Iowa e-Learning Central

SEBH Preschool: Routines

SEBH Preschool Routines

Click the link below for the
Preschool: Routines module

Preschool Routines - SEBH.pdf

The full version of the module is in the downloadable PDF above. An accessible text version is below.

 

 

 

Support Success with Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health (SEBH) Supports - Preschool: Routines

Two modules focused on preschool-specific SEBH topics: one for relationships and the other for routines.

Purpose & Objectives

This is one of a set of modules that highlight critical considerations and provide universal strategies to support the social-emotional-behavioral health of staff, students, and families during in-person and/or online learning. 

Each module is:

  • a “jump-start” to key considerations, with less focus on systemic changes
  • designed to be completed in
    30 minutes or less
  • for educators/teachers
  • self-paced but may be facilitated
  • optional; educators may use one or more depending on need

Supporting Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health

Staff, family, and student emotional well-being is integral to effective instruction and student engagement. Planning for this support is critical to ensure adults and learners are ready to learn.  

Teachers with Strong Social-Emotional Competence...

  • Have less burnout
  • Have stronger student relationships
  • Regulate their own emotions
  • Are social-emotional role models

Students with Strong Social-Emotional Competence...

  • Have increased achievement
  • Have improved attitudes
  • Have less emotional distress
  • Have fewer conduct concerns

Alignment to State Priorities and Goals

State Priority: Creating a Safe, Healthy, and Welcoming Learning Environment

  • Goal:  All Iowa schools will work with their learners to foster a culture and climate in which they feel safe and supported, and bullying and harassment do not exist.  
  • Goal:  All learners will have access to mental health services and supports in their schools and communities.
  • Goal:  All schools will create environments that develop social, emotional, and behavioral health. 

Goal:  All schools will develop physical health for students through structured school programs (e.g., food and nutrition, physical education, wellness programs, etc.)

Connecting to your work

How do these recommendations connect to your work?

The practices outlined in the following modules align to:

  • Best practices detailed within many policy expectations for schools
  • Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) for SEBH
  • Universal Supports for SEBH within an MTSS

The purpose of these resources is to apply EBP for SEBH within the context of a variety of learning contexts including in-person, online, and virtual.

Preschool: Routines

Objectives

  1. Learn why schedules and routines are important in preschool.
  2. Plan routines and expectations for routines.
  3. Plan for visual supports for classroom routines.

Rationale

“A consistently followed schedule helps make settings predictable for both young children and adults. Studies have documented that schedules and routines influence children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. For example, predictable and consistent schedules in preschool classrooms help children feel secure and comfortable. Also, schedules and routines help children understand the expectations of the environment and reduce the frequency of behavior problems, such as tantrums and acts of aggression.”

Resource: What Works Brief by M. M. Ostrosky, E. Y. Jung, M. L. Hemmeter, D. Thomas

Schedule and Routines

Schedules and routines should be taught and represented visually for both in-person and online learning

  • Schedules represent the big picture—the main activities to be completed daily
    • Represented with visuals
  • Routines represent the steps to complete the activities
    • A course of action
    • Detailed
    • Followed regularly
    • Sequential 
    • Predictable
    • Promote independence 

Routines

Purposeful routines are important in preschool as they help build social emotional competence and:

  • Provide understanding for what is coming next in their day
  • Provide understanding of what to do during each part of their day
  • Increase responsibility and confidence
  • Promote security and independence
  • Increase engagement 
  • Reduce problematic behavior
  • Increase social interactions
  • Build consistency
  • Think about the daily schedule that takes place in your classroom
    • What are the activities you do throughout the course of your day?
    • Does the schedule include arrival, transitions, large group, centers, small group?
  • Now think about the routines within each activity 
    • What happens during each of these routines?
    • What are the expectations during each routine?
    • Are the routines represented visually?

Example of an In Person Arrival Routine

Greet Peer

  1. Child walks into classroom
  2. Assigned peer says good morning
  3. Then asks child to pick a greeting
  4. Greet each other from a distance

Wash hands

  1. Go to sink
  2. Turn on water
  3. Get soap and wash for 20 seconds
  4. Dry hands

Table activity

  1. Go to assigned table spot
  2. Look at visual supports
  3. Begin activity

Sign in

  1. Child signs in
  2. Tells next child it is their turn
  3. Next child sign in

Question of the day

  1. Peer asks child question of the day
  2. Child tells another peer it’s their turn
  3. Child approaches, peer asks child question of the day

Example of an In Person Transition Routine

5-minute warning

  1. Child gets 5-minute warning visual
  2. Child tells peers 5 minutes left of activity
  3. Child puts 5 minute warning visual back

Assigned child gives signal

  1. Assigned child rings a bell/flashes the lights
  2. Child indicated it is time to stop activity by saying “Everybody stop hands on top”
  3. Children stop activity and put their hands on their head

Teacher does ritual

  1. Teacher directs children to move their hands to different parts of their body
  2. Teacher may ask if 2 words rhyme during this time
  3. Teacher may embed other quick learning

Expectation to next activity

  1. Teacher gives expectations, such as, clean up your area
  2. Help your peers
  3. Meet me at the group area, or gives some direction of what is coming next

5-minute warning

  1. Child gets 5-minute warning visual
  2. Child tells peers 5 minutes left of activity
  3. Child puts 5 minute warning visual back

Example of an In Person Large Group Routine

Child finds assigned spot

  1. Children find assigned spot to sit
  2. Children sit down
  3. Children wait for group to begin

Opening/gathering song

  1. Teacher picks child to choose opening song from 3 choices
  2. Child picks which song to sing
  3. All children sing the song together, possibly doing physical dance movements

Social emotional lesson

  1. Teacher leads lesson on emotional literacy
  2. Teachers about feelings/or social skills/reads book
  3. Demonstrates skill
  4. Children practice skill

Center planning

  1. Teacher or child calls children up one at a time
  2. They plan where they want to play and go to center
  3. Next child is called to plan for centers
  4. Children waiting are thinking of where they want to play

Child finds assigned spot

  1. Children find assigned spot to sit
  2. Children sit down
  3. Children wait for group to begin

Example of an Online Large Group Routine

Welcome

  1. Teacher and children saying hi to each other (all unmuted)
  2. Use visual to signal when to stop
  3. Review your visual schedule

Greeting song

  1. Teacher sings (participants muted)
  2. Motor actions using visuals and modeling

Social emotional lesson

  1. Teacher leads lesson on social emotional literacy with visuals
  2. Demonstrates skill
  3. Children practice skill

Story

  1. Teacher reads book
  2. Teacher asks questions with visual prompts
  3. Children respond

Good Bye

  1. Sing song with visuals
  2. Teacher and children say goodbye to each other (all unmuted)

Routines Activity

  1. Plan each activity of the day
  2. Plan the expectations of the activity
  3. Decide what visual supports you will use 
  4. Consider how they will differ for in person learning versus online learning

What do these practices look like in different learning contexts?

In-person

  • Routines – Consider all routines and planning each step out with visual supports 
  • After Scheduled or Unscheduled Breaks – Re-teach routines and use visual supports

Online

  • Routines – Consider and modify routines, continue to plan each step and plan what visual supports you will use that are consistent to classroom visuals. Remind children that even online the visuals mean the same.
  • Embed learning opportunities into daily routines in the home environment. Supporting parents in how to embed learning in typical home routines. 

Reflection

  • What are one or two things you want to change or add to classroom routines?
  • What visual supports do you need to assist in supporting classroom routines?
  • What resources might be helpful in planning for classroom routines?

Action Plan

  • Date
  • Goal (Knowledge, Skill, or Behavior we want to Obtain, Practice or Improve)
  • Action Steps and Timeline (what, by whom, when, how)
  • Indicators of Completion (How will we know when we have achieved it? What change will we see? What types of evidence or tools will demonstrate the skill or practice has improved?)
  • Supports Needed (materials, personnel, time, etc.)
  • Follow-up Notes

Additional Resources (Optional)