A Kindergarten Daily Schedule Vs. Flow of the Day

Inside: In a Reggio-Inspired Approach to learning, time is often organized into a “flow of the day.” This post explores how that is different from a daily “schedule” and how a teacher might go about creating a less segmented day. Use the FREE daily plan toolkit, found at the end of this post, to help you plan your own kindergarten day!

Flow of the Day vs. the Daily Schedule

A few years ago, I traveled to Canada to learn more about the Reggio Emilia Approach to learning. My ears perked up when the presenter began to talk about the “flow of the day.” Say what?

You mean “schedule,” right?!

Not exactly.

As I continued to listen, I learned that a “schedule” and a “flow of the day” were not the same things. Both serve as a timetable to organize the kindergarten day, but the difference in wording is intentional.

The word “flow” was chosen because it more closely aligns with the way this presenter, and her fellow Canadian teachers, thoughtfully imagine and carry out their day.

Curious to know more? I was too. So I did a little digging.

Daily Schedule

The word “schedule,” means to plan an event to take place at a particular time. In the classroom, a schedule is usually displayed in a linear format and lists the subject areas in the order in which they will be taught. There are usually many subjects with specific time constraints for each area. It is highly segmented, time bound, and often restrictive.

Flow of the Day

Alternatively, the word “flow” means to move in a steady, continuous stream. Teachers who use a “flow of the day,” still define specific contexts for learning (i.e. reflection time, centers, etc.) but break their day into larger chunks of time with less transitions.

These timetables are often displayed in a horizontal format, and while there is still a plan for the day, it is more fluid and flexible. If children are in the “flow” of a project, they are allowed to continue while interest and engagement is still very high. This is thought to be more developmentally appropriate for younger children who don’t often transition easily.

Reimagining the Kindergarten Schedule

After encountering this new approach to structuring time in kindergarten, I began to think about what my own timetable might look like. I teach in a public school, not a Reggio-Inspired school, so many aspects of my time are dictated to me.

To sort this out, I took out my schedule cards and began to rearrange them.

As I looked at the cards, I could see how choppy my current day was and began to wonder how I might change that. I began to envision a day with larger chunks of time, consisting of four main blocks: reading workshop, writing workshop, math workshop, and discovery workshop.

Our “flow of the day,” would include all four blocks (reading and writing in the morning, math and discovery in the afternoon), with flexible contexts for learning contained within each. For example, on any given day, reading workshop might include word work, mini lessons, shared reading, book boxes, story making and more, but these experiences would be folded into this larger block of time, rather than being separate and time bound.

A huge advantage to this was that I could carefully select the reading experiences most needed by my kiddos at any given time, rather than choosing a rigid, set in stone “schedule” at the beginning of the year. This would free me from saying things like, “There’s just no time in the schedule for shared reading.” or “I’m not doing partner reading this year because I just can’t fit it in.”

Giving it a New Name

So what might I call this new timetable?

I’m trying to move away from a restrictive “schedule,” and lean into the thinking behind a “flow of the day.” But neither term seems a good fit.

After some thought, “Daily Plan,” sounds about right. “Plans” suggest preparation, but also flexibility.

Does your timetable need an overhaul too? No matter what you choose to call it, try reimagining your time so that it more closely aligns with what you believe about children and learning.

And here’s a FREE Daily Plan Toolkit you can use to get you started. Don’t be afraid to think outside those “schedule blocks,” to envision a kindergarten day that flows more smoothly.

For more tips on building a kindergarten day, check out the Growing a Daily Rhythm page in the Roots & Wings Resource Library.

Note:

This post was inspired by a trip to Ontario, Canada, where I attended the Transform Ed Workshop Series, given by Joanne Babalis. The presenter shared her experiences with a Reggio-Inspired Approach to learning and her Masters’ research on the seven layers of inquiry-based learning.

The second layer, and the focus of this post, is time. Other posts discuss the other layers that include Image of the Child, Space, Materials, Listening, Documenting, and Planning.