A Blueprint for a Successful Beginning of Kindergarten

We all know how important the first week of school can be in setting the tone for the entire school year. It’s even more important in a kindergarten classroom full of brand new students! In this post, I’m sharing a blueprint that will help the beginning of kindergarten go as smoothly as possible in your classroom.

6 Tips for a Successful Beginning of Kindergarten

There are so many things to consider when you’re making plans for the first days of school, it can be daunting to figure out where to even start! That’s why I wanted to create a simple blueprint of six tips to help you narrow your focus to the most important things.

1. Don’t Assume Knowledge

When you’re planning the first week of kindergarten, keep in mind that many of your students have never been in a classroom environment before. Don't assume they know how to do anything…even walking in a line. I had my students all lined up on the first day and the moment we walked into the hallway they morphed into a mob of excited 5-year olds!

Give yourself plenty of time in your lesson plans to teach procedures and discuss expectations for each part of the daily routine. This could include how to sit at carpet time, using appropriate voice levels, lining up, washing hands, pushing in chairs, going through the lunch line, and so on. Plan on teaching and reteaching these things multiple times at the beginning of kindergarten.

2. Keep It Simple

When it comes to planning out the learning activities for each day of the first week, it’s important to keep things simple. Plan to get two or three things done each day, and anything else is just bonus!

I have written a blog post with a variety of activity ideas that are perfect for the first week of kindergarten. This will give you an idea of the types of simple activities that you could incorporate into your lesson plans.

3. Use Visual Supports

Simplicity is also important when it comes to the directions that you give to your kindergarteners, especially at the beginning of the year. The less language you use, the better! Consider adding visual supports to help streamline your verbal directions and help students understand what’s expected of them.

One of my favorite visual supports to use from day one is a picture schedule. This one tool cuts down on many of the interruptions and big feelings that pop up during the day. Students will be able to see how many activities are left so you won’t have to answer the question “Is it time to go home now?” all day long. This really helps to ease some of the nerves that we see in our new kindergarteners at the beginning of the year.

4. Focus on the Foundation

With all of the time spent on learning and practicing procedures at the beginning of kindergarten, it might feel like the school year is off to a slow start. However, this foundation will help your classroom run more smoothly all year long. You’ll be able to teach more effectively and students will be able to get more done throughout the year with a solid foundation of classroom management in place.

Another part of the foundation that you want to build at the beginning of the year is your behavior management. Whatever method you choose for addressing negative behavior and reinforcing positive behavior should be part of your lesson plans from day one. A solid behavior management system will ensure that you are able to actually teach your students during the year.

5. Create a Positive Community

Another important part of the first days of kindergarten is to foster a positive learning environment and build community. You can incorporate some ice breakers and other getting-to-know-you activities that will help your students feel welcome in your classroom.

Building relationships with parents is also vital to creating a positive classroom community. Be sure to set aside some time during the beginning of the year to reach out to each family with positive feedback about their child. An easy way to do this is with glow notes!

6. Build Excitement for the Next Day

Some students go to their first day of kindergarten, enjoy the activities, and go home thinking it was a one-time thing. It’s not uncommon to hear a kindergartener having big feelings about doing it all over again the next day.

Keep this in mind when you’re planning out your activities for the first week of kindergarten. Building this new school routine is exhausting for young five-year-olds! Do what you can to make sure your students are excited to return to school the next day. 

For example, if you used a build-a-reward for the first day of school, have them guess what picture they’ll be working on the following day. (The guesses can serve as inspiration for which reward chart you pull out next!) You could also preview a back-to-school read aloud that you’ll be reading to them the next day. 

First Week of Kindergarten Blueprint

Would you like even more tips and ideas to help you make the beginning of kindergarten a success? Check out my First Week of Kindergarten Blueprint course! It’s a one-hour, on-demand workshop that covers all the must-haves for the beginning of kindergarten.

You’ll find editable lesson plans with activities for the first five days, effective visuals, Meet the Teacher templates, and other helpful printables to keep you organized and on track during that busy first week! When August 1st rolls around, you won’t have to panic about your first week of lessons. Instead, you can finish your summer break before welcoming your new students to a classroom that’s ready for a successful year of learning. 

Just click below to take a closer look at everything included in this workshop. 

Save These Tips for the Beginning of Kindergarten

Be sure to save this post if you’d like to come back to it later? Just add the pin below to your favorite teaching board on Pinterest. You’ll be able to quickly find these tips when you’re making plans for the beginning of the school year.