Put It in Order: Doing a Load of Laundry
Seven steps for washing and drying a load of laundry, mixed up for the student to sequence and explain.
Tap two cards to swap them
How to run it
Read the steps aloud first and talk through any unfamiliar words such as setting and lint screen. Let the student order them, then ask them to explain what would go wrong if two steps swapped places. Finish with a retell using sequence words. If the student does laundry at home, compare this order with how their household does it.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- Question promptAsk a story-grammar question: who, where, what was the problem, what happened next?Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two possible next parts of the story and let the student pick and say it.Log as cued
- ModelTell that part yourself; the student tells it back in their own words.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use fewer parts, and keep a first-next-last visual on the table.
Ask for the retell without the pictures, with a feeling or a reason added to each part.
Matching IEP goal
Given a picture or story prompt, Student will put events in order and retell them using first, next, then and last in 4 of 5 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one question prompt.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Seven steps for doing a load of laundry: sort lights and darks, load clothes and add soap, pick a setting and start it, move wet clothes to the dryer, clear lint and start the dryer, fold the clothes while warm, and put the clothes away. It is a longer routine than many sequencing boards, which suits secondary students preparing for more independent living.
What to listen for
Notice whether the student can hold a seven-step sequence or orders the first and last steps correctly while scrambling the middle. Picking a setting and moving clothes to the dryer are often placed out of order. Listen for whether the retell names each step specifically or slides into general phrases.
Carrying it home
Hand over one real load of laundry, with the student talking through each step as they go. Stay nearby but let them lead. Afterwards, ask which step was the hardest to remember. A photo checklist taped near the machine is a useful bridge between this board and doing it alone.
What's in this activity
- Sort lights and darks
- Load clothes and add soap
- Pick a setting and start it
- Move wet clothes to the dryer
- Clear lint and start dryer
- Fold the clothes while warm
- Put the clothes away
Questions
- Who is this for?
- Students in grades 6 through 12 working on longer functional sequences, transition goals and explaining a procedure.
- Is seven steps too many?
- For some students, yes. Remove steps in the Activity Studio to make a shorter version, then add them back as the student gains confidence.
- Is it free?
- Yes. It plays free in the browser with no login. An account adds session data, goal scoring and assignment to a student.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.