In a structured work system, work routinely flows from left to right. Tasks to be completed are placed on the student’s left. One task at a time is brought to the work surface, completed, and then transferred to a “finished” area to the student’s right. It is often helpful to have a shelving unit on the left of the student to hold the tasks to be completed in an organized fashion. Shelves for finished tasks may also be on the right of the student. However, some people prefer to use a laundry basket or other large container for finished work. The child completes the work and then places it in the “finished basket” on the floor to his right. One example of this type of work system organization is depicted in the photo on the next page:
A schedule of work to be completed may also assist some students in finishing the tasks independently. The schedule should match coding on the task boxes—colors, letters, numbers, pictures, etc. A schedule strip can be mounted to the work surface in front of the child. The schedule defines the order in which the child is to complete the tasks on his left. For example, a schedule strip may contain a green square of paper, a red square, and a yellow square, attached to the strip with Velcro®. Each box to be completed has a matching green, red, or yellow square on the outside of the box. The child will remove the first colored square, match it to the outside of the box with the same color square and then complete the task in the box. A piece of loop-Velcro® is placed on the colored square. The photo on the next page illustrates an example of a schedule strip with cards to be matched to the outside of the task box.
The goal of organized work systems is for the student to complete the tasks independently—without any prompting or assistance from another person. Tasks are only placed in the work system when the child can complete them independently. Work systems can begin with only one or two tasks if that is the independent performance level of the child. As the child becomes more proficient, the number and complexity of the tasks can increase.
Task boxes are easy to make out of materials you already have or can find around the house. On the following page is a letter that you can use to ask people to save task box items for you.
Dear Teachers,
As you clean out your rooms at the end of the year (and clean out your children’s rooms at home, too!), could you save any of the following items that you find and no longer need:
Please give to ________________________________. Thanks!
What do you do with this stuff once you get it?
These items can be used as containers for tasks: