The first week with a new class runs on preparation, not improvisation. Most of what makes those early days feel calm — names learned quickly, routines that stick, children who can find their own peg — is decided before the children walk in. This is the checklist I work through every time I take on a new Pre-K, kindergarten, or first-grade class.
1. Names first
Everything in an early-years classroom starts with the child's own name: their peg, their tray, their first attempts at writing.
- [ ] Get the class roster early and learn the names (and pronunciations) before day one
- [ ] Label pegs, trays, water bottles, and cubbies with large, clear name cards
- [ ] Prepare a personalised name tracing worksheet for every child, so each of them can start practising writing their own name from the very first morning
- [ ] Make a spare set of name cards for games, lining up, and choosing helpers
2. The room itself
- [ ] Arrange tables so every child can see the board without turning around
- [ ] Set up a calm corner with cushions and a small selection of books
- [ ] Put pencils, crayons, scissors, and glue sticks within child-height reach
- [ ] Decide where finished work goes — and label that tray on day one, not week three
- [ ] Test the printer. It will fail exactly when thirty children need a worksheet
3. Routines worth teaching in week one
Young children feel safe when the day is predictable. Teach these explicitly, one at a time:
- [ ] How to line up, and where
- [ ] The signal for silence (a chime, a clap pattern, a raised hand)
- [ ] What to do when you finish early
- [ ] Tidy-up jobs, assigned by name so nobody is "everyone"
- [ ] Handwashing and toilet procedure — practise it, don't just explain it