Our Linear Calendar

Since March we have been using this fabulous linear calendar. Although I could have easily just bought a typical wall calendar I decided to try something different. I've been reading here and there about linear calendars and how effective they are for younger children to understand the sequence of events. A lot of the calendars I came across were way too long and large for the space I had available and they seemed too confusing and cluttered for what I had in mind. I wanted something clear, user-friendly and manageable. 

I made our calendar based off the model from Pocket of Preschool. I loved how easy it was to use and how it helped the children see their own schedule. There are a few things that I have changed to make this calendar work better for us like the "Today" dot and including the days of the week.

Using the Calendar

                                                           

We use this calendar everyday! It is the first thing we do at the start of our work cycle and the kids are always eager to see what is special about that day or something coming up later in the month. I always invite them to come help with the calendar and write an "X" over the previous day. We do a short discussion about yesterday, today and tomorrow, and discuss any important upcoming events.

When it's time to begin a new month we change the month card, wipe off all the "X" marks on the number cards and remove all days of the week and picture cards. We work together to replace the days of the week in the right order for the new month and place picture cards with the correct days. So for example, every Sunday is our cleaning day, so we post a little picture of cleaning up or on Tuesdays we have Arabic so we post a card showing Arabic letters. The kids have really responded well to this calendar. It has definitely helped them understand the concept of time more clearly and have a better understanding of what to expect in the upcoming days.

What I love most is that this calendar gives the children autonomy in that they know what they are doing on a particular day. They know what is coming tomorrow or in a certain number of days. Some times they even remind me of something we should be doing! It also teaches them about responsibility and working cooperatively to set the calendar each month and take care of it throughout the month.

Picture Cards

These are some of the picture cards we use to give you an idea. We have routine events like Friday prayer, Arabic and cleaning days and then other special events like traveling, Eid, a play date, or a birthday.

*Please note these are Google images*

Some Changes

I'd really like to find a way to display the months in order somewhere on the wall along with a display of the changing seasons. I'm still brainstorming but this is definitely something I want to incorporate into our calendar activities in the coming months. 

Do you use a linear calendar? How do you make it work in your space? Share your experiences with us on Facebook!