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Line order poster: how we line up (free printable)

Five numbered steps for getting from a seat to the line, each with a drawn icon. Rewrite them in your own words, print and post by the door.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Step | detail | icon
Colour
How We Line Up, page 1How We Line Up1Finish upPut your work and pencil away2Push in your chairQuietly, so it does not scrape3Voices offSilent until we are in the hall4Walk to the lineWalking feet, no pushing5Face frontHands to yourself, eyes ahead

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

About this sheet

Lining up is a small procedure that eats a surprising amount of the day, and it goes better when students know the order of the steps and not only the destination. This poster breaks it into five: finish up, push in the chair, voices off, walk to the line, face front. The icons make it readable for children who are still learning to read, and the numbered boxes with arrows make the sequence clear. Edit the steps if your routine is different, for instance by table or by row, then teach them once in slow motion and once at speed. Post it low, near the door, where children will actually look.

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

How to use it

  1. Edit the five steps in the box. Each line is the step, a vertical bar, a short description and an icon word.
  2. Print and post it by the door. Add a sign beside it showing who goes first, if you line up in a set order.
  3. Teach the steps slowly the first time, narrating each one, then run it at speed and praise the table that did it best.

Five ideas for class

  1. Practice the line-up in the first week with a timer and a goal, such as under a minute, and let the class watch their own time improve.
  2. Call tables or rows in a different order each time so no one is always first or last, and fairness stays visible.
  3. Choose a line leader and a caboose from the jobs chart so the order has two clear ends.
  4. Teach a hallway version of the steps: walk, face front, hands to self, and keep a quiet voice level.
  5. Use the same format for any procedure you want to automate, such as packing up, getting a drink and cleaning the art table.

Related

Questions

Is this for every grade?

It suits kindergarten through fifth grade. For older students, the same layout works for the order of a lab clean-up or a passing-period routine.

How do I choose who goes first?

Rotate. Call a table, a row or a color group in a different order each time, or use the random name picker, so it is clearly fair.

Can I change the icons?

Yes. Use one of the icon words after the second bar: pencil, chair, quiet, feet, eye, clock, check or star.

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.

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