Routines / Schedules for 4's

Great Minds 2 Schedule - 4’s Routine

• 7:30 Welcome Friends / Wash Hands & Potty / Free Play
• 8:00 Breakfast / Free Play
• 9:00 Morning Meeting
• 9:45 Centers / Music & Movement
• 10:45 Snack
• 11:00 Outside Play
• 12:00 Wash Hands / Lunch
• 12:30 Bathroom / Brush Teeth
• 1:00 Rest Time / Yoga
• 3:00 Snack
• 3:30 Outside Play / *Inside Centers
• 5:00 Table Play / Goodbyes *Weather Dependent

Morning Routine

Welcome to Great Minds 2!

Children should wash hands when they arrive. Drop offs can be difficult for everyone involved. We stress the importance of teaching your child that when you arrive at school, it is time to say goodbye, and you will always come back for them. Long drop offs teach children that, when they express a certain behavior, they can get their parents to stay longer. To encourage children to start their day quickly, it is best to drop off and leave. We understand that this may be emotional, but your child’s teachers will be there to assist them, and this transition will only last momentarily. They will come in and have free play and breakfast before morning meeting.

Toys

Please leave all personal toys at home except on Show & Share day.

Show & Share

Show & Share will be on Wednesdays every week. There is a bucket on the shelf for your child to put their item in. The item should be related to the monthly theme or weekly letter. This is the only appropriate time to bring a toy from home. We will do Show & Share during circle time, and then your child will put the item in their cubby to take home at the end of the day.

Morning Meeting

Our morning meeting typically includes calendar, weather, question of the day discussions, Zoo-Phonics, Second Step, story time, and music and movement. Every morning meeting also incorporates math, literacy, and science. This is a great time for children to learn how to listen and develop conversation skills. We sing songs for months of the year and days of the week. Our stories are usually centered around the theme each month. We also use this time to go over the daily schedule.

Jobs

We have a job chart that children choose from daily. These are various things that help around the classroom. Each child will have an opportunity to perform different duties throughout the year. These jobs teach responsibility and increase awareness of their surroundings. There are also jobs that can be done at home to help bridge connections between home and school.

Learning Centers

During the morning, the children have an opportunity to freely explore chosen learning centers. These centers are changed daily so children are always experiencing something new. Curriculum-based centers are student driven and are meant to encourage critical thinking and creativity.

Learning Stations

Each day, children have an opportunity to work in groups with teacher guidance and/or child-directed activities. Each teacher will have a small group – one of whom will work on math and/or science while the other works on literacy and/or writing. Independent groups will work on art and/or social activities. During this time, we will be observing your child’s development and assessing areas for continued support.

Free Choice Centers

While playing in free choice centers, the children are able to explore any center they choose. This allows them the opportunity to play with different friends and promotes creativity and imagination. During this time, teachers will interact with the children in their activities and prompt conversations. Centers also provide a wonderful environment for children to develop problem solving skills and critical thinking.

Quiet Rest Time

As many of our children are getting older, they are no longer napping as often or for as long. Per Colorado licensing regulations, we are required to have children rest on their beds for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, if your child is awake, they will be offered quiet activities. This allows children who do fall asleep adequate time to rest while encouraging children who are awake to keep their bodies calm.

Self Help Skills

Your child is an independent, capable person! We expect children in GM2 to dress themselves, put on their own shoes and socks, feed themselves, apply their own sunscreen (with direct supervision), brush their teeth, and complete their toileting needs. These are great skills to continue at home also.

Family Style Dining

We encourage independent skills during lunch by offering family style dining. The children help set the table, serve themselves food, and pour their own milk. Family style dining also encourages social skills and the use of manners.

Parent Board and Friday Folders

We have a parent board in the classroom that is updated weekly. Please check the board weekly to see what you can expect to see happening in our classroom. Special notes and reminders will also be listed on this board. Each child has a folder in the blue crate. This is where you can find projects, artwork, and other information being sent home. Please check these folders on Friday each week.

10 Fun Facts About Zoo-Phonics

1. It presents information in an age-appropriate way, moving from the concrete (26 zoo animals depicted on large cards) to the abstract (sounds represented by letters of the alphabet).
2. It teaches the lowercase letters first because they make up the vast majority of what we see in print.
3. The English language is regular and predictable and Zoo-phonics capitalizes on that. Three-fourths of our most commonly used words have regular spellings. Zoo-phonics is effective
4. Because it helps children see and understand the patterns in our language.
5. By doing a body movement or "signal” for each animal, children secure the phonemic information in their memories.
6. It teaches short vowels before long ones. This approach helps kids understand that some letters make more than one sound.
7. It emphasizes patterns. Children begin by learning a group of words that are similar such as pig, wig, big, fig, and twig, not random words such as the, since, of, me, and it.
8. It's fully incorporated throughout the day in all subject areas. There are dozens of familiar games that can be modified to teach it such as Mother May I and Red Light, Green Light.
9. It improves spelling skills.
10. It improves pronunciation.
11. It maximizes learning. When children hear information, they remember 10% of it. When they hear, see and say it, they remember 40%. When they hear, see, say and do it, they remember 70-100%.

For more information about Zoo-Phonics, please check out their website here: https://zoo-phonics.com/