The teacher leads activities and discussions about different social skills (such as empathy). Social Emotional LearningĪfter lunch, we combine with the other preschool special education class in the building and participate as a large group in our Social Emotional Learning curriculum. The teachers assist with opening milk cartons and making sure the students use appropriate social skills during meal time. I announce to the class that it is “Goal Work Time.” The students go to their assign tables and practice specific IEP goals and basic skills by completing task boxes and/or work on pre-writing skills and handwriting skills (learn more here) using the simple handwriting sheets from Simply Special Ed. Next, we dive right into our independent/1:1 work time. The students are encouraged, once again, to say or sign “please” and “thank you” and they have to clean up their trash when they are finished. The students choose from a cookie or a handful of goldfish. The students receive a snack as an award when they have cleaned up all of the toys at the end of center time.

The students complete a craft or participate in a teacher lead activity such as playdough or a cut and paste activity.Īs a transition from Play centers to the next activity, the “Clean Up” song is played on the Smartboard. The teachers also work in a small group with the students during center time and or/engage with them while in the center. Their center choses are the literacy center, the blocks center, the lego center, the kitchen center and table toys and games center. When we return to the classroom, the students choose a center to play in under adult supervision. The students toss, kick and catch balls, spin around the hoola hoop and throw frisbees. Gross Motor time is next and we either go outside and play on the playground, go to the gym or go to the sensory room. (Color of the month, shape of the month etc.) Gross Motor/Recess We also participate in a calendar activity and sing songs pertaining to or monthly focus. During our morning meeting, we sing our good morning song, we greet each student and adult in the classroom, and we recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The morning meeting is conducted generally on the SmartBoard. We also go over picture vocabulary to identify characters and objects in the story. The students identify parts of the book such as the front cover, the back cover, the title and the author. Story time is our first activity because we feel that is when the students are most engaged. While the teacher is reading the story, the students are encouraged to sit quietly and look at the pictures. Whole Group Story Time and Morning MeetingĪfter breakfast, we move to the carpet for circle time and story time. During breakfast, the teachers have the students practice using good table manners by saying or signing “please” and “thank you.” The students are also expected to throw their trash in the trash can. The students take about 15 to 20 minutes to eat breakfast. Within a couple of weeks, most of the students are able to do this independently. At the beginning of the school year, we repeatedly practice our arrival routine using hand over hand and verbal prompting. The students then get their morning binders and begin working until breakfast arrives to the classroom. They put their backpacks in their cubbies, take out their red parent communication folder and put them into a labeled tray.

The students arrive to school around 7:45am. The therapist push in (work with students inside the classroom) and/or pull out (work with students in another room) on designated times and days. Multiple students in the class receive speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. I think that it is very important to have a large classroom schedule in a neutral part of the classroom so that everyone can see it and so that everyone is on the same page. I can’t tell you how many times I heard “What are we doing next? over and over again from my students when I did not have a classroom schedule posted. Let’s start with this large classroom schedule that is posted on the white board in the front of the classroom. Here is a look inside of my preschool classroom schedule and the ins and outs of that routine. Have you ever wondered what a 3 or 4 year old does all day in school? We LIVE by a daily schedule and our routines throughout the day.

Example of a preschool daily schedule