The Teacher's Guide to Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management varies by grade, especially in Kindergarten where energy and enthusiasm abound.
By 
Jordan Pruitt
 | 
June 22, 2022

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

The Teacher's Guide to Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management varies by grade, especially in Kindergarten where energy and enthusiasm abound.
By 
Jordan Pruitt
 | 
June 22, 2022
All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

Back
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

quote icon
Back
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

The Teacher's Guide to Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management varies by grade, especially in Kindergarten where energy and enthusiasm abound.
By 
Jordan Pruitt
 | 
June 22, 2022

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

No items found.

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.
Arrow left
Back
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Presenter

Jordan resides in Lexington, Kentucky. He has experience in Public Education as an Administrator, Science Teacher, and as a Coach. He has extensive experience with School Discipline, PBIS, SEL, Restorative Practices, MTSS, and Trauma-Informed Care.

About the Event

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

Register Now

About the Event

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

Arrow left
Back
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Silly Science Experiments
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Toys
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Read Across America
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Seat Swap
Grades 3-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holidays Around the World
Grades K-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Pen
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Concert
Grades 6-8
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Locker Choice
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The A-List
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Uber by a Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Gift Cards
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Ice Cream Sundae Party
Grades K-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Reading Time
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Event Ideas for Schools

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor
🎉
👑
🎁
Be a Comedian.
🎉
👑
🎁
Seat Swap
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Recess
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
🎉
👑
🎁
Free Dress
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
🎉
👑
🎁
Stairway Messages
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher for the Day
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Operate Equipment.
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The Big Ticket
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Anime Themed Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Get-to-Know-You Bingo
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Rolling Chair Rental
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Fake The Funk
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lost & Found Fashion Show
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Supplies & Merch
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holiday Delivery
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Follow a Friend
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silent Disco
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Theme Party
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Meme Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Meet the Teacher
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Holiday Delivery
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Parking Spots
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
♟️Chess With the Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Lunch Concert
Grades 6-8
Class/House
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Follow a Friend
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
Jordan Pruitt
 

The Teacher's Guide to Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management varies by grade, especially in Kindergarten where energy and enthusiasm abound.
By 
Jordan Pruitt
 | 
June 22, 2022
Arrow left
Back
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning.

All the energy. So much energy. Kindergarten is a very unique time for our scholars. School is new and fresh, as is much of the learning. 

Teaching Kindergarten is unique in our profession as you often have the highest levels of engagement amongst your classes but with that attentiveness, you also get all that energy we mentioned before! 

Kindergarten teachers have to meet that energy and harness it to keep the wheels on the bus going round and round…and not falling off! I have a deep respect for kindergarten teachers, y’all are awesome. 

The Basics of Kindergarten Classroom Management

Effective classroom management is the instructor’s ability to create an environment in which their students can learn at the highest level. We should be striving to remove or mitigate any and all barriers to success for our kids. This means different things at different levels and can vary from lesson to lesson. 

Even your room design can play a big part in the success of a Kindergarten classroom. Can your students move from the necessary places without disturbing a classmate? Can they access what they need without your immediate help? 

In previous articles, I have written about the need for the instructor to gauge the needs of the lesson and the particulars of the students in the class. This still applies in Kindergarten. What conditions are necessary for success? What do you need your students to do? 

This is consistent with other ages until you factor in that your students may have not been in a school setting before. Sure, many of them may have attended preschool but this isn’t a given. 

Before you can jump into specifics on your lesson, you're going to need to teach your kiddos how your classroom works. 

Be very basic, and very specific. You need procedures for everything they need to do on a regular basis. Your responsibility is huge in these students' educational careers. Not only are you going to teach them the foundations of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but you have to teach them how to do school as well!

Every school and every classroom is likely to be different to some degree so I am going to stay a bit general with our strategies and try to keep them broad enough to apply to your setting. 

No matter what, remember why you're focusing on classroom management strategies to begin with: because your students deserve the best opportunity to learn that you can provide. 

Keep reading below for classroom management tips to make your kindergarten conducive to success!

Classroom Management Strategies for Kindergarten

1. First Things First

Arrival routines should be designed in a way that eliminates unnecessary conflict or distractions. There are several factors at play here including buses, car drop off, and breakfast, among others. 

How your school handles those things is largely out of your control. Focus on what is within your control; your students' arrival in your room. Where do they put their things? Do they have access to the materials they need to start the day? 

Everything needs a home, and a good label maker is your friend here. Be meticulous and detailed about where each item belongs and when they can be accessed.

KIndergarten Classroom Organization

2. Classroom Basics

Ok, your kids have arrived. Now what? Teach your students how the class will function. What is a “whole group”? What is a “small group”? Where do they go for each? What should be on their desk? 

Keep it specific, but I would word your directions as expectations in lieu of rules. This is good advice for any grade level but it's particularly helpful for younger grade levels. 

If you try to list everything your students aren’t allowed to do in kindergarten you're going to need a bigger wall for all those rules. 

Instead, focus on what you expect them to do. This leaves less room for interpretation. 

3. Be a Model

Model your expectations for your students. If you want them to organize and store pencil boxes a certain way, then you should organize and store a pencil box when you give them that information. Provide a visual, provide an example, and be sure to do more than just tell. 

After you show them – maybe even quiz them. Have some fun with it and act out various ways of doing things and ask your students to give you a thumbs up or down for the correct procedure.

4. May I Have Your Attention, Please?

You need several attention-getters. Your students need to know what each of those means and you need to practice it as you introduce it. Call-and-response works great. Here are a few staples to try and a couple of fun ones if you so choose. 

  1. Gimme 5: My hand goes up, all hands go up and all discussion ceases.
  2. 2 Claps: The teacher does two loud and slow claps, which prompts the class to do two quick claps in response
  3. Chicka Chicka: The teacher says “Chicka Chicka,” and the class responds “Boom, Boom”
  4. Chugga Chugga: The teacher says “Chugga, Chugga,” and the class responds “Choo, Choo”

5. Volume Control

Teach your students how to use appropriate voice levels for the situation they are in. 

  1. Level 0: No Talking
  2. Level 1: Partner work, you may whisper
  3. Level 2: Table work, speak normally
  4. Level 3: Loud and proud, speaking to the entire class during discussion
  5. Level 4: Outside voices, playground talk

Make a habit of referring to this list as you transition to and from activities every day. Practice makes perfect here, remember this is going to be a work in progress. Stay positive, and stay consistent.

6. Role Play

Assign jobs and roles to everyone. Design your class like a small community. Everyone needs a role to fulfill to make the community function. This gives them an outlet to get rid of some energy, interact with classmates, and a vital role in your classroom community. 

Have some fun with it, rotate the jobs, and include a few special designations such as feeding the class turtle or taking a note to the office.

Getting Started in Your Kindergarten Classroom

A few things to consider as we wrap up. First I would recommend spending some time teaching your class how to make it through a day in the event you have a substitute. 

This seems obvious, but preparing them ahead of time can be very beneficial to their productivity during that day and your substitute will certainly be glad you did so! 

I would suggest doing this early and far ahead of time before you actually are out of the class for a day so your class is primed in the event you have an emergency. 

Also, I always advocate for PBIS in schools and classrooms, and kindergarten is a fantastic place to instill some positive behavior reinforcement with classroom rewards

Create a reward system for your kids, and they will be motivated to meet your expectations. These don’t have to have much value – or any at all. It just matters that they are valued by your students. I would suggest having a system in place to track points for positive behaviors such as LiveSchool, and I would also like to point you toward our posts concerning classroom rewards for a great resource that can totally transform morale and engagement in your room no matter the age level. 

For more strategies you can use with young students you should also check out our elementary classroom management resources. You can also further your research by checking out our list of the best classroom management articles.

Are you looking for more classroom management tips? Check out episode 34 of our podcast.

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
“Let's Make A Difference Week"
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Stairway Messages
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Kickback Vibes
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Wild ‘N Out High School Edition
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Fake The Funk
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch With the Teacher
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Meet the Teacher
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snowball Fights (& Popsicles!)
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Event Ideas for Schools

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
🎉
👑
🎁
Meme Party
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Reading Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Operate Equipment.
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
🎉
👑
🎁
Meet the Teacher

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
The Big Ticket
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holiday Delivery
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Uber by a Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Firebird of the Month
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Silent Disco
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Karaoke Night
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Anime Themed Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Vote
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Snowball Fights (& Popsicles!)
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Career Day
Grades 3-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Ice Cream Sundae Party
Grades K-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
STEM Field Day
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Seat Swap
Grades 3-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Be a Comedian.
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
TikTok with the Teacher
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Toys
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
Jordan Pruitt
 

Bring a positive culture to life with school-wide points

Schedule a Demo