Half Day Preschool

A child's day should include playing, reading, eating, interacting, and engaging with the world around him or her. It is important to design your schedule and space in such a way that it supports effective routines in order to promote a child's development and learning. The objective of this lesson is to provide a flexible schedule that meets children's need for routine and play while meeting their flexibility needs.

An effective schedule consists of the following elements:

a) In order for children to develop their interests and engage in play, a variety of opportunities  must be available to them. In the preschool classroom, free-choice time is one of the easiest and most effective ways to provide these opportunities to children.

a) Preschoolers also spend a lot of time outdoors, just like they do indoors during free-choice time. During outdoor time, children are often free to choose their own activities and learn according to their interests, much as they do during free-choice time.

a) Teacher-led activities for large groups benefit preschool children as well. As a result, children's academic, social, and inquiry skills are developed through instruction or discussion.

a) An important learning goal can be achieved in a personal setting through small-group activities. Children's active engagement can be fostered through these kinds of activities. There is less waiting because fewer children are involved, and the children are able to actively manipulate materials for longer periods of time.

a) Preschool classrooms are characterized by transitions. As children move from one activity to another throughout the day, such as when cleaning up interest areas and lining up for recess, some activities must be stopped.

a) A classroom day is not complete without routines. Throughout preschool, kids follow daily routines such as arriving on time, going to the bathroom, cleaning up after themselves, napping, and leaving.