Ever-So-Important “Day in the Life”

While you have the time during the summer to reflect on your child’s experiences this past school year, it’s a good time to think about what information their new teacher could use to make his/her transition as smooth as possible. Those first weeks can be a bit bumpy for any kid who thinks, processes, or learns a bit differently than most, but with a “Day in the Life” (account of a child’s typical school day) parents can easily help teachers “cut to the chase”.

The “Day in the Life” should be brief (about one page in length). This document is meant to condense pertinent information about who your child is and what makes him/her tick. Time and time again teachers thank parents for writing up something short and sweet with helpful hints on how to work with their children.

Some of the items included could be:

• Background on the type of setting your child is coming from – including what type of support he/she received (ie; an aid in the classroom for 5 hours per day, 5 to 1 ratio of a PK classroom, etc)
• Best place for your child to sit (ie; front, side closest to the bathroom since he frequently needs to get up and move and sometimes taking a bathroom break does the trick)
• Provide the teacher with a list of sensory items that may benefit your child and how to use them “before” there’s an issue. (You might want to provide a few of the items yourself)
• Any medical issues, as well as protocols (seizures or allergies)
• List of things that your child likes or enjoys. If he loves trains, offer to bring in a few train books that he can look at for positive reinforcement.
• List of things your child hates; liked timed tests, class singing the birthday song, etc
• Basic interventions that you know work, based on success when implemented (ie; when he gets off task, having him sharpen pencils, move textbooks from one corner of the room to another, etc)
• Type of peer buddy that’s best for her
• If there is a need for your child to be reminded to use the bathroom, be sure the teacher knows
• If there are challenges with fire alarms, let the teacher know, and be sure to give her some helpful hints on how to handle this activity.
• What sorts of environmental or instructional challenges may negatively impact your child (ie; the sound of the school bell is piercing, when there are too many problems on a page, feeling too rushed to get an assignment or task done, his/her need to complete work even though it’s time to go to specials, etc)
• List of accommodations that work (ie; extra time for tests and assignments, break instruction down into smaller components or parts, etc)
• If your child is visual, let the teacher know that he/she does best when instructions are presented visually – could be written, rather than spoken
• Any dietary restrictions and your plan to prepare replacement foods in advance
• Inform the teacher if changes in routine are an issue, and what strategies work for him to better prepare him for transitions.
• Hand dominance (so that the teacher won’t make your child write with their right hand when they’re actually left handed… This still happens at times.
• Cool stuff your child knows about or can do.The teacher could use these attributes to give them the opportunity to shine during instruction.
• GIVE the teacher a sample of a home note that you would like to receive. Make it as quick and easy to use as possible; and remember, the home note is for YOU, so it should tell you what you want to know each day to support what happens during the school day.

I hope this list is helpful.