COVID TIP ALERT

One thing’s for sure-as we are getting back into the classroom we need to have to have systems in place to support social distancing.

It’s not going to be easy with 4 & 5 year olds, but we’re going to try!

Today, I’m showing you the routine in our classroom for dismissing kids from the table.

If you struggle with kids getting out of their seat constantly, (don’t we all?)

PLEASE GIVE THIS STRATEGY A TRY...

This is a photo showing two of my kiddos modeling the sign we use.

Super simple, right? WELL, once you combine the sign with...the words you say...it becomes a reliable system that will keep kids in their seats until they are dismissed.

**(It’s going to be crucial not to have kids wandering around freely! This will help to limit who’s out of their seat and it will make it easy to ensure things are getting sanitized as kids are getting up because you are only dismissing one or two at a time!)

It takes a lot of practice the first week you introduce it, but make it fun!

Have them all practice doing the sign.

Then, practice saying the magical words: "Stand and Tuck."

And IT MEANS, they stand up FIRST...THEN, they tuck in THEIR CHAIR.

So they are sitting there at breakfast and they decide they are done... they will put their hands up on their head and then, they have to wait for the teacher to say, “STAND AND TUCK.” ...only then, can they stand up and tuck in their chair.

(We always make sure they stand up with *nothing in their hands*...push in their chair first and THEN they can grab whatever it is they might need to throw away...we had so many spills from kids trying to get up with milk and wrappers in their hands-but if they get up with nothing in their hands and push in their chair first, they won't drop everything!)

Kids learn to WAIT and follow the procedure. It's a way to help kids learn to control themselves. They have to practice control all the time.

They LIKE having limits and structure.

They will enjoy this if you introduce it in a *fun* way and hold them accountable.