We have established a variety of classroom procedures to provide a comfortable and familiar environment for the children. They include the following:

Centers : The room is divided into Centers or areas where particular types of activities primarily take place. The Centers include: Dramatic Play, Science and Math, Language, Art and Cooking, Easels, Sand and Water Table, Gross Motor, Blocks, Table Toys, Puzzles and Games, and Music. If a child wishes to go to an area that is full, he/she should be encouraged to make an alternative choice. A "waiting list" can be started for an activity, using a timer to track the designated time. Generally, ten minutes is the set time if a group of children is waiting, but this can be negotiated with the children.

Jobs: Classroom job responsibilities are rotated on a daily basis and include such things as getting the mail from the Church office, setting the table for snack, collecting the name tags during clean-up time, caring for pets and plants, leading children outside, holding the door, being the "caboose", helping with the outdoor toys, and others as assigned.

Circle Time: Each time after free play, the children get together for a small gathering. It may include music and movement, a story, a conversation about the days events, or anything else that comes up. While adults should encourage all children to join the teacher on the rug, some children will prefer to watch from further away. This is perfectly acceptable, as long as the children are not disrupting the rest of the group.

Activity Time: Children are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of activities. They may, however, choose to spend all or the majority of their time in one or two areas of the classroom. This is very typical of some children; they have an "inner sense" of what "work" they need to do. By rotating materials between centers and adding new things into the environment, these children will have plenty of opportunities to participate in new experiences if they choose to do so.

Bathrooming: While there is no set "bathroom time," all children are encouraged to use the bathroom during the course of the morning before snack, prior to going outside. Children are generally good about self-regulating their bodies, and will let us know when they need to go. For those children who are so involved in their play that they occasionally forget, watch for the tell-tale "dance" and "groin grab!" Naturally, children should wash their hands after using the bathroom. Remember to encourage self-help skills; they are quite good at turning on and off the water, pumping the soap, and getting their own paper towels.