SCHEDULES
Schedules are an important part of the curriculum and provide structure for classroom activities as well as daily routines. The schedule includes planned learning activities as well as routines such as Greeting/departing; snack and lunch time; hand-washing and toileting; nap or rest time. The daily schedules also include the balance of quiet and active times as well as large and small group activities. Transitions such as story time or quiet table activities are also an important part of the schedule because they help ease the children from one activity to the next. Ideally, the schedule will offer activities that interest the children and that allow a balance of child-directed and teacher-directed activities that include ample opportunity for active hands-on learning both inside and outside.
References: (Excerpts from “Schedules for Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, and Kindergarten” —A Staff Training Aid. Environments, Inc.)
INFANT SCHEDULE
(Six Weeks to Eighteen Months)
Flexible Schedule and Routines
The Infant’s program of activities is a combination of self-directed and teacher-directed activities. Unless babies are asleep, they are kept out of their cribs. Some may be in infant chairs, others on a soft blanket, rug or mat on the floor. Teacher directed activities are done with one or more babies, given the time and freedom the adults are ready to do the activities. The learning activities the infants participate in on a daily basis include but are not limited to: dramatic play, art, music, physical development, construction, literacy, outdoor education, information technology, listening and talking, the world around them. The following is an approximate schedule that can be changed depending on the infants’ mood at a given time.
Note: All schedules and approximate timing are not related to a specific center location since they all do not open and close at the same time.
Morning: Greeting, Routine care (feeding, diapering, sleeping), Self-directed activities in play areas
Midmorning: Planned play; teacher-directed activities for some, self-directed
For others, Nap for some, routine care for others, Outdoor play
Late Morning: Lunch, Nap for some, Clean-up after lunch, Teacher-directed activities for babies who are awake
Early Afternoon: Napping babies get up, Routine care, Planned play; teacher-directed activities
Mid-Afternoon: Routines, Nap for some, Teacher-oriented activities for babies who are awake
Late Afternoon: Self-directed activities in play areas, Routine care, Talk to parents
Clean up room, Set up for next day
TODDLERS
(Eighteen Months – Three Years)
Flexible Schedule and Routines
6:30 – 8:00 am Greet children and parents, free play (children choose activities)
8:00 – 8:50 Center activities (art, manipulatives, blocks, dramatic play)
Spend individual time with each child or small group activity
8:50 – 9:00 Clean-up with song or poem or special individual time
9:00 – 9:30 Bathroom time (wash hands, change diapers, toileting, etc), talk to each child;
Snack and time for hand and face washing
9:30 – 10:30 Outdoor play
10:30 – 10:40 Bathroom time (wash hands, change diapers, toileting) talk to each child
10:40 – 11:10 Center Activities
11:10 – 11:20 Gathering time for large group activity, story, finger plays, Language activities, or music
11:20 – 11:25 Bathroom time to wash hands for lunch
11:25 – 11:45 Lunch
11:45 – 12:00 Bathroom time
12:00 – 2:30 Quiet time with books and music while children finish in
Bathroom and get on their cots for nap time or rest
2:30 – 3:00 Wake-up time (put away coats, toileting, diaper change, washing, put on shoes), free play
3:00 – 3:15 Snack
3:15 – 3:30 Group time with story, song, flannel board, or other languages
Activity
4:30 – 4:45 Bathroom time
4:45 – 5:30 Quiet Activities (books, puzzles, music) individual time with each Child, playing games, singing, talking, prepare to go home
5:30 – 6:30 pm Prepare to go home (continued); talk with parents about today’s and tomorrow’s events, reminders, clean up
MULTIAGE ROOM
(Three, Four, and Five-Year-Olds)
Daily Schedule and Routines
6:30 – 8:00 am Arrival and free play, individual time with teacher
8:00m- 8:30 All Centers are open for center time
8:30 – 9:00 Small groups rotating inside and outside play or continuation of centers
9:00 – 9:15 Toileting and washing hands for snack
9:15 – 9:30 SNACK
9:30 – 9:45 Group Time
9:45 – 10:15 Centers and Individual time with teacher
10:15 – 10:30 Clean up to go outside
10:30 – 11:30 Indoor or outside play, walks or small groups
11:30 – 11:45 Toileting, washing hands
Any of the following activities: share time on cots with books, pictures (two children to a cot), quiet conversations or relaxing on cots, listening
Music, finger plays, songs, or stores
1
12:15 – 12:30 Finish lunch, toileting, washing hands. get settled on cots with story, record or story the teacher will read
12:30 – 12:45 Quiet time transitions, resting, and quiet, music
12:45 – 2:30 Naptime or rest, with provisions made for children who wake early or Cannot sleep
2:30 – 3:00 Wake-up time, fold and put away blankets, put on shoes, toileting, get ready for snack
3:00 – 3:15 SNACK
3:15 – 3:45 Centers or individual time with teacher
3:45 – 4:00 Clean-up and transition activity
4:00 – 4:15 Group Time
4:15 – 5:15 Indoor or outside play or small groups
5:15 – 5:30 Any of the following activities: quiet activities, table games, stories, songs, music
5:30 – 6:30 Greet Parents and discuss today’s and tomorrow’s events; reminders, clean-up; prepare to go home
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL SCHEDULE
Kindergarten – Sixth Grade
6:30 – 7:00 am INDOOR QUIET ACTIVITIES
- Welcome, check-in
- Board games
- Homework
- Reading
- Manipulative/Construction
7:00 – 8:30 INDOOR/OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
- Organized Sports/Games (moderate activity level)
- Free play on the playground.
8:30 – 9:00 TRANSITION Clean-up; prepare for school
3:00 – 3:30 pm AFTER SCHOOL ARRIVALS
- Welcome/Sign-in
- Snack available
- Outdoor organized games
- Outdoor free play
- Indoor quiet activities available
3:30 – 4:30 ENRICHMENT ACTIVITY PERIOD
- Planned learning centers; planned activity areas to include: Science; Cooking; Art; Music; Language; Arts; and Drama
- Movies on Fridays
4:30 – 5:30 HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE/CLUBS/FREE PLAY
Group Meeting on Fridays
5:30 – 6:30 QUIET ACTIVITIES – Prepare to go home; quiet games, stories, group singing, check-out