If we will be working with a new math manipulative, I might first put it out as a choice for morning work, to allow children to free explore it before I begin to use it for instruction. But at the same time, the possibility is always there to offer new options. These already-established, consistent options mean that I’m not busy prepping for morning work each day. Add a “talking stick” to help them practice taking turns while speaking. Place mats or pillows on the floor to designate spots for them to sit and talk with friends. Many children have a great need to socialize upon arrival. ![]() Select a new tub each day to keep the interest and creativity going! ![]() Put out a tub of building toys such as Legos, Zoobs, Knex, or Magnetics for children to create and build structures. ![]() Note paper and ideas for setting up an animal research center are included in each of the Ready, Set, Research resources. Provide note paper for them to record what they discover and invite them to share their learning during morning meeting. Set up a research center in your classroom where you keep books, artifacts, and tech tools that kids can you use to learn more about a topic that you are currently studying. Provide each child with their own sketchbook to use throughout the year, so you won’t have to worry about providing or managing loose paper. Plants, animals, and other objects from nature make great offerings and can connect to a current unit or project. Kindergarten Morning Work Choices for a Smooth Start SketchingĬreate a “sketch tub” with interesting objects that children will enjoy drawing. If you too, are looking for a morning work makeover, here’s a quick rundown of some choices you might try that have worked really well for us. Then, I created a Morning Work Choice Board, that allowed children to be engaged from the start, while freeing me up to meet their arrival needs. I brainstormed ideas that were open-ended, matched children’s interests, required little or no set-up, and allowed for easy clean-up. I began to picture a new start to our day – one where kids were excited to walk in the door and choose an activity that was just what they needed, so they could better transition from home to school. He defines “soft start” as, “not rigid, but gentle, individualized, and peaceful beginnings, driven by personal choice, not ordained by someone else’s agenda or requirements.” It’s about how you start the day with kids, using intentional openers that slowly ease them into the day. So, when I read The Curious Classroom, by Harvey Daniels, I was excited about the chapter devoted to helping teachers create a “soft start” to their day. ![]() And I didn’t really want my kids arriving to a worksheet. Traditional pencil and paper morning work never quite delivered on its “promise” of freeing me up to be there for the kids as they arrived. I ask myself, “Is this really the way I want to start my day?” Discovering the Soft Start Approach to Our Day Across the room, Nora has quickly finished her morning work paper and is pencil fighting with Joey, who is avoiding the task altogether. I call the office about the note, while giving Logan a “mommy hug,” and trying to show enthusiasm for Tanisha’s tooth. Maribelle says she’s being picked up, but doesn’t have a note, Logan is missing his mom, and Tanisha is overflowing with excitement about her first lost tooth. It’s 8:30 and the kids are beginning to trickle into the classroom. Why Pencil and Paper Morning Work Wasn’t Working Inside: Discover alternative kindergarten morning work choices that welcome kids to school with a soft start to their day.
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