Published September 18, 2012 | 
As a parent to a first time JK student, I found myself asking him question after question once he got home today. At first he answered I don’t know and later he shared more about his day.
As a teacher to new students in a new enviroment an idea would be to send home a little information about their first week. On a piece of paper create some simple sentences like; I played with ________, I played at the _______ centre. Then, let them illustrate a picture on their own about something they enjoyed. You can call them over in small groups, you can circulate around the room and engage in oral conversation while recording their ideas during play. When time allows you can take a photo and send it home . This way they can talk at home about things they actually did!
Published January 31, 2012 | 
A colleague emailed me the following daily schedule for her Full Day Kindergarten Classroom.
Children’s Day (Outline)
** Times are approximate
** Activities may change depending on day
| Entry 8:40 *Arrival *Lockers (coat, boots, hat, mitts etc) put on shoes *Check backpacks for envelopes/library books) *Find name and match (first/last) *Carpet (name square) |
| 8:45-9:20 *Name square (independent reading – book bags) *Attendance *Reading Chair *Word Study **Small groups of children work with Teacher or ECE** |
| 9:20-10:00 *Carpet *Group Activity ( ie. book, manipulatives,table explanations) * Free choice |
| 10:00-10:30 *Snack (children take turns cleaning table after snack is finished) * Free Choice |
| 10:30-10:45 *Tidy up *Carpet *Get ready for recess |
| 10:45-10:55 *Recess |
| 10:55-11:25 *Gym *Gross motor activities (indoor/outdoor) |
| 11:25-12:00 (11:20) Children who leave for lunch get ready *Lunch (children remain in classroom for lunch) *Get ready for Recess |
| 12:00-12:25 *Recess |
| 12:25-1:10 *Come in from Recess *Lockers (coat, boots, hat, mitts etc) put on shoes *Find name and math (first/last) *Attendance (daily helper picks a friend to take attendance to office *Math Study ** Day 2 double Science period 12:30-1:50** **Day 5 children attend Library for computer time** |
| 1:10-1:50 *Carpet *Group Activity ( ie. book, manipulatives, table explanations) *Snack *Free Choice ** Day 3 Library –Book Exchange** |
| 1:50-2:30 *Free Choice *Tidy up *Carpet (name square) *Assist children to get ready for recess ** Day 1 Music** |
| 2:30-2:40 *Recess |
| 2:40-3:10 *Story, songs, talk, children’s choice *Get ready for home time *Dismissal **Day 4 music** |
Published January 26, 2012 | Our daily schedule might be different than most Early Learning Kindergarten classrooms. However, my teaching partner and I have tried different ways of making it work in our room, and for us and our students, this schedule works the best. We do alter it during different seasons, but not greatly. The main way we adjust it is for the weather. In the Fall and Spring, we spend more time outdoors. Our school is in the northern end of Simcoe County, so it can be difficult to get outside as often as we would like to in the winter. Also, we are on a balanced day schedule in our school board. We also try to keep large group instruction times to a minimum and focus on small group instruction so everyone gets more out of the program.
| 9:10am to 9:30am | Entry - gather on carpet, daily graph, review graph |
| 9:30am to 9:50am | Independent Writing |
| 9:50am to 10:40am | Free Play (we also do small group instructions) |
| 10:40am to 10:50pm | Read the week’s short poem. Review sight words |
| 10:50am to 11:30am | Nutrition Break and Recess |
| 11:30am to 12:20pm | Music/Gym/Library (depending on what day it is) |
| 12:20pm to 1:05pm | Literacy activities in small groups and free play |
| 1:05pm to 1:10pm | Handwashing and getting lunches |
| 1:10pm to 1:50pm | Nutrition Break and Recess |
| 1:50pm to 2:05pm | Large group instruction for math |
| 2:05pm to 2:20pm | Math activities that focus on the lesson |
| 2:20pm to 2:30pm | Regroup and review the math activity/lesson |
| 2:30pm to 3:15pm | Free Play (we also do small group instructions again) |
| 3:15pm to 3:30pm | Getting ready for home |
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