Your childâ??s daily activities 8:30am - 3:30pm
Guidelines for Functional Independence
Daily Entry
· Entering the school
· Personally greeting the Teacher and Assistant
· Hanging up outer clothing and changing clothing or shoes as customary
· Putting away personal articles neatly
· Cleaning, beautifying and preparing his/her own work space
Work Period
· The sequence of gracefully using and replacing a chair at a table
· The sequence of courteously using a floor rug
· Following an observable pattern of free choice and purposeful work for at least the first 45 minutes of the day
· Consistently following the physical elements of a work cycle (gathering the materials: some purposeful work; returning the materials to the shelf)
Personal Needs
· Getting a drink of water
· Using the bathroom as needed, including washing hands for hygiene
· Gracefully following the customary procedure for having a Snack
· Following procedures for Lunch and Nap (as these apply)
· Using a tissue
· Covering a sneeze or cough
Walking on the Line
· Taking off and putting on shoes and socks (if needed; includes the ability to seek appropriate help)
· Following the customary signals for participation
· Moving courteously in and out of the role of participant or observer
· Contributing to the communal success of the activity
· Preparing and arranging the space for the exercise (if needed)
Silence Exercises
· Sitting silently, without tension
· Concentrating on distant sounds
· Concentrating on a particular nearby sounds
· Interrupting and re-establishing his/her own silence
Daily Departure
· Straightening objects on a shelf or about the room
· Searching the floor for debris or â??foreignâ?? objects
· Straightening clothing, arranging hair neatly, and checking for clean hands and face
· Carrying personal articles properly
· Personally saying Goodbye to the Teacher and Assistant
At first the children will be dependent on the adults for many of these things. By showing children how to do these things by and for themselves, we will create the possibility of the adults becoming less active as childrenâ??s functional independence increases. If the children are going to learn real freedom â?? the capacity to pause and choose to act according to the images we are showing - then guidance must be indirect, through placing limits and re-representing tirelessly whenever needed.