The first day of kindergarten can be both exciting and frightening for students, parents, and the teacher too. There are mixed emotions everywhere as this day marks a huge milestone in the child's life. As teachers, we need to incorporate ideas to help ease first day jitters and start the school year off on the right track. Here are a few tips to help you plan for the first day of kindergarten.

1. PLANNING FOR THE TEACHERS

1. Plan! Plan! Plan! When planning for the first day of kindergarten keep in mind that many students have never been in a school setting. Have your first day planned from the moment the first child enters your classroom to the time you wave goodbye to those bright eyes glancing back at you. You will have to teach things like :-

• Walking in a line
• Sitting on the carpet
• Eating manners
• Use of toilet - relate with Sunnah or adhab entering toilet
• Reading area
• Play area and kitchen corner
• Asking permission
• Give & reply salam 
• Sharing and taking turns

2. Create several copies of your teaching roster. On the roster, include important information such as :-

• Child’s name
• Date of birth
• Type of transportation at dismissal 
• Parent contact number

3. Name tags for students.

When planning for the first day of kindergarten you will need to create name tags for students which include child's full name and teacher's name.

4. All instructional material such as pencils, crayons, and scissors should be ready to use.

I suggest making a to-do list to keep track of everything such as the Must-Do List.

2. PLANNING FOR STUDENTS

1. Getting Acquainted

According to Paula Denton, author of The First Six Weeks of School, the focus of the first weeks of school should be upon getting to know each other and the routines and layout of the school.

Check out some activities I use to incorporate this theory. Teachers may use various songs, chants, and games to help students begin the community building process on day one. We may begin incorporating activities that help students learn each other's name. Check out What's In a Name? For a list of nursery rhymes that you can use to help students learn the names of their classmates.

Students need to get acquainted with the routines of the school and classroom. Routines help give students a feeling of security. This may take weeks to establish, but once mastered, they will save both teachers and students time and energy for more important things.

• Back-to-School Books 

In LC, we have book “Going to Little Caliphs” so teacher may use this book as a tool to share with the kids about kindergarten. In addition, teacher can make the first day of school a little less stressful with a few good back-to-school books. Many of these books consist of characters that are experiencing jitters that are similar to those of your little ones. These books help students to relate to other children's experiences. Here are just some of my favorites :-

• The Kissing Hand
• The Gingerbread Man Loose In The School
• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready For Kindergarten
• David Goes to School
• The Night Before Kindergarten

SUGGESTION IDEAS FOR FIRST WEEK ACTIVITIES 

Fine motor skills activities such as activity with playdough. There are a lot of ideas about playdough mat via online, just search as playdough mat ideas. One of them you may copy from this link below : 

Free Printable Play-Doh (Play-Dough) Mats | wordsofhisheart (wordpress.com)