Kindergarten - Getting Ready Before Day One

How Do I Use This Guidance?

What should you consider when getting ready for day one? Below are actions and practices that will support you to gather materials, design your physical space, and anticipate student needs that might arise. Your site likely has established systems and structures in place. Your first step is to get to know those systems and structures and align yourself with them. Use the information below as more concrete guidance and ways you might build on what your site already does. It's a lot! Start with the goal for each checklist and then use the actions as possible supports to consider towards meeting that goal. 

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Physical Environment Readings

Here are some articles and research on setting up the physical environment to support a culture of learning. Particularly recommend the article, "Using Archetypes to Match Learning Spaces with Physical and Digital Spaces” by Bianca Hewes (2012) on pages 41-46. 

Reflection Questions

  1. How can you strategically organize the physical classroom space, furniture, and materials to support a welcoming, efficient and comfortable learning environment?
  2. What materials do you have already? How can you organize them in a way that promotes students access and independence?
  3. What materials do you still need? What will you prioritize? Who can you ask?
  4. What environmental set up will you prioritize in order for all students to be responsible for the thinking in the classroom?
  5. What are the implications for your own practice? What will you do first?

This page was last updated on February 22, 2023