In this document, planning refers to the instructional decisions made daily and in the longer term, based on curricular content and student needs. It also includes decisions made regarding materials, activities, and themes.
Thematic Planning
Current research tells us that for students to benefit most from instruction it needs to occur within familiar contexts. Skills such as alphabet recognition, numeral recognition, and counting can be taught in a rote manner, but if they are not connected to a child’s own prior knowledge and understanding, and if they have meaningful purpose within the child’s life, it is unlikely that the learning will be internalized (made part of the student’s fundamental understanding) or generalized (be able to be used and applied in other contexts or circumstances). While some students pick up skills simply by watching and listening to others, many students need direct, explicit instruction in learning basic Kindergarten literacy and numeracy skills. It is important to embed this instruction in familiar contexts and plan opportunities for the students to practice their new skills in meaningful ways.
Using a theme approach to planning and teaching allows the teacher tie together the skills and behaviours from the key curricula and present them in ways in which students will be able to use them in real-life applications. For example, in developing a thematic unit on “Machines” (part of the Science curriculum), the teacher could incorporate the teaching of such math concepts as building, counting, and ordering sets, or arranging items in order based on length, height, or size. Language Arts content could focus on fiction (stories such as Angela’s Airplane , My Truck is Stuck!, or Curious George and the Dump Truck) and non-fiction (informational books about machines). A trip to the Hamlet garage or other maintenance yards could yield some good pictures and shared writing. Social studies outcomes integrated could include characteristics of the local environment and natural and constructed elements, as well as the different kinds of work people do. Integrated health learning outcomes could include body parts, food as energy, and personal safety. Dene Kede concepts also look at personal safety on the land, respect for the environment, Dene technology, and group work skills (also a part of Health, ELA, Science, and Social Studies). Using machines with which the children are familiar (simple ones like pulleys and levers as well as more complex ones like vehicles, bulldozers, helicopters, and snowmobiles) provides a starting point to which everyone can relate. Branching out from that starting point allows children to explore their own interests and then to share the new knowledge with the whole class.
It is critical to remember that units need to be planned based on the curricular expectations for the students, and need to be built around the learning outcomes, rather than around activities. It is easier to work from the “big ideas” that students need to learn, and develop activities and learning experiences that will facilitate that learning than to work the other way around and try to plug activities into the learning outcomes. The “big ideas” will guide the planning of assessment as well (how will the students demonstrate what they have learned) which must be included in the thematic plan.
Some sample themes and topic ideas are included in the Appendix at the end of this document.
Sample Day Plans
Half Day Plan
8:45 - 9:15 Circle and sharing time (big books, chants, poems, etc.)
9:15 - 10:15 Centre choice and guided literacy instruction (3 - 4 small groups)
10:15 - 10:30 Clean-up and Snack
10:30 - 10:45 Recess
10:45 - 11:00 Group Math lesson
11:00 - 11:20 Math practice (individual or partner work)
11:20 - 11:40 Integrated studies (including aboriginal language instruction)
11:40 - 12:00 Story, song, clean-up
Full Day Plan
8:45 - 9:15 Circle and sharing time (big books, chants, poems, etc.)
9:15 - 10:15 Centre choice and guided literacy instruction (3 - 4 small groups)
10:15 - 10:30 Clean-up and Snack
10:30 - 10:45 Recess
10:45 - 11:10 Writing workshop
11:10 - 11:30 Author's chair
11:30 - 12:00 Story, song, clean-up
12:00 - 12:45 Lunch and recess
12:45 - 1:00 Music (quiet time)
1:00 - 1:45 Math Centres and small group instruction (2 - 3 small groups)
1:45 - 2:15 Integrated studies exploration / gym (3 days a week)
2:15 - 2:30 Recess
2:30 - 3:00 Language and Cultural Instruction
3:00 - 3:15 Clean-up and hometime routine
Half Day Plan
8:45 – 9:30 Language/Cultural Instruction
9:30 – 10:00 Circle time (calendar, story, show and tell)
10:00 – 10:20 Table activities (small group work)
10:20 – 10:30 Snack
10:30 – 10:45 Recess
10:45 – 11:15 Math Games
11:15 – 11:45 Centre time (free choice)
11:45 – 12:00 Story
Full Day Plan
8:45 – 9:20 Language/Cultural Instruction
9:20 – 10:15 Circle time (reading, show and tell, calendar, group literacy game)
10:15 – 10:30 Snack
10:30 – 10:45 Recess
10:45 – 11:15 Table Activities (small group instruction – fine motor activity)
11:15 – 11:45 Math instruction/games
11:45 – 12:00 Gym
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and recess
1:00 – 1:45 Journals (pictures and dictation) Centres when finished
1:45 – 2:15 Integrated Studies
2:15 – 2:30 Recess
2:30 – 3:15 Free Choice/Group Activity
Half Day Plan
8:45 – 9:10 Table Activities
9:10 – 9:30 Circle Time (story, agenda for the day)
9:30 – 10:15 Centre time (small group instruction in literacy)
10:15 – 10:30 Snack
10:30 – 11:00 Math
11:30 – 12:00 Language/Cultural Instruction
Full Day Plan
8:45 – 9:15 Table Activities
9:15 – 9:45 Circle Time
9:45 – 10:30 Choice time (including snack)
10:30 – 10:45 Recess
10:45 – 11:30 Math instruction and practice
11:30 – 12:00 Choice time
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch and Recess
1:00 – 1:45 Integrated Studies (non-fiction reading, exploration)
1:45 – 2:15 Gym or Music
2:15 – 2:30 Recess
2:30 – 3:00 Language/Cultural Instruction
3:00 – 3:15 Story
Sample Topics and Theme Ideas
Theme topics might include (but are not limited to or prescribed to be) some of the following ideas.
Dinosaurs
Growing Up
Who Am I? Who Are You?
Getting Around and Doing Work (Machines)
The Mittens I Wear in the Snow (dressing warmly)
My Family
Northern Lights
Dogs