For this assignment you will be demonstrating your ability to schedule a developmentally appropriate routine of a classroom. You will create a schedule that includes a substantial portion of the day in each activity area and a developmentally appropriate length group time. Finally, you will answer questions regarding schedules.

You will write a best practice daily schedule for a program whose operating hours are from $6$:$30$ to $6$:$00.$ Assume that your children are $3-4$ years$-$old. Some of the children arrive at $6$:$30$ A$.$M$.$ and leave at $6$:$00$ P$.$M$.$

A well$-$planned, developmentally appropriate schedule includes:

Routine care activities

Opportunities for varied interactions between child$/$child and teacher$/$children$,$

free$-$choice access to all of the Learning Activity Centers for a Substantial Portion of the day $(1/3$ of the time the Child Care program's operating hours$),$

Flexible, hands$-$on$,$ child$-$directed, meaningful explorations with varied materials and equipment.

In early childhood programs, lessons and activities should most often be provided to small groups or individuals, rather than in large group formats. MOST of the day, children CHOOSE activities from among the learning centers. Teachers position themselves within the centers to interact with a few children at a time.

Instructions

In the left$-$hand column of the template, you will enter activities. For example: arrival$/$centers$,$ outside, lunch, nap, and group time. If you plan to allow access to an activity center $($columns$),$ you will enter how long that activity block is$.$ For example, if you choose to open art, dramatic play, blocks, and books, during $$arrival$/$center$$ time from $6$:$30$ am to $8$:$00$ am$,$ you will enter $(1$:$30$ or $1\mathrm{.}5)$ under each of those centers to show that they have an hour and a half access to the centers.

You can have all centers open at once sometimes and only some at other times. The main idea is that each center is open for a substantial portion of the day $($see calculator below$).$

Make sure to include two snack times, one lunch time, and $2$ hours of nap time. These activities will not require you to record any time in the centers.

Be sure to include outdoor time $($see PowerPoint$)$

Add up your time for each column $($up and down$)$ and make sure you have at least the required substantial portion of the day $($see below$).$

Answer the questions on the template using the PowerPoint.

High Quality Substantial Portion of the Day Calculator

Hours of operation SPD hours$/$minutes

$4\mathrm{.}0.............................\mathrm{.}1$ hour, $20$ minutes

$4\mathrm{.}5.............................1$ hour, $30$ minutes

$5\mathrm{.}0.............................1$ hour, $40$ minutes

$5\mathrm{.}5.............................1$ hour, $50$ minutes

$6\mathrm{.}0..............................2$ hours

$6\mathrm{.}5..............................2$ hours, $10$ minutes

$7\mathrm{.}0.............................2$ hours, $20$ minutes

$7\mathrm{.}5.............................2$ hours, $30$ minutes

$8\mathrm{.}0.............................2$ hours, $40$ minutes

$8\mathrm{.}5..............................2$ hours, $50$ minutes

$9\mathrm{.}0.............................3$ hours

$9\mathrm{.}5..............................3$ hours, $10$ minutes

$10.............................3$ hours, $20$ minutes

$10\mathrm{.}5............................3$ hours, $30$ minutes

$11..............................\mathrm{.}3$ hours, $40$ minutes

$11\mathrm{.}5...........................3$ hours, $50$ minutes

$12..............................\mathrm{.}4$ hours