, give him/her (and yourself) LOTS of extra time to make the switch from one activity to another. Most of these transition strategies take time, so make sure you leave yourself plenty of wiggle room. If you make it to your destination or get to the next activity early (hooray ...
Social stories are great for easing anxiety over new or difficult transitions. They allow kids to mentally “practice” the transition in a calm, non-threatening way. We use these in the classroom and then send the same social stories home for families to read in the evenings too. Patience is key. Kids aren’t going to learn to make new transitions un...
My favorite motto when it comes to working with kids…be prepared! Lulls in the action, waiting time, lots of shuffling around of papers/materials are all great ways to lose kids’ attention and invite problem behaviors. The teachers and parents I’ve seen who have the best success with transitions are the most structured and consistent. Shoot for mak...
Mar 26, 2021 · Have you thought about using visual timers with your children? Visual timers can help children: understand the concept of time independently complete activities for a given amount of time; set a timer for simple activities; transition from one activity to another; We use visual timers for: brushing teeth
Jan 28, 2013 · Under the guidance of an activity schedule, learners independently transition from one activity to another so the use of a timer is a must. Spend some time researching activity schedules and discover the endless number of ways that you can enable your child or student to become more independent!
Searching for classroom transition ideas to help ease students into new activities? Learn how a visual timer is an effective strategy.
Feb 5, 2024 · Visual Timers: Use countdown timers or visual schedules to help students anticipate and prepare for transitions, reducing anxiety and promoting a sense of control. Transitional Signals: Implement consistent auditory or visual cues, such as a chime or hand signal, to indicate when it’s time to transition to a new activity, providing clarity ...
