Quiet Time, Downtime, Any Time?

In the wonderful world of Kindergarten, there are many hot topics.  As the FDK program is still in the intro stages, there are a lot of varied opinions on just about everything.  I have never experienced another grade, subjects area, topic or strand that is taught SO differently from school to school and even class to class.  It is really quite bizarre!  I love that it gives us a bit of freedom to try new things in new ways.  I am nothing if not a "tryer of new stuffs" (as my Kinder buddy Jacob would say).

One of the issues on the front burner is whether or not 3- and 4-year-olds should have a quiet time.  When I was a kinder, I had a set nap time every afternoon.  Although it may have been best for me (and was, most certainly, best for my teachers), it may not have been best for everyone.  As far as I can tell, the FDK program is very much about us helping students to develop the skills required for them to self-regulate.  In an effort to learn such skills, students are given choices throughout their day.  Should we not, then, permit them to "chill out" if they feel the need to?  I am sure that giving students the option to choose does not mean that there should be a free-for-all.  Students will only learn to self-regulate if someone teaches them how to.  By providing a choice of quiet activities at an optimal time (for us this means after our 40 minute lunch recess) and by addressing how our bodies and minds feel before and after such activities, we are helping children to identify, address and regulate themselves.  How can that be a bad thing?

Here is a copy of another "reactive" post that I made to a Kindergarten group on Facebook:

We have about 10 minutes of downtime after our 40-minute lunch recess. We began the year with a quiet "rest time", permitting the kids to find a quiet spot to lay down or sit and browse books independently. We played classical music quietly and turned out the lights (as the curriculum document suggests using natural light whenever possible). After a week or so, we introduced other quiet independent activities such as jigsaw puzzles and sorting activities. These days, our students are enjoying following along with Cosmic Kids yoga videos (we found them on YouTube). Kids are always offered a choice of activities and we regularly discuss how our bodies and minds feel (or how our "motors" are running) before and after such activities (introducing self-regulation). I think that identifying, addressing, and regulating ourselves is necessary for optimum learning!  To this end, we offer opportunities for students to chillax at a calm corner just about any time that they feel the need (as long as it is not during our few, very brief periods of direct instruction.  There are even quiet spaces available in our school yard for down-regulating at recess and outdoor learning times. 

What are your thoughts?

#stellarclass  #comcon  #wondergarten
Sue Scott
Teacher and wonderer