Back to School Season in early childhood classrooms
It’s that time of the year again! Back to school brings the smell of new school supplies, the squeaking of freshly waxed school hallways, and the chatter of excited students ready to meet their new teachers!
It can also bring up some anxieties and stressors as we try to juggle everything else going on in our lives with the start of a new school year.
So, this post is intended to share some tips and tricks (AND FREEBIES) to help make the start to your school year go smoothly!
#1 Over plan – At the beginning of the year, I always would over prep and over plan. It’s okay if everything doesn’t get done, but because you are learning the flow with your new group of students, having the cushion of knowing you have back-pocket activities comes in handy. Even simple things like one-page name practice sheets, puzzles, play-dough activities, etc come in handy those first few days.
#2 Create a mix between fine motor, gross motor, instruction, exploration, noisy and quiet – You do this all year long anyways, but especially in those first few days and weeks, I structured a mix of activities as students were acclimating. I would alternate high-energy, fun songs with low-energy, calming read aloud time, for example. Time with fine motor tools like play dough and crayons would be mixed with outdoor time on the playground equipment. I just tried to be really mindful that my new students were brand new to school and needed this mix more than ever to really feel comfortable in this new setting.
#3 Start the day with exploration and play – Play dough mats, animal toys, puzzles, Do a Dots, coloring, etc. were my go-to for morning work. Keep it simple and keep it open-ended. Morning work took longer the first few weeks as I was helping students learn to sign up for lunch and complete their morning tasks, so keeping it exploration/play-based made for a better start to the day.
#4 Focus on learning routines – Make a giant list of all the routines your students will need to know, and focus on a few each day. Or, notice when in the day there needs to be a routine taught, and spend time teaching it. Go slow to go fast, and these first few weeks are all about learning these classroom routines.
Finally, some freebies!
Summer reflection freebie page After a busy summer, help your young learners reflect on their season with this low-stakes reflection page. Choose from three differentiated levels so that all of your students can be successful. Share with one another to help build your classroom community while honoring each student’s unique summer experience.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Do a Dot Marker page Try this do a dot marker activity sheet as a fun follow up activity to the book “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault.
Finally, be prepared for emergency sick days with these no prep printable pages created for beginning of the year kindergarten learners. This resource can be printed and added in to your sub plans ahead of time so you are ready for any last-minute surprises!
As always, thanks for stopping by! I hope you have the best start to the new school year.