WELLBEING AND INCLUSION
Visuals to Support Learning
The use of visual supports in the classroom can help students to increase their independence. One visual that we use in classrooms is a First/Then Visual or a First/Then/Next Visual. We also use the language of First/Then within the classroom to ensure clarity for our students.
Benefits of these visuals include:
- increasing independence;
- providing predictable environments;
- clarifying expectations while providing a sequence of events;
- supporting transitions;
- reducing verbal information (prompts) provided to the student;
- increasing motivation to complete a task; and
- providing an example to students of how visuals can help their learning so they can begin to use them in the future.
First/Then language and visuals can be used as a whole class visual and can also be used as an adjustment for specific students in the grade.
These visuals can also be used to teach problem solving skills within the classroom. Teachers model how to approach a learning problem by identifying the first steps. Over time, students can then also use this visual themselves when approaching learning problems in the classroom.
This visual is also one that can easily be used at home if wanting to increase independence with certain tasks. The most powerful use of this visual is to end in the next column with a preferred activity. Please reach out if you would like a copy to try at home!
Virginnia Gilham – Inclusive Practices Leader