In my Kindergarten classroom observations the day begins when the children line up outside after the playground aide blows her whistle. The teacher has a picture of a dog where the children are supposed to start lining up. The children then follow the teacher into the classroom where they drop off their backpacks and coats and then line up along a counter. That is when the students go to the computer lab where they have assigned seats. All of these morning procedures make the transition from outdoors to the start of school very smooth.
Another procedure that the class and the school as a whole are expected to follow is walking in a straight line, quietly down the hallways when transitioning to and from different activities outside the classroom. After computer time the students return to the classroom and sit on the carpet. Every child is expected to sit crisscross so that everyone fits on this carpet. A child is chosen with name sticks from a baggie to present the calendar and the Pledge of Allegiance.
After these daily morning routines and procedures occur the work on math, literacy, and other core topics begin. Daily reviewing and introducing of site words, writer's workshop, math problems, and science are included. Since we are a Title I school, the aides are constantly pulling students for one on one reading and work. The child who has been out with the aide then comes into the room and calls out to the next child to go out and work. This is such a habit with the children that it all moves rather seamlessly throughout the day.
Some of the rules that the students have in Kindergarten are: hands to yourself, being a good listener, working hard, and raising your hand to talk. There are 5 tables, each with a specific color, and 5-6 students are grouped on each table to work. Each table has their own bucket with pencils, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks. When a student finishes their work quickly there is also a bucket of books on each table to help the students keep busy.
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