3 Tips for Creating a Kindergarten Schedule

Hey there teacher friend! Let’s talk about the importance of scheduling. This can really make a major difference in the overall dynamic of your classroom. Today I’m sharing 3 tips to keep in mind when your creating a schedule for your kindergarteners.

Be mindful about the order of lessons

Some lessons are naturally more time-consuming, or can involve less moving around than others. For that reason, it’s important to be mindful about the order of your lessons. Always follow up a more structured lesson or activity with a less structured one or with one where they can be more independent. For example, I don’t ever follow Reader’s Workshop with Writer’s Workshop, unless there’s some sort of brain break in between. You may want to separate core lessons with:

• Brain breaks
• Recess
• Lunch
• Independent Centers
• Free Play
• Quiet Time
• Snack Time

Schedule Brain Breaks and Transition Times

When planning out the length of each subject block, be sure to include the time your students will need for transitions or to have a quick brain break. Write the transitions or brain breaks into your schedule if it will help you remember!

Keep it Simple in the Afternoon

By the end of the day, kindergarteners are spent. A word of advice, keep your afternoons VERY simple. Some ideas for afternoon activities are:

• free play
• story time
• quiet time
• snack
• afternoon recess
• a hands-on experiment
• STEM activity

If you need a template for creating your schedule, I have an editable Daily and Weekly Schedule Template Google Slides resource for you!