Welcome to Kindergarten 2024-2025

Kindergarten is a world of fun, exploration and learning. Students are all at different stages of their learning so the approach to setting up the learning environment and learning activities varies depending on the learner. The joy is almost palpable when you can see the journey of a learner from the stage of not being able to recognize a letter or hold a pencil to being able to read confidently and share their learning. 

It has been a while since I updated this blog. I intend to revive my efforts and share with you a window to my classroom journey of kindergarten in a year. 

First Day/Week of Kindergarten

Students learn in different ways so there is no one size fits all. Planning for the first day of kindergarten is tricky because of the myriad of personalities that come in. Many times, what is planned on paper does not even get executed based on the challenges that arise on the day. It is a tough transition for many of these kids and so our duty as educators is to make the transition from home to school as smooth as we can. 

In this blog post, I will share some of my best practices for a somewhat smooth first day/week of school. Although every year the experience differs, it is important to be prepared for the basics. Working with a teaching partner is a definite advantage. This allows for shared ideas and is especially useful when dealing with criers. Yes, every year there is one common thread on the first day, settling the ones who have a hard time leaving their parents. 

Here are my tips for first-day preparation:

Have a clipboard with a pen at hand

As students are dropped off, parents usually have important messages to share such as authorized family/friends for pick up, lunch, allergies, etc. I often prepare a handout with questions to capture most of this pertinent information, however, it is helpful to capture these as the children are dropped off. Also, ensure that a class list is attached to the clipboard. In addition, it is helpful to confirm the pronunciation of names with parents. Each child's name is part of their identity, you want to make sure that from day one you get it right. 

Prepare Easy No Supervision Activities

As students get settled in their new environment for the day, it helps to have various activities to engage them. The focus on day one is not so much on learning concepts but on getting settled. Setting up building blocks, legos, magnetic blocks, playdough and colouring activities are just some examples of centres that students can navigate without direct teacher supervision. 

First Day Read Aloud Books

Curious George's First Day of School

This is a really good read for the first day or probably first week of school. I have used it for about 3 years and the kids had so much fun mixing the colours. It can be a bit messy however, give it a go. What I have done is made it a centre with at least four kids at a time. If there are many criers on day one it might be best to give try on day two or three but definitely get it done in the first week.

The Night Before Kindergarten

This book is great for conversation prompts. It engages students and gets them to talk about their own expectations about kindergarten. If you have a class of SKs and JKs, the SKs usually enjoy sharing their own experiences when they started school and can reassure the JKs that kindergarten is indeed lots of fun. Students usually find it really funny to see all the adults crying towards the end of the story. 

Circle Time

Circle time in kindergarten is a safe space for students to share and learn. Beginning circle time with rhymes, songs or simple games gets students settled. My kids love to play Simon Says or Sticky Sticky Bubble Gum. The  Tap and Clap Name Game is also a good one to get them comfortable with their friends. See link below

Circle time is also a good time to reinforce classroom expectations. Keep in mind that in Kindergarten routines and expectations can take as much as two months to be fully in place. The key is simply patience, patience, and more patience. For the first week, I usually keep centre time no longer than 15 minutes. As students get more settled in the program the circle time can go up to 25 minutes. Now that seems like a lot of time but when it is exciting and engaging for the kids, the time goes by really fast. 

Centre Activities

Centre activities are usually set up before students are dismissed from circle time. Over the years I have tried several approaches to centre time and I found that the best option that worked for my kids is free choice rotation with limited numbers at centres. How this works is lable centres with the total number of students allowed. For example, we might say at the drama centre, the limit is four. If students want to join and the limit is reached, they can ask a friend to exchange or choose another centre. The signs usually have the number and picture so students have a visual as to what the number represents. 

Students are dismissed from circle time one at a time to a centre of their choice. If there is a very popular centre, then students rotate based on time. I will say, there are no hard and fast rules as it relates to centres. Each year students that come in are different and it is up to the teacher to decide how to approach this based on the students for that year. 

Once students are comfortable with the routine of choosing centres, it leaves more time for the teacher to do one-on-one activities with the students to reinforce learning concepts taught. 

Clean Up Time

From day one, it is important to reinforce the job of clean-up as a community effort. I usually play the clean up song which is the cue for them to stop all activities and aim to get everything in place before the song is concluded. Teamwork and cooperation are a huge part of learning in kindergarten. These character traits are reinforced throughout the day and in various activities both indoor and outdoor. 

End-of-Day Home Transition

Dismissal is just as important as any other part of the day. For some students who are still settling, this is the best part of the day as they look forward to going home. We usually end the day with an extended outdoor play so students transition from there to being picked up. Before the extended play, we gather for circle time where we do a final game and a goodbye song. 

Students are dismissed with their first day crowns or artwork which they can share with loved ones and talk about the activities of the day. Another important element of the end of day is to ensure that students leave their cubbies neat and tidy. Indoor shoes stay at school and so these are tucked away in their right places as well as other things that they have in their particular space. 

Final Thoughts

It is so crucial to emphasize that the most important trait that an educator needs to successfully navigate kindergarten is patience. Rules, routines and expectations take time to implement. Don't be surprised if it all does not come together until the end of September even extending into October. The encouraging thought is that once students are comfortable with the routines, the rest of the year only gets better.  

There is always that odd year or for some teachers, there is always that one or even two students who present a more difficult challenge than others. However, with time, even those students will start to show some progress. 

Have a blast and let us see what is in store for the coming year!