Schedule and Routine Adaptations

Daily routines and schedules can be modified to promote developmentally appropriate learning and socialization for all children, or adapted to meet a specific child’s needs. Changes in timing and scheduling might include extending the time, scheduling more frequent breaks and chunking longer assignments into shorter, more approachable tasks.

Developmentally appropriate practice for all children

Mrs. Johns considers the attention span of the children in her kindergarten classroom when she plans lessons. Most can sit attentively for 15-20 minutes during story time. However, they also enjoy hearing longer stories, especially ones with several characters. So Mrs. Johns breaks the story into “chapters” to read aloud throughout the day rather than during one sitting.

Adaptations for Mei to focus her attention

One of Mrs. Johns’ students, Mei, is a five year old girl who spent the first three months of her life in a neonatal intensive care unit. Understanding that Mei has a visual impairment and very short attention span, Mrs. Johns gives her objects related to the story to hold up at specific points to provide appropriate movement breaks. The teacher also provides Mei with books with large print and illustrations to read on her own. Mrs. Johns learned these strategies from the teacher of the visually impaired who consults with her monthly to embed Mei’s IEP goals in classroom activities and routines.

Adaptations for Jacob to improve verbal expression

A teacher embeds opportunities for Jacob to verbalize specific words within a story that all children enjoy.

Project CONNECT, Frank Porter Braham Child Development Center