A Flexible First-Week Plan for Pre-K and Kindergarten
Use these five starting points to plan a gentle introduction to your classroom. Adapt the pace to your students, school schedule and existing curriculum.
Day 1: Welcome and belonging
Introduce yourself, show where belongings go and practice one simple routine. Offer a short All About Me activity with adult support rather than trying to finish every prompt.
Day 2: Explore the classroom
Walk through a few key areas together. Model how materials are used and put away. A classroom scavenger hunt can support the tour, provided it stays supervised and manageable.
Day 3: Names and feelings
Practice greeting one another and finding names. Invite children to share how they feel with words or pictures. Accept a range of feelings without asking children to explain publicly.
Day 4: Notice what you have in common
Ask a simple favorites question and build a class graph together. Let students talk about similarities and differences without turning preferences into a competition.
Day 5: Reflect and connect
Invite children to draw or describe a memory from the week. Check family information privately and note which routines need more practice next week.
Keep preparation simple
The First Week Ready pack collects eight supporting resources in one nine-page PDF. Use the pages that fit your plan; there is no need to complete them all in a single week.