Teaching calendar skills to kids can be challenging because time is an abstract concept. Even if kids use time-related words, they don’t always understand them. Then when you add in ADHD, Autism, or language-based challenges, it becomes more difficult.
Because my child has speech and language challenges, I’ve had to be intentional about how I teach him the calendar. So, I created some calendar templates to help him understand and correctly use the following calendar terms.
- Days of the week
- Months of the year
- Today, yesterday, and tomorrow
- Components of the “date”
- (i.e., day, date, month, and year combined in a phrase)
If you need help teaching calendar skills to your child, this calendar template and plan should be helpful.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a nominal fee from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. See my disclosure policy for more info.
Teaching Calendar Skills Template
The calendar template I created to teach my child calendar skills includes the following.
- Instructions for use for the homeschool teacher
- Days of the week song template
- Months of the year song template
- Scripted template page to guide your child through the parts of the date.
- The day, date, month, and year.
- A blank calendar template for each month between August and July
- Each monthly page has a smaller scripted template to practice daily.
1. Instructions to Teach the Calendar
The first thing you need to know when teaching your child the calendar is that it will take time. Your child may not fully understand the concept of the calendar at first. This is ok.
Your goal is to help them know how to recognize and use the calendar and its concepts. While the day, date, month, and year may seem like basic concepts that should be simple to learn, they likely won’t be.
Setting Up Your Calendar Templates
Before you get started, you’ll need to set up your calendar template pages. These are my recommendations.
- Print out calendar template notebooking pages
- Slide them into sheet protectors
- Then put it all in a binder
Time to jump in!
2. Use Songs to Teach Days and Months
Kids have a powerful learning tool in their ability to memorize easily. When you add that skill to the power of song, you’ve got a winner!
Think about it this way. You walk into a store and suddenly hear a song you haven’t heard in a decade. And yet, you sing every single word as if were yesterday. Use this idea to your child’s advantage.
If they haven’t already learned the days and the months, use the song templates to teach your child the days of the week and months of the year.
3. “Today is” Scripts
Next in the calendar skills teaching template is a basic script guiding your child through the current date.
While it may seem too simple, it works. Take the guesswork out of learning the date and follow the script. It’ll be predictable for your child which will lower anxiety.
Using this script helps your child better identify the parts of the date.
You’ll likely only need to use this once or twice to introduce the concept. Then you can eliminate it from your daily routine.
When done with this calendar page, just use the monthly calendar pages.
4. Monthly Calendar Pages
Because you’ve placed all sheets in sheet protectors, you only need to print one copy of each page of the calendar templates. Use dry-erase markers and a magic eraser for clean up and you’re golden.
Go to the current month and walk your child through the script at the bottom of the page. If they can write, have them fill in:
- the day,
- month,
- date (I always remind my son that the date is a number),
- and the year
Help for Dysgraphia and Other Fine Motor Challenges
If your child struggles with the physical act of writing or has dysgraphia, please scribe for them. Then read the script aloud with your child. For example,
Today is Monday, August 1st, 2022.
That’s it. Use your magic eraser for clean-up and you’re done for the day.
Extra Resources for Calendar Time
This Free Printable Weather Activity Pack is a perfect calendar skills complement. Plus, these countdown calendar printables are a great tool to help your child prepare for upcoming events.
Recap: Teaching Calendar Skills
While this may seem simple, over time your child will get it. Ultimately, they’ll thank you for this life skill.
Friend, when homeschooling, you already feel pressure to get your child reading, writing, and proficient in math.
Here’s a simple way to give your child this foundational life skill. People will ask him or her about the day or date at some point. You can help them do this with this calendar teaching template.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a nominal fee from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. See my disclosure policy for more info.
My kids are past this but I wanted to say that these look well thought out and helpful. You are right, time is a hard things to learn and it takes time for any kid.
Thank you!!! Teaching calendar skills to my son has been a journey and this is the only system that’s worked to seal the deal! Yay! 🙂
A very powerful way to help children master a necessary skill! Thank you for sharing.