Preschool Classroom Schedule

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When preparing a schedule for your preschool classroom keep in mind that young children are more comfortable in a classroom setting when they know what will happen throughout the day and when. A successful preschool schedule should include time for the children to do large projects as a group as well as time to work on their own. There should also be time for exploring centers, resting, and playing outside. Although teaching preschool can be chaotic, by creating a schedule for the preschool classroom the day will run much smoother.

Items You'll Need:
Large rug or carpet squares
Weather chart
Calendar
Puzzles
Building blocks
Costumes
Sand table
Kitchen toys
Paper and markers
Lacing cards and beads
Soft blankets
Sleeping mats
Soothing music

Begin the day with circle time. Have the entire class sit together on a large rug or individual carpet squares. This is the time when the preschool teacher discusses what the class will be doing throughout the day, what the weather is like outside, sing songs, perform calendar time and finger plays, and review the alphabet, shapes and primary colors.

Participate in large group Activities.. A large part of a preschool day is spent doing activities together as a class. The activities will change daily depending on the classroom's weekly theme and lesson plan. The majority of large group time will consist of science and art projects and math and literacy games.

Spend time playing in centers or free play. Make a large variety of age-appropriate toys and activities available to the preschool students during this time such as puzzles, building blocks, costumes for playing dress-up, a sand table, kitchen toys, paper and markers to practice writing skills, and lacing cards and beads to promote fine motor skills.

Set aside two hours of your preschool schedule for nap time. Encourage rest and relaxation during nap time by providing each child with a soft blanket and sleeping mat, playing soothing music at a low volume, and dimming the lights in the room.

Play outside twice a day. Taking the students outside to play right before lunch time will improve their appetites and also guarantee a smoother nap time. If possible, take the children out again later in the day. Be sure your outside play area is enclosed and secure with plenty of room for running and jumping and large toys for climbing.

Designate part of your afternoon for clean-up time. As the preschool day is coming to an end, schedule time for the children to put away any toys, books or supplies that might have been left out from earlier in the day. Allowing the children to do this activity on their own will teach them organizational skills, as well as how to work well with others.

End the preschool day with story time. As you are waiting for the parents to arrive at the end of the day gather the children together on the carpet or at a cozy table and read a book or tell them a story. The goal is to have the children quiet and relaxed when the parents arrive to pick up their children.