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Peabody TeachFor teachers and grown-ups

Morning routine checklist (free printable, five days)

The jobs a student does between the door and the first lesson, with a box to check for each day of the week. Write your own routine, print a stack and tape one to each desk.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Colour
My Morning Routine, page 1My Morning RoutineNameDateWhen I come inMonTueWedThuFriHang up my coat and bagPut my folder in thetrayTurn in my homeworkSharpen my pencilChoose a book to readSit at my desk andbeginCheck each box when the job is done.Free at teach.peabody.kids

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

About this sheet

The first fifteen minutes of the day go better when students know exactly what to do, and a checklist replaces your voice. This one is built for the arrival routine, though it works for any short sequence: the dismissal routine, the end-of-recess routine, a center rotation. The jobs are in a short list with one box for each day, so a student ticks them off and you can see at a glance who is ready. Keep the list to five or six items, each a single observable action. Use the pictures a young class needs by drawing small sketches beside the words after printing.

Grades: Pre-K to 4. Best in: August, September.

How to use it

  1. Type the jobs in the order you want them done, one per line: Hang up my coat, Turn in my folder.
  2. Print a sheet per student, or a class set to laminate and reuse with a dry-erase marker.
  3. Teach the routine on the first day, then let students check off the boxes themselves as they work through the list.

Five ideas for class

  1. Model the whole routine with a volunteer, narrating each step, before students try it. Ten minutes of teaching saves a month of reminders.
  2. Laminate one sheet per student and use a dry-erase marker, then wipe it on Fridays. The checklist becomes a reusable desk strip.
  3. Fade the list after a few weeks. Keep one copy on the board for reference and take the sheets off the desks once students no longer look at them.
  4. Add one job that makes arriving pleasant, such as choosing a book, so the routine is something a child wants to start.
  5. Use the same format for the end-of-day routine, with the same boxes, so students already know how to read it.

Related

Questions

How many jobs should the list have?

Five or six at most. Beyond that, a young child loses their place, and an older student ignores the list.

Can I use it with a whole class?

Yes. Print it at poster size from the PNG for the wall, and give each student a small copy for the desk.

Can I use pictures?

Print in black and white and draw or stick a small picture beside each job. Many teachers do this for younger classes.

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?

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