Independent study

I came across these pictures of what worked well for us in the beginning, when I was trying to transition T1 into independent study. There were a few key components that helped keep him on task and gave him structure.

Daily List
First was his daily school work list. I made this (it's on the left of the calendar) and laminated it using contact paper from Walmart. The list read from top to bottom (Math flashcards, Calculadder, Explode the Code, Handwriting, Reading) In front of each task there was a large box. In each of the boxes I put a sticky velcro patch. Then I covered some square stickers that fit in the boxes with contact paper. I think I put them on some heavy paper first, then cut them out and covered them with contact paper. You want them to be somewhat sturdy as they get a good deal of use. Lastly, each sticker gets a sticky velcro on the back. I had 5 stickers, so I put 5 velcro tabs on the bottom of the list. This is where the stickers start out. As he finishes each daily task, he takes a sticker and crosses off the task. It's very plain to him when he is done. And he feels a sense of accomplishment.



Monthly Calendar
The second component is the monthly calendar. I make one for him with special family birthdays or garbage day, etc. I always put his full name on it so he would learn how to spell it. When he finished his daily list of things to do, then he was allowed to put a star on the day to show he was done. He always loved this part. He loved to look at what he had done, or be able to see that it was 'almost the weekend'.

This system worked so well for us, it kept him schooling right through a new baby in the house. I could just say, "Do your schoolwork" and he knew what that meant.