Why Now Next Boards and Visual Timetable Cards Are Essential For A Calm Classroom

For many children, even the smallest amount of change can be stressful and confusing. When you’re the adult making all the decisions, it’s easy to forget that children don’t know what plans are ahead.

Now Next Boards and visual timetables are brilliant ways to ensure children are always clear about what’s coming so they remain calm and focused.

Here’s 4 quick reasons why now next boards and visual timetables cards can help to bring calm to your classroom.

Why Now Next Boards and Visual Timetable Cards Are Essential For A Calm Classroom

1. Avoid Sensory Overload: Now next boards allow children to focus on two tasks at a time so they don’t feel overloaded. When we’re overloaded, our brains can’t process information. 

For a small section of children, telling them all the tasks for the day can cause sensory overload which might make them cover their ears, scream, cry and other extreme behaviours.

Getting the day off to a good start with visual timetables and now next boards, will give children the clarity and structure they need. So visual timetables and now next boards can be used with a range of children who get anxious about change.

Rather than telling children everything they’ll be doing for the day, with a now next board you can break down the day’s activities into a set of two tasks at a time.

At The Educator’s Space, KS1 and KS2 now next boards come with room to give feedback from ticks or stickers so they remain motivated and feel a continuous sense of achievement.

2. Build Independence: Giving children the confidence of knowing what’s ahead allows them to develop independence. The reassurance of a regular routine which children know means they can mentally prepare for the transition to the next activity.

Visual timetable cards work alongside now next boards and are a tool all children enjoy. The editable timetable cards for each day are displayed in a prominent place, such as at the bottom of the interactive whiteboard.

It’s very common for one child to be the visual timetable monitor, responsible for putting the cards up and another, (usually a child who uses now next boards), to take each card down once the lesson has finished.

3. Improve Focus: With only two tasks to think about at any time, now next boards help children to give each task its full focus because they’re not distracted by what’s coming next.

Take a look at our now next boards to find useful visual timetable packs for classroom or home. Go