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Using TomTag Visual Timetables in the Primary Classroom- Susi’s story

“TomTag has made a positive difference for staff and pupils at my school. Susi, Inclusion Leader at a mainstream primary school

Find out how TomTag made life easier for Susi and her pupils…

Why do we need visual supports at my school?

 

anxious face symbol

Many children at my school are anxious about transitions and struggle with describing their feelings and emotions.

Using visual timetables to show the children their routines makes their school day more predictable. As a result, they feel less anxious, which increases positive behaviour making teaching less stressful. In addition, visual support to communicate feelings and emotions makes it easier for staff to recognise and respond to the children’s needs.

 

What we did before using TomTag

 

Before we used TomTag, staff used a variety of visual supports, including ‘home-made’ visual timetables, picture cards and whiteboards. This ad hoc approach was not ideal. Making picture timetables and cards was time-consuming for staff, and the whiteboards were too bulky for the children to carry around. This meant the boards were often not to hand when visual support was most needed.

 

 

How we use TomTag

 

Every classroom has a First-Then kit, which we use as a visual timetable to help children know what is happening during their day and encourage them to complete tasks using simple First-Then-Next visual prompts.

 

 

 

Every staff member wears a Share How I Feel tag on a lanyard around their neck. This feelings tag has six colour-graded feelings faces, which we use to explain feelings and emotions visually and support the children in identifying their feelings and emotions.

 

 

How TomTag has helped

Both staff and pupils find TomTag very helpful. The teachers find it quick and easy to set up TomTag. They don’t have to waste time printing and laminating pictures.

The older children in Years 3-5 enjoy setting up their own First -Then TomTags. It is a fun activity, and they love clicking the buttons in and out of their tags! In addition, being involved in setting up their TomTags means they find it more motivating to use them.

Children don’t like to feel that they are different.  TomTag is excellent because they are discrete compared with whiteboards. Children can check their timetable independently without drawing attention to themselves.  

The feelings tag works well to help teach and model abstract feelings and emotions. For example, a teacher can say, ‘I’m feeling quite sad now’ whilst pointing at the appropriate colour-graded feelings face and then ask a child, ‘I can see you’re feeling red. You must be upset.’  

We already use the Zones of Regulation, a framework that uses colours to help children identify their feelings.  But what staff like about the TomTag feelings tag is that it is easily accessible and can be used with children when needed, either in the classroom or outside. The children also find the TomTag feelings tag easier to understand than the Zones.

I think TomTag is an excellent resource for schools, it has made a positive difference for both staff and pupils at my school, and I would highly recommend it.

Want to try TomTag at YOUR school? 

Would you like to try a First -Then At School Mini Kit and Feeling Tag in your school?

Email Clare@orkidideas.com to request a FREE sample pack for your school.

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School Bag Packing Checklist

Reduce your child’s anxiety and frustration over forgotten things with this  school bag packing checklist.

We created this printable checklist using some of the beautifully illustrated pictures featured in the TomTag My School Kit Sticker Pack.

Print and put it where your child will see it to help them remember what to take to school each day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Back-to-School Self-Talk Prompt Sheet

  • Back-to-School Toolkit

  • Feelings Bundle

  • I Can Do It Pack My Bag For School Kit

  • My School Kit Sticker Pack

  • School Bag Packing Checklist

 

 

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Games for Children with Autism – 5 Fun TomTag Activities

Plastic tags showing examples of games for children with autism

Play is one of the main ways that children learn and develop. There’s no reason why children with autism who use visual supports are any different. So why not bring play and fun games for children with autism into your visual supports too. To them they’re playing games, but you know that they’re getting some occupational therapy, speech activities and thinking skills thrown in. Games may also help children with autism engage more readily with using their visual supports. It’s a win-win!!

Here’s some of our ideas you could use to help your child engage with TomTag. 

#1  Indoor I- Spy.

Colouful plastic tags showing examples of an indoor I-Spy gameStuck indoors? Why not encourage language and memory skills with a fun indoor I -Spy game.

Instructions:

🌈Ask you child to choose a colour tag and room in the house.

👀Can they look round that room and find, name or point to items that are the same colour?

✔Click a reward button into the tag for each item found.

😊Praise them for their effort and move onto another colour and room.

In the examples shown, we used stickers (rooms and stars) from our In the house sticker pack. We drew the other symbols onto blank stickers. 

#2 Outdoor I-Spy

Colourful plasticm tags showing examples for an outdoor I-Spy gameUse your daily walk to play  I- Spy and spot things you may see in your city, town or village using a personalised TomTag checklist.

TomTag is also super portable and robust – ideal for taking with you when you’re out and about!

Instructions:

🗨Ask your child to suggest things they are likely to see on their walk – perhaps they can guess what order they will spot them in!

✍Make up the checklist together – we’ve used stickers from our Out and About sticker pack but you can just as easily draw or write on some blank stickers.

👀 On your walk, encourage your child to spot the things, find it on their tag and turn the button over. This shows  they’ve seen that thing.

🧐Praise them for keeping their eyes open and being a good detective.  

#3 Feelings & Emotions Charades

Colourful plastic tags showing images of feelings and emotions Help your child understand, recognise and express their feelings and emotions with a simple game of charades.

No Oscar winning performances required!

Instructions:

💬Talk to your child about the feelings and emotions included in the game – choose ones that your child needs some help with.

🤏 Jumble up the feelings and emotions symbol buttons and ask your child to choose one for you.

😀Act out the feeling or emotion shown. Can they guess it? If so, pop it in the tag otherwise have another go.

🔁Swap places and ask your child to act out the feeling or emotion for you to guess.

We’ve used symbol stickers from our Feelings and Emotions sticker pack but you can easily draw or write on blank stickers.

#4 Categories and Pairs

Colourful ploastic tags showing examples ot items that belong togetherDevelop vocabulary with a game of categories or matching pairs

Instructions:

▶Categories

🤏Choose a category. For example, things to wear.

🧦Ask your child to find all the symbol buttons showing things that can be worn and click them into the tag.

🚿Repeat with a different category, e.g. things I need to do in a morning.

▶Pairs

🧼💧Ask your child to find the items that go together e.g. what do I need to clean my teeth or wash my hands?

We’ve used symbol stickers from our self-care sticker pack, but you can easily draw or write on blank stickers.

#5 Sequencing skills

Colourful plastic tags showing daily activity sequencesPractice sequencing skills with a simple game of “what happens next”.

This game can also help reinforce familiar daily routines so it’s a win-win for everyone!

Here’s how to play the TomTag way.

🤏Choose an activity sequence

🤔Jumble up the symbol buttons and ask your child to find the one they think they should come first, second etc.

✔Click them into the tag into that order and ask them to check it is correct.

🗣Call out an activity and ask them to find it in the tag and turn the button over to show they have completed the activity.

Depending on your child’s ability, you could take out a few of the steps and build up to the longer 6-step sequence. We’ve used symbol stickers from our two popular mini-kits: teeth brushing and morning and evening routine.      

                                                                                                                              

Do you have any tips for games you can play with your TomTag? Please let us know in the comments below.

Useful resources

  • Out & About Sticker Pack

  • Feelings & Emotions Sticker Pack

  • Self Care Sticker Pack

  • Blank Stickers -Sticker Pack

  • Blank buttons – pack of 40