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Have Fun: Purposeful Routines For Large Group Times

Ron Roybal Positive Early Learning Experiences Center

University of Colorado Denver

Kelly WilsonOffice of Early Childhood

Denver, CO

Objectives

1) Participants will gain an understanding of routines and the key elements for establishing effective routines.

2) Participants will be able to develop routines for arrival, large group and story times.

3) Participants will be able to plan for routines within routines in their environment.

4) Participants will be able to add visual supports that enhance routines and large group engagement, and reduce challenging behavior for all children.

Agenda

1. Define Routines and Visual Systems

2. Schedules

3. Arrival Routines

4. Large Group Time

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Arrival, 3% Classroom jobs, 0.4%

Circle/Large group activity, 20%

Small group activity, 7%

Centers/Indoor play, 13%

Meals, 6%Quiet time/Nap, 8%

Outdoor play, 7%

Special activity/Field trip, 0.1%

Self care/Bathroom, 3%

Transition, 18%

Departure, 4% Clean-up, 4%

Therapy, 0.2%

Individual Activity, 0.3%

Other, 6%

ActivitiesAll Programs

What is Engagement?

Levels Looking

Verbal

Motor

Verbal and Motor

Active

Meaningful

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Routines

What are routines? A course of action

Detailed

Followed regularly

Sequential

Predictable

Promote independence

Where to Start?Classroom

Start with universal environmental systems in your classroom.

Build individual strategies from universal environmental systems. Have plan to fade individual strategies.

2 Levels to Implementation

Universal Environmental Level

• Strategies are part of your setting, schedule and routines

• Routines within routines

• Strategies used for all children

Individual Level

• Strategies implemented to support an individual child’s behavior or communication needs

• Strategies focus on an individuals interests, strengths

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Simply Keeping To A Routine Is Insufficient Routine For Many

Routines should help provide answers to these key questions.

1. What am I doing now?

2. How do I know I’m making progress?

3. How do I know when I’m finished?

4. What comes next?

ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE ROUTINES

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Individual Strategies

Individual schedules Object schedules Picture schedules

How do you use them? Vertical vs. horizontal As a transition tool, removed to “All Done”

When do you fade them?

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Establishing Effective Routines Within Routines

Keeping To A Routine Is Insufficient Routine For Many

Routine = Redundancy

Routine = Restricted Stimuli

Embedding Consistent Routines within Routines within Routines throughout your day

Routines Within Routines Within…

Daily Schedule

• Arrival• Table Time• Opening

Circle• Centers• Story Circle• Snack• Outside• Small Groups• Closing Circle

Opening Circle

• Greeting Song

• Calendar• Child Choice

Song• Social Skill

Lesson• Choosing

Centers

Calendar

• Clap the Month

• Days of the Week Song

• Add Today• Motor Cube• Pattern• Review

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Arrival/Small Group Routines

“Welcome” / “Come In” sign

Home to School Transition Board (school bus, school house, etc.)

Visual boundaries for where children can play when they arrive.

Materials out and presented in a way that will attract children to the area.

Arrival/Small Group Routines Within Routines

System for dividing children into groups Name or label tables for small group

Posters with child names and table symbol

Individual cards for each child with a table symbol

Visual Sequence of project/task

Model for children to work from

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Individualized Arrival Routine

Curricular modifications

Task analyze sequence

Timer system to increase engaged time

First ___ / Then ___ board

Communication system to request materials from adults and peers

Picture of child to designate their “cubby”

Visual sequence of behavioral expectation i.e. Hang up backpack, Take off coat, Hang up

coat

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Circle Routine

Opening/gathering song

Calendar

Song choice

Social Skill

Center planning

Circle (Large Group Time) Routines Within Routines

Cues for where children should sit Child Pictures, carpet squares, spots on the rug,

Velcro line, etc.

Poster Boards for each activity of group time Props and Materials Big books, Song props, magic wand, motor cube,

“Quiet” and “Crisscross” pictures

Name Cards or Job System for picking children for jobs

Motor Actions

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Circle – Routines, Props, Materials

Individualized Circle(Large Group Time)

Individualized sequence Individualize poster boards with highly

preferred material Spiderman, Rug Rats, Dora, Blues Clues, etc.

Additional picture cues with individual children

Additional copies of story book/pictures Communication system/device to help child

respond in group

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Story Circle Routines

Gathering Song

Story

Phonemic Awareness

Music Movement

Story Routines Within Routines

Story sequence Read Story

Felt Board

Puppets

Act out

Sound devices for letter of the week

Props for music movement

The Mitten

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Final Thoughts

Meaningful engagement reduces challenging behavior!

Routines and Routines Within Routines

Increased Engagement and Participation

Answer 4 questions – Expectations

Requires Universal Classroom and Individual Levels

DISCOVERY IS NOT IN THE SEEING OF A NEW WAY…BUT

RATHER, A NEW WAY OF SEEING THINGS.

Questions?ronald.roybal@ucdenver.edu

kellyjo664@gmail.com