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Calendars
By the end of first grade, your child should know the names and sequence of the days of the week. He should also know what days come before and after any day you name. As your child grows, the calendar will help him develop other skills, like accountability. He can see when you will or will not be available to help with a project, and can plan accordingly and assume responsibility for himself.
Introduce the calendar concept to your child with weekly calendars. The weekly format works best for ADHD children as they tend to live in the present and they will more easily be able to learn the concepts of yesterday, tomorrow, and so on.
Fill in the dates on the calendar at the beginning of each week. At the top write the month in name and its number (October = 10th month). Next to each day, write the numerical month and day (Monday, 10/24). This will help your child make associations quickly and not have to count 10 months from January on his fingers.
Calendars offers a multisensory learning opportunity: It is a visual record of activities that works kinesthetically as you write down and cross off activities, and it prompts auditory reinforcement as you talk about the day's events. Write out everyone's schedule each week including appointments, dinners, sports practice and so on. At the end of each day, have your child cross off completed activities. Discuss the next day's activities as you emphasize, "This is what we'll do tomorrow, Friday."
Next: Clocks & Timers...
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