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| Source: WINGS for Kids |
By Guest Blogger Wings for Kids. To view this original publication, click here.
Many of us follow an established morning routine: wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and get ready for the day. It’s routines like these that serve our mental, physical, and psychological well-being. In the same way, adults benefit from a daily routine, children feel more secure and confident when their day-to-day activities are familiar and predictable.
In fact, they are essential to their development and health. Research suggests that parents with preschool-aged children who regularly practice family routines like singing, reading, playing, and eating together have greater social-emotional health. Children depend on rituals and routines to provide structure throughout their day. These repeated events provide a foundation for daily life and can help establish an understanding of rules, expectations, and accountability.
What’s The Difference Between a Routine and a Ritual?
Although sometimes used interchangeably, rituals and routines have their own specific attributes.
Routine
A routine, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is defined as:
- Predictable;
- Repeated and;
- Provides a foundation for daily tasks
As an example, at WINGS the Program Director establishes a routine for each day, week, and program year. This predictable schedule of events remains consistent, providing a basic framework around all program activities. Specifically, kids start each day with group time called Community Unity. There is a weekly routine of giving each other Positive Feedback or Heys & Praise on Mondays, and every year our programs routinely host a WINGS Graduation for students. This familiarity helps kids know what to expect and when to expect it.
Ritual
A ritual, on the other hand, is defined by the NAEYC as “a special action that helps…enhance aspects of our daily routines to deepen our connections and relationships.” As adults, we typically think of rituals similar to traditions like making certain snacks or food for the SuperBowl party. In this case, having the SuperBowl party is the routine and making the “family recipe” chili is the ritual. They provide ways to acknowledge the importance of such events and are usually comforting.
To illustrate, one daily WINGS routine is to say Words To Live By—seven kid-friendly verses that teach SEL skills—as a group. During this time, WINGS leaders can implement a ritual like a group chant, making up distinct hand motions to use during the Words, or ending the Words a certain way like making a unique face or hand gesture.
Why Are Rituals and Routines Important at School?
Like home, children thrive in a school environment that creates consistent rituals and routines throughout the day. A day with interspersed rituals and routines help children:
- Know what is happening now and what comes next
- Engage in learning
- Feel in control of their environment
- Reduce confusion or anxiety
Imagine this: you walk into your office at work in the morning and no one looks up to greet you. No “Hello!” or even a “Hey.” How does that make you feel? Uncomfortable? Maybe bitter or confused? Now imagine someone looked up, made eye contact, greeted you with a genuine smile, said your name, and maybe even gave you a fist bump. How much more welcomed would you feel?
A morning ritual like being greeted each day in this way helps to communicate simple messages:
- You are valued and included.
- We’re glad you’re in our community.
- Greeting others by name and using good manners helps everyone feel more comfortable.
Even the simplest rituals and routines can have a remarkable impact. They help children feel supported, secure, and ready to learn.
“The impact of creating rituals and traditions is long-lasting. They build connections and provide an opportunity for everyone—children, families, and staff—to learn about themselves and others. They create a safe, warm, and secure environment where children are able to learn and grow. They offer learning experiences for children, staff, and families alike. They positively enhance both program and classroom environments.” - Jacky Howell & Kimberly Reinhard, Rituals and Traditions: Fostering a Sense of Community in Preschool, 2015
Make It Fun and Engaging
When teachers and staff develop creative routines and procedures, it’s a win-win. Adults provide kids with the necessary support structure to be successful and kids enjoy a fun and unique ritual or routine that helps them reduce stress or anxiety. These engaging environments provide excellent opportunities for positive interactions between children and adults, which are necessary for social emotional learning to be effective.
In addition, simple, repetitive activities can relieve stress on teachers and staff by taking the guesswork out of transitions between classrooms or gaps between lessons. Instead of making transitions feel like a chore, shake things up.
Make it fun! Here are a few ideas to make everyday tasks feel more like a game:
- To get students’ attention, say “One, two, three. Eyes on me!” and the group replies “One, two. Eyes on you!”
- Use a unique handshake for your group or even for each student to greet them each day
- At the start of academic time, use a breathing technique or calming ritual to regain focus
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| Source: Ever Forward Club |
Things To Consider
By approaching rituals and routines intentionally, you can find new ways to not only help support your kids, but also help them know what to expect, stay engaged, and feel a sense of community with you and their peers. Consider these tips as you dive in:
Include kids in decision-making: As you develop a thoughtful plan of routine activities in all learning areas, be sure to include children in discussions and planning. Don’t be afraid to have your kids help you put rituals in place and switch them up throughout the year. You’ll be surprised how quickly the kids will catch on and appreciate the consistency. Children are more motivated to work hard and learn more during daily academic time if they feel that they’ve made a contribution to plans and are emotionally engaged.
Understand expectations: When approaching established or new routines, it’s important that students understand the expectations, which will save time managing any behavior challenges later. It’s important for adults to address both inappropriate AND appropriate behavior with kids. Both actions serve as models for what’s acceptable behavior, so focus on developing a plan that reinforces positive behavior for optimal success.
Build a sense of community: Rituals and routines can also be helpful in building a sense of community. Kids and adults alike crave a sense of belonging in and outside the classroom, and forming these bonds is the product of positive interactions over the course of time. Have a vision for what you want your community to stand for, what values it should have, and then authentically engage with your kids to build the foundation for your vision.
Be flexible: As with all activities, we know sometimes things don’t go according to plans. Life’s full of surprises, and when these surprises occur it’s important to be flexible. As significant as rituals and routines are, don’t exclude the opportunity to have a spontaneous experience once in a while or create a new ritual to keep things fresh and fun.
Ensure equity: Make sure your routines and rituals are equitable for all. An intentional design of routines and rituals—that value a range of student voices—will help to promote equitable and inclusive participation of students.
Flexibility and ingenuity are key when it comes to finding ways to support our kids and their social emotional health. Experiment with what you imagine might work for your students, observe the results, and make adjustments as needed. Continue to embrace the things that work, and gently let go of the things that don’t.
Next Steps
Take a moment to reflect on the different
routines and rituals you may already be using. Ask yourself a few questions to assess how you could improve or add other routines and rituals to your day:
- Do you already use any rituals in your classroom? If so, what are they and when/why do you use them? How might you adjust them for various age groups and different purposes?
- How could you take a routine and insert fun and engaging rituals into it? What, if any, benefit might there be to ritualizing certain practices in your classroom or program?
- What preferred routines do you use in your classroom or program already? Why do you use them? (Be more specific than simply justifying your practices by saying you do them “to operate efficiently”).
To read previous LIAS Blogs on routines and rituals, click
here.
