Preschool Special Ed Daily Schedule
The classroom schedule in an ECSE room can be the difference between school days feeling like a well-oiled machine and a chaotic mess. Developing a daily schedule that works in my classroom took several tweaks and almost an entire school year. In this post, I'll dive into my schedule and why it works for me. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on considerations when making your own daily schedule.
8:30 Arrival and Snack
As students walk in off the buses, staff assist in unpacking backpacks. Children complete arrival routines such as answering the question of the day, moving their picture card from home to school, and marking how they feel on the emotions chart. Then children sit down for an instructional snack with focus on conversational skills and ADL.
9:00 Fine Motor
As children finish their snack, staff prompt them to clean up as independently as possible. Children then walk to the teacher table to work on fine motor activities. A lot of our students go to related services at 8:30 or 9:00, so this activity allows for an ebb and flow of students who may take longer to finish eating.
9:15 Table Toys
As more students are finishing their snack and working on fine motor, a teaching assistant prepares table toys for early finishers. Staff conduct observational conversations with children as they play and facilitate social problem-solving. Eventually all students will be engaged in tabletop play.
9:45 Circle Time
Around 9:40, I give a five-minute verbal warning to students and prepare my circle time materials. Depending on the class, this might include a mini schedule, fidgets for children to hold, and of course visuals. At morning circle we greet our peers, discuss what we are learning/doing that day, and do a short movement. Years when my students are interested in the calendar, we check the calendar and the weather during this time.
10:00 Playground/Gross Motor
Our playground time is from 10-10:30. With NY weather, we're often just as likely to be inside as outside. On those days I turn on their favorite songs and we dance it out.
10:30 Center Time
Center time works well after playground in my classroom because it is something the children look forward to. When we did academic stations after playground, I noticed it was much harder for children to transition inside. We set up four centers each day and practice the rules of the centers before playing.
11:15 Yoga Time
We practice yoga, complete exercise videos, or play "copy me" games at the circle to give the children a movement break and allow the TAs to set up for small group time.
11:30 Small Groups
Small group time is our most structured and rigorous part of the day. I set the visual timer for 10 minutes and children find their spots at the tables as assigned. I and each of my TAs lead a small group of children until the timer goes off. Then, children switch stations and walk to the next table. Small group time usually consists of an academic activity, sensory play, and an art or fine motor activity.
12:00 Art Time
Next, I lead a large group lesson where I read the class a book, we sing songs, and we have hands-on activities related to the unit. Finally, the children go to small groups to complete a process art project tied to the learning unit.
12:20 Music Time
At music time, we often play instruments, scarves, or rhythm sticks. This is a transitionary time so we can clean the tables and set up for lunch while giving the children a good movement break. Music time can be hectic because it is after a lot of hard work and right before lunch, but the children look forward to it each day.
12:30 Lunch Time
We have instructional lunch in the classroom every day, with emphasis on ADL skills and social conversations. Some of the skills we've worked on include what questions you can ask a friend, how to get someone's attention appropriately, and appropriate responses if you think someone's food looks unappetizing. After children finish eating, they clean up as independently as allowed for each child. I then set up a simple activity such as coloring, stickers, or looking at theme-related books at another table for early finishers.
12:45 Go to the Bathroom
Bathroom time is built into our lunchtime, but it has its own spot on our daily schedule. Many of our students do not like leaving the classroom to go to the bathroom at this time, but having it on the daily schedule has made a huge difference in their willingness to take a bathroom break.
1:00 Storytime
After most students have finished and cleaned up their lunch, I lead them at the circle in reading an engaging story. Some of our favorites this year are Polar Bear What Do You Hear, Pete the Cat's White Shoes, and Froggy Gets Dressed. Then we say goodbye to our friends, sing the alphabet song, and play large group games. This is our longest large group time; it works well because the kids are pretty tired by this point. If they cannot attend to the large group for as long that day, we shift to movement-based activities.
1:30 Dismissal
When the buses are called, we walk with each child out to the bus for them to go home. I always make sure to say goodbye individually to each child in my class before they leave and tell them I'm looking forward to seeing them tomorrow.
How do you structure your classroom schedule? Are you looking to make any changes next year?
Thank you to A Day in K for their FREE schedule card resource. My students LOVE the visuals on these cards, and they're so easy to edit!
