Schedules and routines help reduce stress, chaos, misbehavior, and all in all makes life easier!
What is a schedule?
A schedule is the big picture or the main points for the day. They are flexible and open to one time and occasional events.
What are routines?
A routine is what happens within the schedule on a regular basis. They don't change very often.
What are transitions?
Transitions are what you do to get from point A to point B or from one activity to another in a smooth orderly way.
How are these used and beneficial in the classroom?
There are normally visual schedules and routines within the classroom for both the children and teachers to refer to. There is usually a schedule posted outside the classroom for parents to refer to as well. Having a schedule helps build structure, while routines help make everything flow with minimal chaos. Transitions help tie everything together and are usually the most difficult times in a day so you want to make sure to use them only when necessary. Without a schedule, routines, and transitions your classroom will a mess and will be double the work. An example of a 2 year olds schedule can be found by clicking here.
How would these look like if used at home?
These can totally be implemented at home! Your schedule may be different from day to day depending on how your days are set up, but it still has some sort of pattern. For example your kids may be up and ready by 8:30-9 am ish, have free play till 11 am (or run errands), then clean-up and eat lunch around 11-noon ish, Then at 12;30 ish to 2 pm they have rest time, then wake up and have snack, then have free play, then eat dinner at about 5-6 pm, then get ready for bed, then lastly be in bed by 7;30-8 pm ish. Then within that schedule you have routines on how they go about meals, rest time, and etc. Transitions may be just telling them what you are going to do next or a simple 5 minute warning before going to the next thing. Implementing these at home will help your kids be able to cope in a day because nothing drastic is different about each day like taking a nap at totally different times everyday. They know what is going to happen and know what is expected of them when the go to eat or clean-up because that routine sets that foundation.
*Note; your day to day schedule may look different in many ways, the above schedule was just an example.
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