Daily Routines that include Faith Formation
While many teaching teams using ACCESS focus on Investigations and Mini-Investigations when they are planning, Daily Routines can often be overlooked. Comprising the majority of the time that children spend in your classroom, they deserve intentional planning to take advantage of the authentic experiences that make your program comforting, predictable and safe. Predictability is important for young children who often feel powerless. Daily Routines provide information about what comes next. They make ideal opportunities for faith formation. Consider the following options for Daily Routines in your classroom. Your teaching team should work together to determine which of these routines are a good match for your program. What the team decides to include will depend on your children's needs and interest, the length of the school day and how often children attend. Use the chart below to create a class schedule.
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Description of Activity |
Faith Concepts, Standards or Elements |
Arrival |
The arrival activities differ greatly depending on when and where families drop off their children. In this example, families bring their children into the classroom. They are given a copy of the prayers that the children are learning this week so that they can use them at home. |
USCCB Recommendation
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Free Play |
As children enter the room, they can choose the center where they would like to play. New materials are rotated into the center to keep the children's interest. This week, children read the story about the lost sheep. Sheep figurines are placed in the block area. Pieces of fabric are added to dramatic play area so that children can dress up as shepards or as sheep. The lost sheep storybook is added to the reading center. |
D1B Recognize the Bible as a very sacred book in which God is revealed through stories of creation and accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. |
Morning Prayer |
Children gather at the Prayer Table where they describe what they see in the area. Teachers draw their attention to the symbols of God that are on the Prayer Table. They talk about the symbols for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Teachers demonstrate the sign of the cross and have the children copy what they see. |
D1B Recognize the Bible as a very sacred book in which God is revealed through stories of creation and accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. D3B Identify objects in the classroom that can help us to pray and know how to handle objects of prayer with reverence. |
Circle Time |
Children gather in the meeting area which often includes the Prayer Table. During this time, teachers tell the children what they can expect that day. They introduce new items added to classroom, read story books and learn new songs. Circle time lasts a maximum of 20 minutes which is developmentally appropriate for most preschoolers. |
D6B Realize that God made all of us different from each other but equal in dignity. D6C Show respect for others in the class because we are all created in the image of God. |
Snack |
Snack is an often overlooked opportunity for learning. Teachers can support oral language and conversation skills; provide opportunities to explore amounts, counting and sets; share family traditions and so much more. Prayers of thanks are a natural expression of faith. Teachers can also talk about God created the world because he loves us and this includes the food that we eat and the milk that we drink. |
D5B Build a capacity to share with others because everything we have is a gift from God. |
Centers |
Some of the common centers in a preschool classroom include the art area, the writing center, dramatic play and housekeeping center, the block area, the science center, the water table and table activities that are often facilitated by a teacher. Adding materials that tie to faith formation to the centers allows children to practice what they have learned. |
D4A Show awareness that our freely chosen words and actions have an impact on our relationship with God and others. |
Transition to Playground |
Transitions from one activity to another can be challenging for preschoolers both emotionally and physically. It is hard to stop something fun. It is hard to wait. It is hard to control your body. Creative teachers think of ways to motivate children using such techniques as "let's walk and talk like a lamb" or "let's see if there are any lost sheep on our way to the playground." |
D4B Understand that good rules set by our family, school, church, and community can help us to make good choices. |
Outdoor Play |
Children should play outside everyday when the temperature is warmer than 30 degrees and cooler than 85 degrees. They can be out in the rain as long as it is not thundering and the snow as long as it is not too icy. There is no better place to learn about the beautiful world that God created than being out in it. Teachers need to be present and full of wonder to inspire children to be curious about what they see. |
D1A Acknowledge that God is love, and God created everything in the world in goodness and love. |
Lunch |
Similar to what was described in the snack section above, lunch is an opportunity for children to learn prayers and become aware of the food that comes from the world that God created. |
D1A Acknowledge that God is love, and God created everything in the world in goodness and love. |
Rest/Nap |
Prayer can help children to calm themselves and transition to rest. They are not too young to learn about and practice prayerful meditation. |
D3A Describe prayer as a way of talking, listening, and sharing our feelings with God at any time. |
Clean-up |
Taking care of the classroom is a way so show care for their friends and God wants us to be kind to our friends. This is just one of the many messages that can tie faith formation to children in their everyday life. |
D5C Identify ways that we can be good caretakers of God’s creation, ourselves, and others. D6C Show respect for others in the class because we are all created in the image of God. |
Departure |
School and program routines will dictate how children leave for the day. In this example families pick up their children in the classroom. This give teachers an opportunity to share the experiences of the day and make connections between home and school. |
USCCB Recommendation
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Greeting children
Greetings can also help us build new connections with others and strengthen bonds, especially when we make sure that the other person knows they are important to us. In a classroom setting, personal greetings play an important role in creating a positive learning climate.
Select a location where you will stand every morning to greet the children. Send the verbal and nonverbal message, “Hello, I’m glad you’re here today!” Props like the greeting plate or poster board give children a choice about how they would like to be greeted and then share a meaningful greeting together. For example, you might put images of a praying hands, stars, a cross, a peace sign, and a bear. Each symbol represents a different type of greeting:
Kindness Counter
To teach love, kindness and empathy among preschool-aged children, use classroom jobs to encourage children to look for kindness and to do good deeds by creating a special job…the Kindness Counter! The Kindness Counters job is to look around the room and look for kindness and helpful deeds throughout the day. When they find it, they track it by putting a rock, shell or another natural item in a bowl or jar in a designated place in the classroom. At the end of the day, they count how much kindness they found that day because if you’re looking for kindness, you will find kindness! This classroom job helps the class focus on kind and helpful acts, seeing the best in others and providing community as we are all in this together!
Classroom Jobs
Classroom jobs foster a sense of community and being part of a school family. It helps students feel like they have an important place in the classroom and instills a sense of responsibility in preschoolers for their environment. This ownership makes them more likely to strive to do well. Jobs give a feeling of purpose, which helps with self-esteem and behavior regulation. Jobs can be used to promote kindness. It promotes the sense that all children play an important role and are a part of a school community and God’s family.
Some examples include:
Prayers during Transitions
We want our kids to know how important and personal talking to God is in daily life. Encourage prayer as the student’s transition between activities. Some key times to worship during the day are:
Taking Care of Nature
Those who experience nature's mystery and beauty will grow up caring about protecting it. We are committed to providing young learners with experiences in and with nature and have an added goal of helping children begin to develop care and concern for the natural world. At ACCESS, we love studying nature and using natural materials. Our natural environment doesn't just teach us about Creation in an academic sense, although it can. It leads us towards an appreciation of God's glory. The sense of wonder that nature sparks in young children can inspire personal dedication to God There are many bible verses that show that God cares for his creation — and expects us, as Christians, to do the same. Caring for classroom plants, garden or a classroom pet show that you care for your surroundings like a Steward for God.
Greetings can also help us build new connections with others and strengthen bonds, especially when we make sure that the other person knows they are important to us. In a classroom setting, personal greetings play an important role in creating a positive learning climate.
Select a location where you will stand every morning to greet the children. Send the verbal and nonverbal message, “Hello, I’m glad you’re here today!” Props like the greeting plate or poster board give children a choice about how they would like to be greeted and then share a meaningful greeting together. For example, you might put images of a praying hands, stars, a cross, a peace sign, and a bear. Each symbol represents a different type of greeting:
- Praying hands: Child and greeter makes praying hands together.
- Stars: Greeter and the child both flutter your fingers together to mimic falling stars while singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”
- Peace sign: Greeter shakes hands with the child and offers them a sign of peace as we do in Mass. Recite the words "Peace be with you.”
- Bear: Greeter gives the child a big bear hug
Kindness Counter
To teach love, kindness and empathy among preschool-aged children, use classroom jobs to encourage children to look for kindness and to do good deeds by creating a special job…the Kindness Counter! The Kindness Counters job is to look around the room and look for kindness and helpful deeds throughout the day. When they find it, they track it by putting a rock, shell or another natural item in a bowl or jar in a designated place in the classroom. At the end of the day, they count how much kindness they found that day because if you’re looking for kindness, you will find kindness! This classroom job helps the class focus on kind and helpful acts, seeing the best in others and providing community as we are all in this together!
Classroom Jobs
Classroom jobs foster a sense of community and being part of a school family. It helps students feel like they have an important place in the classroom and instills a sense of responsibility in preschoolers for their environment. This ownership makes them more likely to strive to do well. Jobs give a feeling of purpose, which helps with self-esteem and behavior regulation. Jobs can be used to promote kindness. It promotes the sense that all children play an important role and are a part of a school community and God’s family.
Some examples include:
- Line leader
- attendance helper
- Calendar captain
- Weather reporter
- floor sweeper
- Table wiper
- Lunch helper
- block area helper
- librarian
- Trash and recycle collector
- Zookeeper (cares for class pet)
- gardener (tends to classroom plants)
- Prayer table recessional
- Prayer leader
- Kindness counter
Prayers during Transitions
We want our kids to know how important and personal talking to God is in daily life. Encourage prayer as the student’s transition between activities. Some key times to worship during the day are:
- Morning prayer
- Prayer table procession
- Before meals and snacks
- During hand washing
- Group time
- Before going outside
- Before nap time
- Closing prayer
Taking Care of Nature
Those who experience nature's mystery and beauty will grow up caring about protecting it. We are committed to providing young learners with experiences in and with nature and have an added goal of helping children begin to develop care and concern for the natural world. At ACCESS, we love studying nature and using natural materials. Our natural environment doesn't just teach us about Creation in an academic sense, although it can. It leads us towards an appreciation of God's glory. The sense of wonder that nature sparks in young children can inspire personal dedication to God There are many bible verses that show that God cares for his creation — and expects us, as Christians, to do the same. Caring for classroom plants, garden or a classroom pet show that you care for your surroundings like a Steward for God.
