tiny signals for teachers

classroom-tools

classroom tool guides

classroom tools, for early childhood

feelings charts, behavior charts, pec cards, visual choice boards, first/then boards, and a recipe for writing social stories. every tool below is a description, a use case, and the developmental reason it works, so a teacher can sketch it today on paper or rebuild it in any program.

these are guides for making the tools by hand, not files to download. a chart is a bridge between a child's body and their words. it is never a scoreboard.

feelings charts

for the moment a child cannot find the word yet.

six faces feelings chart

what it is: one page, six simple faces: calm, happy, sad, mad, scared, tired. lowercase labels under each.
how to use it: tape near the cubbies at child height. a child who can't find words yet can point. you read the word out loud, then sit with them.
why it works: young children name feelings in their body before they name them in words (Lisa Feldman Barrett, How Emotions Are Made). a chart is a bridge, not a test.
how to make it: draw the six faces on a sheet of cardstock, laminate, attach a small clothespin so a child can clip their own face.

color jars feelings chart

what it is: five empty jars labeled calm (green), happy (yellow), sad (blue), mad (red), scared (black). children color in how full each jar feels today.
how to use it: morning check-in. takes two minutes. the goal is noticing, not fixing. a full red jar tells you the day needs more outside time, not a lecture.
why it works: based on the color metaphor in Anna Llenas's The Color Monster. sorting is a regulation strategy, not a personality label.
how to make it: sketch five jars on one sheet, photocopy one per child per week, clip into a small notebook so you can see patterns.

body map feelings chart

what it is: an outline of a child's body. the child shades where in their body the feeling lives (tight chest, hot face, jumpy legs).
how to use it: for a child who freezes when asked 'how do you feel?'. the body is easier to point to than a word.
why it works: interoception, noticing internal body cues, predicts later emotion regulation (Bruce Perry, neurosequential model). body first, then story.
how to make it: trace a gingerbread-style outline on plain paper. crayons work better than markers because the pressure matters.

pec cards and visual supports

for a child who is not using words yet, or who loses them under stress. pictures are a real first language.

picture exchange (pec) starter cards

what it is: small square cards, one picture per card, with a lowercase word underneath: more, all done, help, bathroom, water, snack, break, hug, book, outside. a velcro strip on the back.
how to use it: for a child who is not yet using words, or who loses words when flooded. the child hands you a card to ask. you say the word back, then meet the request. the card is the bridge, not the goal.
why it works: Picture Exchange Communication System (Bondy & Frost). the act of handing a card is communication, even before speech. requests come before labels, always.
how to make it: cut cardstock at 2x2 inches, draw or paste a photo per card, laminate, attach hook-side velcro to the back. keep a loop-side strip on a lanyard or the wall near the cozy corner.

visual choice board

what it is: a single page with 4 to 6 picture squares of real options right now: blocks, books, drawing, sensory bin, outside, rest. the child points or places a clip.
how to use it: for transitions, free choice time, or a child stuck between options. fewer choices, real photos when possible, not clipart of things you do not actually have.
why it works: limited, concrete choices reduce executive load and increase follow-through (Pyramid Model practices). a choice board is a yes, not a test.
how to make it: take phone photos of your actual shelves, arrange 4 to a page in any doc app. swap the page when the room changes.

first / then board

what it is: two boxes side by side, labeled lowercase: first, then. one picture in each. example: first, clean up. then, snack.
how to use it: for a child who needs to see what is coming. say the words while pointing. do not add a third box, two is the whole tool.
why it works: sequencing supports for young children with developing executive function (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard). predictability lowers the threat response.
how to make it: draw two boxes on one page, laminate, use a dry-erase marker or velcro the pictures so it changes through the day.

social stories

tiny handmade books that walk a child through something new, before it happens. how to write one, and what to write one about.

how to write one in twenty minutes

what it is: a six-step recipe: name the situation in one line, list what the child will see and hear, list what the child might feel, list what other people will do, write one short thing the child can try, end with a calming line.
how to use it: write it for one child, by name, about one event. do not reuse a generic story, the specifics are what make it work.
why it works: the specificity is the active ingredient (Gray, 2010). a generic 'going to school' story does not land the way 'tuesday is picture day' does.
how to make it: draw stick figures, that is enough. or use phone photos of the actual room, the actual door, the actual sink.

topics worth a social story

what it is: fire drill, substitute teacher, new child joining the class, a child leaving, picture day, field trip, doctor visit, haircut, a parent traveling, a death in the family, the first day back after a long break.
how to use it: make one when you know a change is coming. keep finished ones in a small bin so the next teacher, or the family, can use them again.
why it works: anticipatory preparation reduces stress responses in young children (Bruce Perry, neurosequential model). knowing what is coming is regulation.
how to make it: store each story in a labeled gallon ziplock with the date. the family can take it home for the night before.

behavior charts

for the moment after a hard one, when the room needs to talk about what happened, not who did it.

what happened chart

what it is: four boxes: before, what i did, how i felt, what helped. no sad faces, no green-yellow-red traffic lights.
how to use it: after a hard moment, sit with the child and fill it in together. it is a conversation tool, not a record of bad behavior.
why it works: antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) charting is the early childhood standard (Division for Early Childhood recommended practices). it describes the situation, not the child.
how to make it: draw four boxes on a half sheet, keep a small stack in a folder by your meeting spot. one page per moment, then recycle.

calm down choices chart

what it is: six pictures of calming options: deep breaths, squeeze a pillow, drink water, look at a book, ask for a hug, sit by the window.
how to use it: post in your cozy corner. a child who is flooded does not need a question, they need a picture menu they can point to.
why it works: Conscious Discipline and the Pyramid Model both place self-regulation tools in the environment, not in adult reminders.
how to make it: draw large, at least 8.5x11. small icons disappear in a big feeling.

classroom agreements chart (not rules)

what it is: three to five short agreements the children helped name: we are gentle with bodies, we use our words, we take care of our room.
how to use it: review at morning meeting for the first month, then weekly. point to it when something happens, instead of naming the child.
why it works: co-created agreements outperform teacher-imposed rules for follow-through (Ross Greene, Collaborative & Proactive Solutions).
how to make it: let the children draw a small picture next to each agreement. it becomes theirs.

routines and care

the small visuals that make transitions, arrival, and self-care predictable, so no one has to raise their voice.

transition warning cards (5, 2, 1)

what it is: three cards, one per number: 5, 2, 1. under each number, a picture of what is ending (blocks, art, outside) and a picture of what is next (circle, snack, rest).
how to use it: hold up the 5 card and say the words. then the 2. then the 1. keep the pictures the same size, keep your voice the same volume. the countdown is the whole tool.
why it works: advance notice reduces resistance during transitions in young children (Pyramid Model transition supports). the picture matters more than the number.
how to make it: make three 5x7 index cards, laminate, punch a hole in the corner, keep on a carabiner at your hip.

potty steps visual

what it is: one page, six small squares in order: pull down pants, sit, wipe, flush, pull up pants, wash hands. lowercase words under each picture.
how to use it: tape on the inside of the bathroom door at child height. point to each square as the child does it. do not read it out loud once they know it, let the pictures do the work.
why it works: task analysis for self-care skills (Division for Early Childhood recommended practices). breaking a routine into visible steps supports independence, not compliance.
how to make it: laminate. wipes will find it. remake every few months as the picture wears.

hand washing sequence

what it is: one page, five pictures in a strip: wet hands, soap, rub for a song, rinse, dry. a short song name written under 'rub for a song' (happy birthday twice, or the abcs).
how to use it: tape above the sink at child height. sing along the first month, then step back. the song is the timer, not you.
why it works: cdc handwashing guidance for group care settings. a 20-second scrub is the active ingredient, and children hit 20 seconds by singing, not by watching a clock.
how to make it: draw a five-picture strip, laminate, hang with clear packing tape. water will get on it.

arrival routine strip

what it is: a long horizontal strip with 5 pictures: hang backpack, wash hands, put lunchbox in bin, sign in, choose a table. lowercase words under each.
how to use it: post next to the cubbies. a child who is having a hard morning can point to where they are on the strip. it externalizes the sequence so the parent is not the one reciting it.
why it works: predictable arrival routines reduce separation distress (Bruce Perry, neurosequential model). the same steps in the same order every day is the regulation.
how to make it: make one 4x14 landscape strip on cardstock, laminate. one per entry point.

calm corner menu

what it is: one page with 6 pictures of what is actually in your calm corner: a bean bag, a weighted lap pad, a book bin, a squishy ball, headphones, a small mirror. lowercase labels.
how to use it: the child goes to the corner and points to what they want. adults do not choose for them. the menu makes the corner a resource, not a time-out.
why it works: Conscious Discipline calm center design. self-selected regulation tools build the skill of noticing what your body needs, which is the whole point.
how to make it: take photos of your actual items, not clipart. mount at 8.5x11 at child eye level.

sensory break menu

what it is: one page, 8 pictures of quick sensory options: push the wall, chair push-ups, carry the book bin, jump ten times, drink through a straw, chew gum stick, squeeze putty, use a body sock.
how to use it: for a child whose body is asking for input. offer two options, let them pick. a break is 2-5 minutes, then back to the group.
why it works: proprioceptive and oral-motor input support regulation (occupational therapy heavy-work principles). the input is the strategy, the picture is the memory aid.
how to make it: keep one on a clipboard by the door. write the child's initials and the time when they pick, so patterns show up.