Why use First and Then boards?

First and Then Boards, sometimes called Now and Next Boards, are a useful strategy because they can:

• help your child see what activities they are going to be doing
• help them understand the order in which things are going to happen
• visually represent what is going to happen first and then by using a picture or symbol
• help your child engage in learning activities because they have something motivating happening afterwards.

First and Then Boards are most commonly used with pictures or symbols, but they can also be used with written words.

It is helpful to keep a set of symbols that represent different activities. If you do not have these available, you can draw pictures on Post-it Notes, a whiteboard or a piece of paper.

How to introduce First and Then boards

• create a board with First and Then in a grid
• make sure you have symbols or pictures available for the activities you are going to use
• when introducing a First and Then Board for the first time, make sure the Then activity is more motivating than the First activity
• for example, you may want to offer First: puzzle and Then: bubbles. To start with, both activities should be ones the child enjoys
• the First activity can be very short before moving on to the Then activity
• once the First activity is finished, remove the symbol and say, “Puzzle has finished”, so that your child can see it has ended
• move the bubbles symbol into the First position
• once your child is familiar with First and Then Boards, gradually increase the amount of time spent on the First activity before moving on to the Then activity
• you can also start to place learning activities in the First position before the motivating Then activity.

Example

Top tips for First and Then boards

• always use spoken language alongside First and Then Boards
• use First and Then Boards throughout the day and not only for activities your child may be less motivated to complete
• once you have introduced the board, make sure it is accessible throughout the day
• at home, you could keep it on the fridge or in another place where your child can easily see it
• at school, it could be attached to the child’s desk or workstation
• if your child tries to move on to the motivating activity, draw their attention back to the board and say, “First X, then Y”
• if this is difficult for your child, reduce the time spent on the first activity, but continue to use the board
• adults should initially demonstrate how the board works by removing symbols as activities are completed
• as your child becomes more familiar with the board, encourage them to remove the symbols themselves, or with a small amount of support
• this helps develop independence
• activities with a clear ending, such as inset puzzles, short picture books or matching activities, can be useful when first introducing the board
• this can be particularly helpful for children who have difficulties with attention and listening skills.