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I see a lot of visitors to this blog are using the keywords

‘first day back’, so I thought I’d pop up the menu of activities

I use for my first day back with Junior Infants.

 

Some suggestions for First Day with Junior Infants.

The following has worked for me.

There is a lot there but that’s because it’s a menu.

Usually our first day would end at twelve.

But what actually happens may vary

depending on the children’s receptiveness.

Where I feel I’m losing the children’s attention,

I change activity and/or burst into song!

 

Free Play:

As the children come in I encourage them

to settle down to one of five activities.

For example:

1. Building a zoo for the zoo animals

2. Mobilo

3. Lego, playmat and cars

4. Playdoh and mats

5. Colouring

I have a music cd playing softly in the background.

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Given it is early days I can be fairly flexible

and allow a certain amount of ‘roaming’.

I’d intend to encourage the children

to stay at an activity from next week.

 

For children that are restless;

They can draw a picture or read a book in the library.

 

If a child is crying, I try to distract them.

I have furry toys that I give to them ‘to be their friend’.

Often other children will reassure them.

If all else fails I find that opening their school bag

and talking them through the nice lunch their grown up

has made for them, usually cheers them up.

 

After twenty minutes to a half an hour this first day

it would be ‘Time for school to start properly’

but first it is ‘Tidy Up Time’;

I make a big promotion out of this because,

it is the start of teaching the children this routine;

to tidy up, for the year ahead.

I encourage them and praise the children who

are tidying up lavishly.

 

When it is done I thank the children for

sharing, taking turns and tidying up. I say;

‘ Give yourself a pat on the back.

Give yourself a pat on the head.

Say;’ I’ve done a very good job.’

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Then we say our Morning Prayer;

We light a candle to remind the children

that God Our Father in Heaven is always with them.

‘Father in heaven. You love me.

You are with me night and day.

I want to love you always

in all I do and say.

I’ll try to please you Father.

Please help me during the day. Amen.’

I invite a few children to say a simple prayer;

along the lines of ‘God bless …’

I do this by getting the children

to ‘model’ their prayers on mine.

I’ll reward a co-operative child

by asking them to blow out the candle.

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Then we have our Morning Sing-Song!

For this we move to the ‘story mat’.

We sing a selection from;

e.g. Good Morning Song

or Good morning

(to the air of If You’re Happy and You Know It)

 

Good morning, (first name and last name).

How are you?

Good morning, (first name and last name).

How are you?

Good morning, (first name and last name)

Good morning, (first name and last name)

Good morning, (first name and last name).

How are you?

*If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands

*The More We Get Together the Happier We’ll Be

I have posted ones you may not be familiar with as videos,

but on that first day I would make very little use of video

as I would be establishing my relationship

as Teacher with the children.

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Then I call the roll. Once again I am establishing a routine.

To encourage the children to give me their attention

I say:

‘This is my quiet time.

My hands are quiet.

My feet and quiet.

My lips are quiet’.

I teach the children to listen for their name

and answer ‘Anseo’.

 

More routines follow:

I talk to the children about using the bathroom .

There is no need to ask Teacher because

they are big children now.

 

I remind them about closing the door,

flushing the toilet and washing their hands.

I explain the reasons for this.

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Then I tell them its time for ‘Real’ Work.

We begin by singing the traditional Alphabet Song;

We work on the first letter ‘a’.

Any children’s names beginning with ‘a’

 

* From ‘Jolly Phonics’

‘A makes the ‘Ah’ sound like an ant ticking your arm’.

I show the children the associated action.

 

Some teachers may prefer to follow the Jolly Phonics

sequence of teaching s,a,t as the first three letters to learn.

I prefer to teach the children alphabetical order.

I feel it is a life skill that is slow to develop otherwise.

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* Handout. Three circles.

We are going to make an ant.

I have cut out three circles for each child.

I regard cutting out as a very useful skill,

but for this week, I’ll do the cutting out

for the children in advance.

 

We’ll stick these down on a sheet of paper.

I’ll ask the children what is missing?

(Six legs, two antennae).

I’ll ask them what colour are they going to colour the ant?

Has anybody ever seen an ant?

Where?

What was it doing?

What do we know about ants?

How many legs have they? (6)

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There are lots of poems about ants.

Check out Can Teach’s website.

 

To differentiate for the children who love learning

about nature, I’ll explain that ants have three parts

to their bodies; head – thorax – stomach. 

 

Work in Irish and Maths will once again give the children

an opportunity to move around the class.

But we’d start out back on the story mat

perhaps sitting in a circle.

Achieving this is another routine

that will need to be taught.

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Gaeilge; Bainim úsáid as an cd: Amhráin Do Pháistí;

Gníomhamhráin m.s.

1. Buail do Bhosa

2. Buail Bos

3. Timpeall Timpeall

These are action songs and we will be active.

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Maths; Number and Action Songs;

The Ants Go Marching One by One

Five currant buns,

Five green bottles,

Five fat sausages,

Five in in the bed,

Five little ducks went swimming one day.

I get great co-operation if I ask five children who are attentive

to be the buns or the sausages.

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Music; To settle the children I might play

‘The Magic Tambourine’

where the children pass tambourine around silently.

 

When it is time for lunch we’ll say this prayer;

Bless us o Lord as we sit together.

Bless the food we eat today.

Bless the hands that make the food.

Bless us o Lord. Amen.

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Once again give yourself time to establish a routine:

Opening bottles and boxes.

Encouraging the children to do this themselves.

Talking about healthy lunches and the reasons for these.

 

Lining up for the yard also takes time.

There are some lovely ideas here

about how to encourage children to

walk in and out of the classroom safely.

Yard time; Checking every one has someone

to play with and is included.

 
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Then it is time for the Prayer after Meals;

Thank you God for the food we have eaten.

Thank you God for all out friends.

Thank you God for everything.

Thank you God. Amen.

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Storytime

Children are once again asked to sit on story mat.

I always read a story that I know well and that I love.

Knowing the story well means you can carry on

no matter what happens on this first day with Infants.

Loving it means that you will get this across to the children

and they will be enthusiastic about it too.

 

I favour ‘Going Fishing’ from My Naughty Little Sister Stories

by Dorothy Edwards

Other teachers recommend ‘The Kissing Hand’ by Audrey Penn

or ‘Harry and the Dinosaurs go to School’ by Ian Whybrow 

which deal specifically with separation and starting school

but I know my choice of book will work for me.

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I have songs on standby just in case I need to get

the children back all singing off the same hymn sheet.

They include:

* Head and shoulders, knees and toes.

(We vary it, singing it in slow motion,

very fast, or pointing to the wrong parts of the body.)

* Old Mc Donald had a farm. We the ‘usual suspects’

and also ants ( with a tickle tickle here etc.)

As a variation, (that the children find funny)

Get the dog to moo – the duck to bark etc. etc.

* The Wheels on the Bus.

 

Towards the day we’d have a conversational round.

I’d ask the children:

What is the best thing about school?

What new friend did you make today? 

What are you looking forward to doing tomorrow in school? 

When it is time to getting ready for hometime,

again one is establishing routines.

Give this time.

Encourage the children to tidy up after themselves.

You can make this into a game.

Children are capable of helping you,

but you might use the following tricks!

Say to them ‘What clever child can count to three?’

Then ask them to pick up three things off the floor

and put them in the right place!

Tell them you are having a treasure hunt.

e.g. If you spy a red pencil on the floor

that hasn’t been picked up say

‘Who can find me a …red pencil and put it on their desk?’

 

Then establish another routine by asking them to

‘Stand behind your chairs, and we’ll say our prayers!’

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This is the Evening Prayer;

God Our Father I come to say, thank you for your love today.

Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.

Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning send your light. Amen.

 

* Draw a magic circle in the yard and ask the children to stand in it

until they are collected by their parent or minder.

Be sure to make eye contact with each adult collecting

and not let child off without a grown up.

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The day is over.

Give YOURSELF a pat on the back.

YOU did a good job.

Take a deep breath.

Finish the tidy up.

You have to do it all again tomorrow 🙂