Mfano wa ratiba ya kindergarten
8:35-9:00 – arrival, breakfast, morning work
Our morning work consists of unpacking, signing in, fine motor tasks, and play.
9:15-9:30 – number corner, calendar
I recently made the switch to number corner and calendar in the morning and I LOVE it – I really feel like for my class and preferences, this flows better in the morning vs. later in the day during math.
9:30-11:00 – literacy (science/ss integration)
Our literacy block focuses on mini lessons, writing time, a LOT of reading and read alouds, and free-flowing centers, where students are moving through their choices and I am meeting with small groups.
11:00-11:45 – lunch/recess
11:50-12:10 – rest/story
We don’t sleep or take naps, but we do spend some time with the lights out just taking it easy with a story/regrouping. These kids are very young and the day is busy!
12:15-1:00 – classroom play/centers (kitchen, sensory, blocks, etc.)
This is when my kids make their plan to play in our classroom. We have a kitchen area, blocks, cars, LEGOS, puzzles, and tons more.
Our room is set up so that our work areas are actually integrated into play areas. You won’t find toys on the outskirts of the room, rather the centers are all throughout and in well defined spaces.
Kids decide on a plan, but are allowed to change their plan and move freely between areas. During this time I support the development of
social-emotional skills, as well as
work on academics in authentic ways as they come up naturally through play.
For instance, if I have a student who isn’t able to count with one-to-one correspondence, I may build a LEGO tower with him and count the blocks. If a student cannot read CVC words, we may do word puzzles together or read books.
This is a time that they are continually learning and it is SO important for their development. I can’t imagine our day without it!
Keep in mind
they are allowed to free play, and I do not interrupt their play. Rather, if they are interested in playing and learning with me, I may approach them, but
I never interrupt them.
For instance, if a child was already immersed in building legos, I would never go over there and make them count them. It’s only if we have started building together or they show an interest.
1:00-1:50 – math
Math is a similar structure to literacy.
Routine is VERY important at this age and they thrive when they have similar systems in place throughout the day.
We have mini lessons, number talks, and free-flowing math centers (similar to literacy) where students are freely moving through their choices and I am meeting with small groups.
1:50-2:05 – recess
2:05-2:20 – snack
2:30 – dismissal
Note – early in the year we dedicate WAY more time to dismissal and pack up – it takes us a while to get it down to ten minutes. 😉