Classroom Management for Kindergarten

Kindergarten can be fun to teach! With children that age, you can almost see their minds expanding, and their enthusiasm is infectious.

But younger children can also be harder to manage in a classroom. If a few get out of hand, it can dramatically impact not only your ability to teach, but also the other students’ ability to learn.

All teachers have different classroom management styles, but let’s look at some classroom management strategies that work well for kindergarten….

Plan Your Lessons, Plan Your Day

When you’re teaching kindergarten, it can be extremely helpful to plan your lessons and your day. Young children, by their very nature, can be distracting, and it’s important for you to stay focused and to hold the focus for the group of students.

Don’t Try to Do Too Much

Kindergarten teachers, especially new teachers, have a tendency to try to cram too much into lesson plans and the day. One of the best classroom management tips is to leave some breathing room in your schedule. Don’t be afraid to veer off your plan at times, because these “side trips” can often be the most special, teachable moments in a day. But set a time limit for how long you’ll spend on something and/or make a note to yourself to cover some topics later.

Include Breaks for Kindergarteners

Whether you’re teaching half-day kindergarten or all-day kindergarten, it’s important to include frequent breaks. At a young age, children tire more easily and have shorter attention spans. Taking 3-5 minute breaks for stretching, singing, snacking, or other activities can make all the difference.

Set Classroom Rules and Procedures for Kindergarteners

To maintain a positive teaching environment, it helps to set rules for kindergarteners. Because your students are so young, you’ll need to keep reinforcing and practicing those rules. Your kindergarten classroom rules can range from how to ask to go to the bathroom to how to work together in groups. For every rule that’s followed or broken, you can devise rewards and consequences. The key to successful behavior management in the classroom is to craft your rules ahead of time, clearly explain them to your students, and consistently enforce them. The more students become familiar with your expectations, the more likely they are to meet them, and the less interruptions and distractions you’ll have.

Education 4 Equity Online Professional Development Courses

At Education 4 Equity, we have a wide range of online professional development courses for teachers, including Classroom Management: Restorative Justice In Action. We have 1-credit, 2-credit, and 3-credit online courses for teachers that qualify for graduate level credit and have been approved for LAUSD salary points through the Los Angeles Unified School District.