To Help Students Accomplish Learning Goals

Gene Bedley’s Seminar Discipline & the Difficult Child

For children who are confused where they are in their day and who have ground figure problems (they only see all the problems on the page and can’t seem to focus on one at a time) try using pictures of various learning tasks to picture them through their day.

Mayer-Johnson boardmaker materials have a wealth of pictures that represent various different kinds of learning tasks. Also consider using photograph pictures showing the child doing the task you want them to do throughout the day. You can place the pictures on a Velcro strip in the order they occur during the child’s day or you can place them around a clock face showing when they will take place during the school day.

The picture clue cards can include opening exercises, learning center time, snack time, movement education, art, musical chair activity, back pack and car ride home. The pictures help order the day for the child and take away the confusion of the entire day. You can either have the child place them into a pocket holder when complete or have the picture framed as he works his way throughout the day.

Picture clue cards also give the teacher clues which things might “set the child off”. Kids can hand the picture to their teacher when they have completed the task to confirm they are ready for the next task. If there is a change in the day, pictures showing the new change should be presented to the child before they begin their day. A lot of acting out behavior problems happen because kids are unclear about the order of their day.

– Gene Bedley