< PreviousAT A GLANCE When do things happen at school? Focus Question 3 16 Day 1Day 2Day 3 Question of the Day What do you do when you get to school? What do you do after you wake up in the morning? What do we do after lunch? (Offer two choices.) Large Group and Extension Discussion: Daily Schedule Materials • daily schedule that includes pictures, word descriptions, and times for each activity • Mighty Minutes 80, “Number Order” • numeral cards (1–10) Discussion: Our Home Schedules Materials • daily schedule • photos of common home routines • Intentional Teaching Card M14, “Day & Night” • magazines • scissors • glue • images of analog clocks • pictures of activities that occur during the morning, noon, and night Discussion: Weekly Schedule Materials • daily schedule • large sheet of chart or bulletin board paper • images or photos of classroom activities to add to the weekly schedule Read-Aloud Moony Luna Book Discussion Card 01 (first read-aloud) Selection from the “Children’s Books” list in the “Resources” section of Getting Started or your class library Moony Luna Book Discussion Card 01 (second read-aloud) Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Objective 12b Intentional Teaching Card M14, “Day & Night” Objectives 1c and 10a Intentional Teaching Card SE01, “Recess Goals” Objectives 1c and 10a Intentional Teaching Card SE01, “Recess Goals” Additional Daily Resources Mighty Minutes ® 13, “Queen Bee” 11, “Space Launch” Intentional Teaching Cards ™ SE05, “Introducing ‘I’ Statements” Mighty Minutes ® 55, “Sticky Names” 82, “Beanbag Pass” Intentional Teaching Cards ™ SE23, “Clean Up the Classroom” Mighty Minutes ® 07, “Picture This” 25, “Let’s Get Moving”Vocabulary English: schedule, Venn diagram, daily schedule, weekly schedule, signal, routine Spanish: horario, diagrama de Venn, horario diario, horario seminal, señal, rutina 17 Day 4Day 5Family Connections What does this traffic light tell people to do? (Display a picture of a traffic light with the color green lit up.) What is the first thing you do when you get to school? • Download, customize, and send home the Starting Kindergarten Together: Settling into Classroom and School Routines! note. You can access this note to families and other resources in the Resource Library at teachingstrategies. com/first-six-weeks-k-support (password: First6SupportForK). • Encourage families to review the information and follow the guidance in the note to support their child’s development and learning at home. Family tip Positive relationships lie at the heart of strong home– school connections. In the first few weeks of school, determine what communication methods each family prefers and select meaningful ways to communicate with families regularly. These initial contacts foster a good first impression and present opportunities to learn about families and their children. For more tips related to building strong partnerships with families throughout the year, see page 15 in Volume 1: The Foundation. Discussion: Transitioning Between Times of Day Materials • daily schedule • Mighty Minutes 04, “Pause, Rewind!” Discussion: First, Second, Third, and Last Materials • a four-column chart with the headers 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and last. • Mighty Minutes 18, “Sammy’s Week” Selection from the “Children’s Books” list or your class library Moony Luna Book Discussion Card 01 (third read-aloud) Objectives 2b and 7b Intentional Teaching Card SE08, “Sharing Sunshine Messages” Objectives 2b and 7b Intentional Teaching Card SE08, “Sharing Sunshine Messages” Mighty Minutes ® 26, “Manual Measures” 33, “Bilingual Bistro” Mighty Minutes ® 58, “Once Upon a Sequence” 37, “At the Flea Market”The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 19 Focus Question 3 When do things happen at school? When I announced to the class that it was time to clean up, Matteo continued to play with the tangrams at the Math and Games station. When reminded again, he got up and returned to his seat, leaving the tangrams scattered on the floor. After being prompted to clean up, Matteo did not put away the tangrams. How can I help him follow classroom rules with only occasional reminders? (Objective 1b) I can ask Matteo to return to the Math and Games station and say, “After we use our classroom materials, we put them away. Do you know where the tangrams go?” Then I’ll show Matteo where the tangrams are stored and how to clean them up. I will explain that, the next time he plays with them, he will know what to do when it is time to clean up. EXAMPLE 1 ObserveReflectRespond EXAMPLE 2 ObserveReflectRespond I rang the bell for the children to line up after recess, and Isabella continued to climb on the play structure. Carlos said, “Isabella, it’s time to go in. She’s ringing the bell for us.” Isabella shrugged her shoulders, continued to climb toward the slide, and said, “But I didn’t get to slide yet.” Isabella continued to play when it was time to line up to go inside from the playground. When reminded that it was time to line up, she chose to continue playing and go down the slide. How can I help Isabella better manage these transitions? (Objective 1b) I will start giving the children a few minutes’ notice before big transitions. I can remind Isabella that the class will be lining up shortly and to finish up any last-minute activities or games. Children are most successful when their days are organized into a predictable series of routines. By creating these familiar routines for children to follow each day, you provide them with a sense of comfort and security because at any given moment they know what they are supposed to be doing and what will happen next. Learning the order of the classroom activities and how to manage transitions between the activities will help the children feel comfortable in the classroom environment and enable you to manage your daily schedule with ease. During this focus question, keep Objective 1, “Regulates own emotions and behaviors,” Dimension b, “Follows limits and expectations,” in mind. In a typical kindergarten classroom there are rules, routines, and transitions that children need to manage each day. Once children are familiar with these rules and routines, they should be able to follow them with minimal reminders and support. To ensure that children understand and are familiar with the rules, routines, and transitions, include children in a conversation about creating classroom rules and stick to your typical classroom schedule as much as possible, especially during the first several weeks of the school year. For additional strategies to help children follow limits and expectations, refer to page 10 in Volume 2: Objectives for Development & Learning. As you interact with children this week, observe how they express themselves and manage their feelings. Take time to reflect on the behaviors you see and how you can respond to individual children to support their social–emotional development. 20 DAY 1 Focus Question 3 When do things happen at school? Daily Schedule Young children thrive and feel more secure when they can anticipate the events that take place throughout the day. From learning when they go to specials to knowing what activity happens after snack, having a familiarity with the classroom schedule provides a sense of comfort and control to children. Today you will help the children become familiar with the order of events during the day by discussing and reviewing a typical daily schedule. Vocabulary English: schedule; see Book Discussion Card 01, Moony Luna, for additional words Spanish: horario Question of the day: What do you do when you get to school? Transitions • Game: Mighty Minutes 13, “Queen Bee” • Movement: Mighty Minutes 11, “Space Launch” Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Discuss the question of the day. • Revisit the schedule that includes pictures, word descriptions, and the times for each daily activity. • Explain that the classroom schedule shows what is going on now and what is going to happen next during the day. • Read the schedule and briefly talk about each time of day. • Have the children practice reviewing the schedule by pointing out the pictures and providing scenarios, e.g., “Look at the picture of the basketball hoop on the classroom schedule; that means it is time for PE class. Pretend that we just came back from PE class. What will we do next?” or “What do we do before we walk to the cafeteria for lunch?” or “How can you tell that it is almost time for the afternoon dismissal?” • Show the children where the schedule is posted in the classroom and talk about how they can refer to it throughout the day. Including all children Some children may benefit from frequent, repeated visits to the daily schedule over the course of several days to help visually reinforce the order of the day’s events. To make the schedule easier to follow, consider flipping over times of day once they have occurred so that the top picture is always the routine or experience that is currently happening. Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Refer to the daily schedule throughout the day. Invite the children to share what activities take place next. • Use Mighty Minutes 80, “Number Order.” Follow the guidance on the front of the card and then use the same numeral cards (1–10) to add numbers to the events on the daily schedule. • As you and the children refer to the daily schedule throughout the day, talk with them about what they do during each part of the day. You might say, “Large-group roundup is a nice time to reflect back on the day and talk about any exciting things that happened that we want to share with our families.” Beginning the year considerations One way to communicate with children is to use “I” statements to express how you feel about a situation and why you feel that way. By using “I” statements, you help children learn how to express their feelings while guiding their behavior. These statements help children empathize with how others are feeling and understand that their actions affect others. Review Intentional Teaching Card SE05, “Introducing ‘I’ Statements,” for more support. The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 21 Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Take time to observe for Objective 12b, “Makes connections,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the question and prompt in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. • Intentional Teaching Card M14, “Day & Night” Large-Group Roundup • Discuss the events that took place today. • Review the classroom schedule and point to large-group roundup. Explain that large-group roundup is at the end of each day. • Invite the children to tell you what happened before large-group roundup and what will happen after, such as walking to the pickup line or getting on the bus. • Ask, “Do you follow a schedule at home? What are some things that you do every day?” Encourage the children to talk about their home schedule with their families. Reflecting on the Day • During which times of day are the children most actively participating in activities or discussions? During which times of day are the children less engaged or interested in activities? • How can you support the children’s participation during more challenging parts of the day? For example, if you notice children losing focus toward the end of the day, consider providing movement or hands-on activities during this time. Children often get restless toward the end of the day in anticipation of going home. Giving them opportunities to move will allow them to use their energy in a constructive way. Read-Aloud Read Moony Luna. • Use Book Discussion Card 01, Moony Luna. Follow the guidance for the first read-aloud. Not all of the children in your class will be equally ready for group reading, especially at the beginning of the year. Consider how long particular books take to read and whether the children can attend and engage for that length of time. If children are not actively engaged in a read-aloud, consider using the “picture walk” strategy and looking at the pictures with the children to familiarize them with the story. This method still allows you to introduce important vocabulary, the main characters, the problem they face, and the solution they discover.22 When do things happen at school? DAY 2 Focus Question 3 Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Discuss the daily schedule and the day’s events. • Talk about the question of the day. • Invite the children to share routines and activities they do at home. Record the children’s responses. • Display the classroom schedule and the list of home activities. Review the charts and say, “I wonder which activities your home schedule and our school schedule have in common.” • Explain that the children can create a Venn diagram to find out. • Draw two large circles on the board that overlap in the middle. Explain that a Venn diagram is a graph that uses overlapping circles to show similarities and differences. • Ask the children to choose which circle to label Home and which to label School. • Point to each circle and say, “This circle represents your home schedule, and this one represents the school schedule. This space in the middle will show us the activities we do both at home and at school.” • Choose an activity from one schedule and ask, “Is this activity only on the home schedule, only on the school schedule, or on both schedules?” • Place the activity in the appropriate location on the Venn diagram. • Continue reviewing the activities on both schedules. A Venn diagram is a drawing that shows relationships between sets. The diagram often has two or more intersecting circles. The shaded area where the circles overlap shows elements that the sets have in common. Including all children Provide pictures of common home routines for children to look at throughout the discussion. When children share their routines at home, invite them to choose a picture and name the routine using their first languages. Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Use Intentional Teaching Card M14, “Day & Night.” • Continue to add new activities that the children do throughout the day to the school schedule circle of the Venn diagram. Beginning the year considerations Cleanup time can be the most chaotic and hectic time of the day! It can also be a smooth experience that provides opportunities for learning and reinforcing concepts and skills. When you stick to a consistent routine and offer children support as needed, you can help make this occasionally challenging time of day a positive and successful experience. Review Intentional Teaching Card SE23, “Clean Up the Classroom,” for additional support. Our Home Schedules When children make connections between what they do at home and events that happen at school, they can identify how their home life and school life are similar and different and will become more interested in learning about the routines and activities they do every day. Today you will introduce and use a Venn diagram to help children identify the similarities and differences between what happens at home and what happens at school. Vocabulary English: Venn diagram Spanish: diagrama de Venn Question of the day: What do you do after you wake up in the morning? Transitions • Game: Mighty Minutes 55, “Sticky Names” • Movement: Mighty Minutes 82, “Beanbag Pass”The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 23 Read-Aloud During your read-aloud, take time to do the following: • Review the setting and illustrations of the story. Ask, “What time of day do you think it is? How can you tell?” • Invite the children to share what they do during that time of day. Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Over the next two days, take time to observe for Objective 1c, “Takes care of own needs appropriately,” and Objective 10a, “Engages in conversations,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the questions and prompts in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. You can observe for both dimensions today or continue your observations tomorrow. • Intentional Teaching Card SE01, “Recess Goals” Large-Group Roundup • Review the Venn diagram with the children. Discuss the activities that you added. • Explain that tomorrow you will create a weekly schedule that includes events that change throughout the week. Reflecting on the Day • How did the children compare the classroom schedule to their home schedules? • Consider how you can continue comparing the classroom schedule with other schedules the children follow. For example, you might use a Venn Diagram to compare the events on the music class schedule with the events on the PE class schedule. Some read-alouds in this Teaching Guide provide general guidance that can be applied to any book that you choose to share from the “Children’s Books” list in the “Resources” section of Getting Started or from your classroom or school library. Review the prompts and questions prior to choosing a book to ensure that the characters, plot, and setting invite rich social–emotional discussions.24 When do things happen at school? DAY 3 Focus Question 3 Large Group Discussion and Shared Writing • Review the question of the day by referring to the daily schedule. • Say, “This daily schedule shows us what happens each day, but sometimes things change. To understand this better, we need to create a weekly schedule , which will show us what happens each week.” • Review the daily schedule and point out the times of day when the activities that occur during that time may change, e.g., leaving the classroom to go to art, PE, or music. • Explain that these special times of day can change from day to day. For example, one day your special time may be art, and another day it may be music. • Use a large sheet of chart or bulletin board paper to outline a weekly schedule. Ask the children to help you fill in each time of day and encourage them to refer to the daily schedule as needed. • Once the weekly schedule is complete, review how the days are similar and different from one another. Including all children When possible, use nonverbal cues, such as pointing to written words and accompanying pictures, along with your spoken communication. These techniques can be particularly helpful to English-language learners, who are beginning to understand the meanings of new words. Large-Group Extension As you interact with children throughout the day, consider the following: • Invite children to draw illustrations or print images to add to the weekly schedule. For example, next to the art special time of day, you might include a photo of the children participating in art class or a drawing of an easel and paint brush. Beginning the year considerations Emphasizing the same vocabulary word over multiple days reinforces the word’s meaning for children and gives you additional opportunities to use the word in different contexts. For example, you might say, “You seem nervous to go to the Construction and Makerspace station, just like Moony Luna was nervous to go to school. Can I walk over with you so you are more comfortable?” Weekly Schedule Your classroom daily schedule might be different depending on the day. On Monday, the children might attend PE, but on Tuesday, they might attend Chinese lessons. Just as they learned the daily schedule, the children need to become comfortable and familiar with the events that take place during the week and how they differ from each other. Today you will review the weekly schedule with the children and discuss how the schedule changes throughout the week. Vocabulary English: daily schedule; weekly schedule; see Book Discussion Card 01, Moony Luna, for additional words Spanish: horario diario, horario semanal Question of the day: What do we do after lunch? (Offer two choices.) Transitions • Game: Mighty Minutes 07, “Picture This” • Movement: Mighty Minutes 25, “Let’s Get Moving”The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community Focus Questions The Creative Curriculum ® for Kindergarten 25 Read-Aloud Read Moony Luna. • Use Book Discussion Card 01, Moony Luna. Follow the guidance for the second read-aloud. During read-alouds, children need to be able to sit comfortably and be close enough to you to hear the story and see the pictures clearly. Wherever you decide to read with children, consider using soft furnishings, minimizing visual and auditory “clutter,” and providing enough space for children to move around or even lie down if they want to. Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey Continue to observe for Objective 1c, “Takes care of own needs appropriately,” and Objective 10a, “Engages in conversations,” using the Intentional Teaching Card ™ listed here or the questions and prompts in the Kindergarten Entry Assessment Survey. • Intentional Teaching Card SE01, “Recess Goals” Large-Group Roundup • Review the daily and weekly schedules.• Point out where each schedule is posted in the classroom and talk about how the children can refer to them throughout the day as needed. Reflecting on the Day • How are you communicating with families about the events that take place at school? Which methods of communication do families seem to prefer? • How can you keep families informed about the exciting learning that is taking place in your classroom? For example, you can create a simple template for a weekly newsletter to share with families via email or printouts. Fill in the newsletter with quick updates, special events that happened during the week, and ways that families can participate in the coming weeks.Next >