Riding the City Bus Step-by-Step Cards: Levels A, B, C for Life Skills Transition, Ages 14 to 21

Riding the bus is one of the biggest steps toward independence I see students take. It is also one of the scariest, for them and for their families. These cards break the whole trip into 28 small steps, from checking the route the night before to texting "I made it."

Every card has one step and one clear picture, and the picture shows exactly what the step says. The set comes in three levels, so the same cards work for a student who needs picture support and for a student who is almost ready to ride alone.

I've spent a lot of years helping students stay calm when plans fall apart. That is why the What If? page is in here. A missed bus or a full bus does not have to turn into a crisis when a student has already practiced the next step.

What's included:

• 28 sequence cards at Level A (picture + 1 to 3 words)

• 28 sequence cards at Level B (picture + short sentence + a "Stuck?" backup line)

• Level C independent checklist

• One page visual checklist

• Stop Request and Safe Seat rule page (with a wheelchair and mobility device note)

• What If? problem solving page with 6 situations (missed bus, lost, wrong route, full bus, lost pass, dead phone)

• First/Then board and check off strips

• Student self check

• Teacher and parent page with a fading guide and an IEP goal idea

• Trip data sheet

• Two blank cards at each level so you can add a step for your own route

How I use it:

We start in the classroom with a "bus" made of chairs, then take short rides with me nearby. As students get steady, I fade from the cards to the checklist, and then to just the strip in their pocket.

How this is different from my other bus products: Reading Bus + Train Schedules teaches reading the timetable. Social Narrative: Riding the City Bus is a story you read together before the trip. This set is the do it version: cards a student carries and checks off during the ride. Use them together if you like: plan the route, read the story, then ride with the cards.

Who it is for: high school special education, transition programs for ages 18 to 21, life skills classes, and families teaching community travel. Grades 9 to 12 and adult transition.

What you download: one printable PDF, 19 pages, US Letter.

Every transit system works a little differently. Check fares, transfers, and how to request a stop where you live, and follow your school's or program's rules for community based instruction. Students who use a wheelchair or other mobility device should follow the transit agency's boarding rules (usually the lift or ramp and the priority area); the teacher page has a short note on this, and the cards still work for the rest of the trip.

Made by Jeremy D. Gooch, special education teacher and transition coordinator. Drafting and layout had AI assistance; every page was checked by me.