by Sara

Lesson Plans for Day 1 of Kindergarten

The first weeks of school, I survived mostly on adrenaline. Working 12-15 hour days, eating lunch standing up (if I got to eat lunch at all), and I’m pretty sure that I never used the bathroom. Oh, and who could forget the lack of air conditioning! Apparently, 110 degrees in your classroom does not give you an excuse to let your students put their heads down, or take extra water breaks.

My 2nd year teaching Kindergarten, I had 29 students. Throughout the school year I lost 8 kids, and got 10 more. I had one student who didn’t talk, and one who was schizophrenic. Only about 10 of my students had gone to pre-school, so that left the majority who had never stepped foot into a school before. That first week of school, I had a handful of students who cried all day, everyday. I had one student who came to school each morning and threw up in my classroom. Needless to say, it was not the easiest thing I’ve ever done.

I survived those first few weeks by following The First Six Weeks of School by Paula Denton and Roxann Kriete to a tee.

I also spent weeks scripting out my first few weeks of school so that I would remember exactly what I wanted to say, and how I wanted to say it. Here is what my “Day 1” looked like:

Day 1:

 9:00  Entry

  • Students find table by color on card, sit down, put backpack on chair, eat breakfast LEVEL 0- This means no talking
  • Call table names to hang up backpack, model, s. model, table group models

 9:10 Breakfast Cleanup

  • Teach CLAP.  Practice a couple of times narrate positive
  • “Everyday after breakfast we have to clean up so our room stays nice.  We clean up one table at a time.  Model how to hold trash bag, have s. hold. 
  • To clean up, put your food back inside your bag.  LEAVE your milk out.  Watch what I do:  Narrate and model how to throw trash in bag and walk back to sit.  LEVEL 0. 
  • Call on s. to model and then call each table. Excellent work being careful with cleanup friends!  I know you will each take good care of our classroom this year.

 9:15  Teach quiet signal and position 1- The clap- practice 2 or 3 times (hands folded, mouths closed, eyes on me)

            Call students by table names:

  • Purple table sits on a purple square
  • Blue table sits on blue square
  • Green table sits on green square
  • Yellow table sits on orange square
  • Pink table sits on red square

 When students get to rug teach “listening position”:

  •          criss cross applesauce
  •           hands in lap
  •           eyes on me
  •           mouths closed

 Introduce students and favorite color: My name is miss S and my fav color is blue. Pass around ball.

  •           Watch and notice students who are doing a good job sitting

As students say names, write name on chart paper.

 9:30-9:45 Sing “Peanut Butter, Grape Jelly” – written out on chart paper

 Move students to rug squares.

 Read morning message: Good Morning! Today is Monday, August 9, 2010. We will learn names today. Love Ms. S

  • continue to reinforce students who are sitting correctly

 Teacher led Calendar. Continue to reinforce students. Date and number line.

 9:45-10:00 Practice lining up at door.

  •           feet together on top of feet
  •           arms at side
  •           eyes on door
  •           mouth closed

 Practice bathroom routine in hallway

10:00 Bathroom

Get back in square spots. Practice listening position. Reinforce behavior expectations.

Song and movement – “Tony Chestnut”

 10:10-10:35: Guided discovery: Crayons:

Guided Discovery of Crayons

  1. Gather students on carpet (in circle if not too many children)
  2. Show the wrapped box of crayons.
    1. What do you think I have in here? (Let a couple of children hold the package)
    2. Open the package to reveal the new box of crayons
    3. Now, what do you see?  Crayons!
  3. What do you know about crayons? 
    1. How have you used them before?
  4. Students share and introduce vocab- crayon point, different colors
  5. Ask open ended questions about crayons
    1. What do you notice about the crayons?
    2. What are they made of?
    3. What shapes and colors do you see?
  6. Using crayons discussion
    1. How might we use crayons in our classroom?
    2. How might we use crayons to help us learn?

                                                               i.      Will you show us how you might use them? (S. volunteer)

                                                             ii.      What did you notice he/she did with the crayons?

  1. Caring for Crayons
    1. We want to take care of our crayons so we can use them all year long.  What are some ways we can take care of our crayons when we use them?

                                                               i.      Chart up ideas

    1. We keep our crayons in these green caddies.  Who can show us a safe and careful way to take out and use a crayon?
    2. What did she do to be careful with the crayons?  Chart up.
  1. Practice with crayons at desks.
    1. Now we will all practice using crayons at our desks.  Try out one of our ideas!

After 15 or so minutes:  Hand Clap and position 1

            It is time to clean up our crayons.  Remember to carefully place them back in the caddy so they don’t get broken.  I’ll be watching to see what a good job you do.

10:35-11:00 Practice lining up, walk to lunch

  • girls sit at table 1, boys at table 2

11:00-11:20: Remind students how to enter classroom and sit on rug. Continue to reinforce expectations.

SUPERSTAR NAMES Lesson 1

  • Come to carpet, practice listening position. 
  • We want to get to know each other better in our class.  We will each get a turn being SUPERSTAR of the Day.  When it’s your turn to be the star, we’ll ask you questions so we get to know more about you.  Everyone will get a turn, so don’t worry if today isn’t your day.  Tomorrow might be your day.  Today, I’ll be the first Star of the Day, and you’ll learn about me.
  • Use chart paper with interview questions
  • Read interview together.  Display chart for 5 days and then send home.  Read 4 charts a day.
  • NAME WORK:  Chant the name and say each letter as it is clapped.  Clap syllables.  Count the letters.  Cut the letters apart and put back together, name the 1st and last letter.  Discuss capital and lowercase letters.  Any of the same letters?
  • Add name to work wall and pass out name template for children to complete.  Collect on first day.

11:20-11:45 Writing Workshop Day 1

  • We are going to become writers this year!  Each of you will write books like this- Eric Carle books and Dr. Seuss.  Each day we will meet here to learn what authors do.
  • Watch what I do when write:  First I think of an idea.  Hmmmm… what should I write about?  Something that happened to me was… oh I know, I’ll write about eating breakfast this morning. 
  • Let me draw my story.  I was standing in the kitchen with my bowl of oatmeal.  I took a bite and the oatmeal was HOT so I said ouch!
  • Now I need to write my words.  This is me so I’ll write me. Mmmm eeeeee.  Cont. labeling bowl. 
  • Write:  I ate oatmeal.  It was hot.
  • Did you notice what I did?  First I thought of something that happened to me.  Then I drew it.  Then I wrote words about it.  You can do this same thing!  You can think of something that happened to you and write about it. 
  • Ideas:  Maybe your baby brother was crying last night and woke you up. Maybe you were playing baseball with your friends.  Maybe you want to write about playing with your favorite toy.  Maybe you helped your mom cook dinner. 
  • Writers, close your eyes and think of something that you want to write about. 
  • Each child share what they will write about before I give them paper.  Go to seat. Level 0.  Write and draw.

 11:45-12:15 Read Miss Bindergarten Get Ready for kindergarten – continue to reinforce behavior expectations, students draw how they got ready for kindergarten

 12:15-12:45: Reading Workshop: Model taking a picture walk. Read The Gingerbread Man. Then retell using only pictures.

 Independent practice: There are baskets of books on your tables with fairy tales and folktales. Choose a book and take a picture walk, just like we practiced.

  •  Have students repeat directions
  •  discuss expectations for working at tables – continue to reinforce expectations
  •  whisper voices (model)
  •  stay in seat
  •  do your work

 12:45-1:15: Guided Discovery scissors:

Guided Discovery of Scissors

  1. Gather students on carpet (in circle if not too many children)
  2. Show the wrapped scissors.
    1. What do you think I have in here? (Let a couple of children hold the package)
    2. Open the package to reveal the new scissors
    3. Now, what do you see?  Scissors!
  3. What do you know about scissors? 
    1. How have you used them before?
  4. Students share and introduce vocab
  5. Ask open ended questions about scissors
    1. What do you notice about the scissors?
    2. What are they made of?
    3. What shapes and colors do you see?
  6. Using scissors discussion
    1. How might we use scissors in our classroom?
    2. How might we use scissors to help us learn?

                                                               i.      Will you show us how you might use them? (S. volunteer)

                                                             ii.      What did you notice he/she did with the scissors?

    1. Model how to hold scissors
  1. Caring for Scissors
    1. We want to take care of our scissors so we can use them all year long.  What are some ways we can take care of our scissors when we use them?

                                                               i.      Chart up ideas

    1. We keep our scissors in these green caddies.  Who can show us a safe and careful way to take out and use a scissors?
    2. What did she do to be careful with the scissors?  Chart up.
  1. Practice with scissors at desks.
    1. Now we will all practice using scissors at our desks. Model using cutting practice paper.

After 15 or so minutes:  Hand Clap and position 1

         It is time to clean up our scissors and scraps.  Remember to carefully place them back in the caddy so they don’t get broken.  I’ll be watching to see what a good job you do.

Practice position 1, then practice sitting on carpet. Continue to reinforce correct behaviors.

 1:15-1:30 Practice clap and position 1.

Practice Lining up:

  •   feet together
  •   arms at sides
  •   eyes on door
  •  mouths closed

1:30-1:45 Bathroom Break – practice lining up and bathroom routine

1:45-2:15: Model math pattern necklaces on the ELMO. Remind students of behavior expectations while working at tables.

  •  practice whisper voices

Take pictures of students while they work at tables.

Practice position 1.

2:15-3:00: Dismissal procedures: Students move back to carpet. Remind students of behavior expectations.

Call students by colored rows. Show students how to stand, turn, and get backpack. Then hang backpack over chair and come back to carpet and sit in square.

  • Teacher Model
  • Student model

 Read “How do dinosaurs go to school” – tomorrow we’ll learn about our classroom rules.

Pass out folders an Line up for dismissal.

Students must give teacher a hug or handshake before they leave.

Leave a comment