Visual Prompts

to

Support Learning

by

Derek Burgon, Sheila Kingsland, Jane McManus and Jill Tough

Newcastle upon Tyne LA

VISUAL PROMPTS TO SUPPORT LEARNING

Visual cues should be used as much as possible across the curriculum to support the spoken language. This is particularly important when concepts become more abstract eg language of science and maths. Verbal instructions are always sequential and place a demand on auditory memory. As such, they can be quickly forgotten. Visual memory is more permanent and allows the child to check information.

The strategies below will be of benefit to all children but particularly for those children with learning difficulties in mainstream schools. Strategies used in an early years setting can be easily transferred to other key stages eg use of photographs, silhouettes etc.

Consideration could be given to the strategies listed below in terms

a) classroom organisation and b) personal organisation.

Classroom Organisation

Consider:

  • Defined areas in the classroom, including well organised and labelled resources eg listening corner, writing areas etc.
  • Photographs / pictures / drawings to accompany labels.
  • Consider the use of visual timetables as both a class and individual strategy (examples enclosed).
  • Use of non verbal prompts across the curriculum and to encourage positive classroom behaviour eg good sitting, looking, listening and thinking (examples enclosed).
  • Don’t forget use of gesture and facial expression in all teaching situations. Some children will require these natural visual prompts to be emphasised more to support the language being used.

Personal Organisation

Many children will require visual information to support the verbal instructions given by an adult. Consider using:

  • A personal visual timetable (examples enclosed).
  • Pictures / symbols of equipment required for the task. A ‘Have you got?’ cue card (examples enclosed).
  • Step by step visual instructions using symbols or pictures to remind the child of what s/he has to do. (Consideration should also be given to using this strategy for homework).
  • A Traffic Light System for promoting independent work and knowing when and how to seek help. (Example enclosed).
  • The child’s own drawings as a way of recording in a mindmap format. (This could be annotated with key words, as appropriate).
  • Personal, illustrated glossaries for reinforcing key vocabulary.

REFERENCES

Writing with symbols 2000. Widget Software Ltd.

Clip Art

Mind Maps for Kids

Tony Buzan

ISBN Number 0-0-715133-0

GUIDELINES FOR USING VISUAL PROMPTS

Each of the symbols provided should be laminated and cut out separately.

  1. Behaviour fan: the symbols represent- eye = good looking, ear = good listening,? = thinking time, person = good sitting, hand = hands up. The symbols should be arranged into a fan and joined using a split pin (as in number / phonic fans). The fan can be used by any adult to support and reinforce appropriate behaviour where necessary.
  2. Thumbs up: could also be used non verbally to reinforce positive behaviour without distracting others.
  3. Speech bubble: any appropriate comments can be written or drawn to reinforce positive behaviour.
  4. Sense prompt cards: can be used in any curriculum area as a stimulus for discussion.
  5. Have you got? prompt pictures: the symbols can be used to help prompt the child to begin the task and will encourage personal organisation and independence.
  6. Traffic Lights: attach the coloured discs using a treasury tag. Red = I don’t understand yet. Amber = I’m not sure. Green = ready to go. The traffic lights can be used by children or adults in a number of ways for the child to indicate their level of understanding:
  7. Class situation – after an explanation of an activity each child shows a coloured disc and the teacher can identify children requiring assistance or the adult shows a coloured disc and children raise hands appropriately. Green go to begin task and may support the amber group, if required. Red stay on carpet for further discussion / demonstration of task.
  8. Personal use – whilst children are working they use their individual set of traffic lights to show level of confidence undertaking task. Teaching staff can then target children requiring support.
  9. Self assessment – the same colour-coded approach can be used as a means children assessing their own work. For example, green dot = “I found this task easy”. Amber = “I found it OK”. Red = “I found it hard”.

VISUAL TIMETABLES

Visual timetables can be as simple or as complex as is required. We all like to know what is expected of us, how long a task may take (especially if it is a challenging one) and what will happen next.

Visual timetables are recommended therefore as a whole class visual aid as well as, on a simplified level, a personal aid for a few children. They have numerous benefits including:

  1. Helping the child know what s/he should be doing at a particular time.
  2. Helping the child organise and predict daily events.
  3. Lessening anxiety about not knowing what will happen next.
  4. Helping a child move from one activity to another.
  5. Children with poor motivation may be encouraged to complete a challenging task knowing (seeing) that a more enjoyable activity is to follow.

The timetable can represent a session (eg 9.00am – playtime), a morning or afternoon, a whole day or a week at a glance. We recommend they are presented in horizontal format using pictures (see examples) or the child’s own drawings. At the simplest level, the drawings can be on laminated individual cards and velcroed to a horizontal (velcroed) strip of card. (In this format the cards can be physically manipulated and removed as each task is completed). Alternatively, a weekly timetable (a simplified version of those used in the secondary sector) can be used with the whole class to illustrate key times within the school week. This will provide a focus for discussion at the start of the school day, preparing the children for what is to happen and alerting them to any changes they can expect.

In the pack we have included:

  • A selection of pictures that can be used to illustrate the main events within a school day (with and without text).

Source: Writing with symbols, (see References).

  • An example of a visual timetable.
  • Suggested format for completing a weekly timetable for the class or individual pupil.

WEEKLY VISUAL TIMETABLES

A visual timetable will provide the basis for discussion to promote understanding and use of the vocabulary associated with TIME.

  1. The timetable should be completed with the child.
  2. Write the names of the week at the top of the timetable. Write the initial letter in a different colour, to encourage the child to use initial letter or letters (Thursday) as a clue to the name of the day.
  3. Colour the columns for Saturday and Sunday in a specific colour, to show that they are 'different' in some way to the other five days. This will provide an instant visual reminder of the usual pattern of two days off and five days at school.
  4. Divide the timetable horizontally to represent dinner time with a space between for illustrations. Playtimes should also be represented with a single horizontal line (one in the morning and possibly one in the afternoon).
  5. Check with staff as to the timing of regular events within the week eg PE, assembly, hymn practice, swimming, library, withdrawal sessions etc.
  6. Discuss with the child and let him/her illustrate at the appropriate time on the timetable eg packed lunchbox or knife and fork to represent lunch. (If the child can read, use text rather than pictures).
  7. Identify 'today' marking with a magnet or paper clip. Discuss how many days until the weekend, what day will it be tomorrow, what day was it yesterday etc. Discuss events that will occur that day - in the morning and those in the afternoon or before lunch and after lunch.
  8. The completed timetable will provide a focus for regular discussion using the appropriate language of time eg today, tomorrow, yesterday, weekend, before, after, one day ago, next week, last Monday etc.

A copy of the completed timetable can be sent home for reinforcement by parents.

  1. The child should be encouraged to recite the days of the week in the correct order, initially with visual clues and then without.

BEHAVIOUR FAN

This should be laminated and made into a fan using a slit pin. Itcan be used to reinforce positive behaviour.



THUMBS UP!

This should be laminated and then used to reinforce positive behaviour.




TRAFFIC LIGHTS

These should be laminated and attached onto a treasury tag

TRAFFIC LIGHTS

These should be coloured in, laminated and attached