Skip to the content
Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Dismissal routine poster (free printable steps)

The end of the day in five steps children can follow without being told: clean up, pack up, line up, walk out, say goodbye. Edit the steps to match your room, then post it by the door.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Step | detail | icon
Colour
How We Go Home, page 1How We Go Home1Clean upDesk clear and floor clear2Pack upFolder, lunchbox and waterbottle3Line upQuiet and ready4Walk outWalking feet to the door5Say goodbyeA wave or a smile

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.

Share

About this sheet

The last ten minutes of the day decide whether children leave calm or frazzled, and a routine that is posted keeps the teacher from repeating it daily. This poster shows five steps in order, in boxes joined by arrows, each with a short line of detail and a small picture. The pictures are plain icons, so a child who cannot read the words yet can still follow along. Change the steps to fit how your school sends children home, with a bus line, a walkers group or a car line, and print it in color for the wall. Practice it like a drill during the first weeks, until it runs on its own.

Grades: Pre-K to 5. Best in: August, September.

How to use it

  1. Edit each step and its detail, keeping the picture word at the end of the line, such as check, book, people, feet or smile.
  2. Print on card stock in color, and hang the poster beside the door at the height of a child's eyes.
  3. Walk through the five steps with the class for the first week, then point at the poster instead of giving the directions again.

Five ideas for class

  1. Make a version for each type of ride home, such as Bus Riders and Walkers, so children see only the steps that apply to them.
  2. Time the routine with a song, so the class tries to finish all five steps before the music ends and cheers when they do.
  3. Pick a different child each day to point at the steps and call out the next one, which gives a calm job to a restless child.
  4. Replace one step on Fridays with Take Home Folder, so the weekly routine is shown and the class does not forget the paperwork.
  5. Send a copy home in the family folder, so adults at pickup know the order of the day's ending and how to help.

Related

Questions

Which pictures can I use?

The icons are check, book, people, feet and smile, among others. Put the picture word last on each line; a line with no picture word prints without one.

How many steps fit?

Five fit best, and up to six will print. More than that makes the boxes too small to read from the door, so combine steps if you have extras.

Does it work for older grades?

It is made for the early grades, where pictures help. Older classes can use it as a quick checklist if you retype the steps and drop the icons.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.

Can I print it in black and white?

Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

Your edits are kept in this browser so they are there next time, and are never sent to us. No sign-in, no ads.

More from classroom posters

Nothing you do here is sent to us. Names and wording stay in this browser. Free for classroom use. No sign-in, no ads.