Many children need support when learning new skills. Breaking a skill down into smaller steps can help a child learn one step at a time. The number of steps a skill or task is broken into depends on the needs of your child.

You may want to provide your child with a visual sequence. This is basically a series of pictures showing the steps that are necessary to complete a task. You can use real photos, line drawings, or picture symbols to create your own visuals. When using a visual sequence, post it at your child’s eye level, point to the picture, and read the step out loud before completing the action.

You can also use the pictures to create a sequencing game of your own. Simply print the pictures, cut them out, and have your child practise putting the steps in order. You can also create a matching game by making two copies of the sequence. Glue one copy to a piece of construction paper in the correct order and have your child use the other set match the cards.

Here’s an example of ‘putting on a pair of pants’ sequence

* Note: from 1 to 6 years, the child can be seated; for 7 and older, the child is standing