If mornings in your kindergarten classroom feel a little rushed, unpredictable, or just a lot, you’re not alone. Getting 20+ little learners settled and focused while you take attendance, check folders, and deal with breakfast clean-up can be a challenge.
That’s why having a calm, consistent morning work routine is so powerful—and why I love sharing this one simple idea that teachers say is a total game changer.
The Morning Journal Routine That Just Works
Here’s the gist:
- Grab a stack of blank pages and staple or bind them into a morning work journal.
- Each morning, add one new sentence. Keep a running Google Doc and print a new page each day. You can fit about 4 sentences with 4-6 words sentence on one 11-8.5 landscape paper for easy printing. Slice them on a paper cutter and they are ready for your students.
- Have students cut out the scrambled sentence, paste it in order, copy it underneath, and draw a picture to match.
- Repeat every day.
That’s it.
Simple? Yes. But this routine checks a lot of boxes.
What Students Are Learning
- Reading fluency: Repetitive “I can” or “I see” sentence stems give students confidence as they recognize sight words and sentence structure.
- Writing mechanics: Students copy the sentence with correct spacing, punctuation, and letter formation.
- Fine motor: Cutting and pasting the scrambled sentence builds scissor skills and hand strength.
- Comprehension: Drawing a matching picture helps students connect meaning to the words they’re reading and writing.
- Routine and independence: Students know what to do as soon as they walk in the door—no more morning chaos.
Make It Your Own
Whether you run morning tubs, have table groups, or set up learning centers, this sentence journal can fit right in. You can also:
- Use it as part of your literacy block or writing station.
- Add it to your occupational therapy sessions to work on both motor and literacy goals.
- Keep finished journals as a sweet keepsake for families or progress monitoring.
One kindergarten teacher I work with recently told me:
“This routine has changed everything. The kids come in, settle down, and get right to work. And the best part? They’re becoming more confident readers and writers every day. It has been a game changer for my mornings.”
Want a Head Start?
Let’s be real—coming up with a brand-new sentence each morning sounds doable until you’ve had a rough night, the copier breaks, or someone spills milk in the hallway.
If you don’t have the time or energy to create your own daily sentences, I’ve got you covered.
I created several resources filled with simple, repetitive sentence scrambles that are classroom-tested and designed with emergent readers in mind. They work beautifully in journals, centers, morning tubs, or small groups.
As an occupational therapy practitioner, I designed these activities to support students who need visual structure, scaffolded support, and hands-on learning—and they’ve quickly become a favorite in the classrooms I work in.
Ready to Try It?
Start small: bind a few blank pages, add your first sentence tomorrow, and see how it goes. Before long, your students will be racing to get started each morning—and you’ll have a calm, purposeful start to your day.
Check out the growing bundle if you want over 100 ready-to-use sentences for the entire year.
Here’s to smoother mornings and stronger writers!
About the Author
I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and have been working in a public school system for more than 25 years. My resources can be found on TPT, BOOM Learning, Made by Teachers, Classful, and Your Therapy Source. I appreciate your interest wherever you wish to shop.
My mission is to help you find creative ideas to incorporate fine motor, visual perception, gross motor, and social-emotional learning into your lessons.
I hope you consider signing up for my Free Resource Library with your Email. I send out emails about once a week and share resources, tips, and planning ideas for your classroom or occupational therapy needs. Hopefully, these help your students work on building their skills in a fun and engaging way.
Thank you for your interest in my resources and ideas. I hope you will consider following my journey on TPT or wherever you wish to shop.
