Do you use visuals in your classroom?
Sometimes teachers may not believe their students will benefit from visuals because “they aren’t needed,” but my response is always, do you need visuals? Probably not, but do they help you in your daily life? Most likely, yes! Do you use checklists? Do you use a calendar/planner? Those are all visual supports that help you!
It is also important not to put visuals around your classroom just because…
What is the function of the visual? Is it to support a lesson, a transition, or communication?
Generic Deck Visuals
This year, each of my students had a personalized name tag on their desks. The name tag has several functions; it allows my students and teachers (including supplies) to know where each student is meant to sit. The name tag also has a bunch of information to help support my students learning throughout the day. The information on the desk tags helps increase independence by providing visual support to commonly asked questions! These desk tags are part of my Classroom Set-Up.
You can grab it here, along with a ton of other visuals!
Specific Visuals
The additional desk visuals are based on students’ needs. Some students have an IAS schedule on their desks. Check out my blog post here for more information on IAS schedules. My older students have writing checklists on their desks to build independence with their writing. Visuals don’t need to have colour, pictures or any frills. A simple checklist works perfectly! Our writing checklists stay on the desk year-round, and it is something that we are constantly referring to! Regardless of the subject area, the writing checklist is beneficial for my students!
You can grab the writing checklist here for free!
Additional Visuals
One of my students was struggling with reading comprehension. I decided to create “WH” posters to place above his desk. After reading, we would run through Who, What, Where, and When. This significantly improved his reading comprehension and his independent writing! For independent writing tasks, he can refer to the posters to help expand his writing.
You can grab these posters in the free resource library!
Perfect Balance
Ultimately, it’s all about your student’s needs and how you can make their working space more functional.
