Fun Morning classroom routines with Questions of the Day
Want to add to your morning routine in a fun and engaging way? In this article I share with you something that has had a really positive impact on the way in which I start the day in my classroom. Tell me more! I hear you ask. It all comes down to a concept called ‘Question of the Day.’ In this article I will share with you what ‘question of the day’ is, how easy it is to set up into your daily classroom routine and also highlight the benefits of doing this every day.
Let’s start with what questions of the day are:
Question of the day is exactly how they are described. These are a new yes or no question asked of the students each day, children then using their own name cards answer yes or no. This can be done in a fun and engaging way, children don’t even realise they are learning!
Examples of questions of the day include:
How to easily add Question of the Day to any classroom:
To set up the question of the day in your classroom is a really simple process. All you need is a selection of questions which cover a variety of topics such as identity, nutrition as well as activities. Then each child needs a name card. These can be laminated to ensure longevity. For my classroom I have implemented the question of the day in the following way:
Printed out a large selection of question of the cards in a variety of topics which I have then laminated and added magnetic tape onto the back of each one. Then I have printed up name cards for each child in my class, also laminating these and adding magnetic tape onto the back of them. The question of the day card is placed on my teaching easel (which has been divided into two) each morning for students on arrival and the name cards placed on a nearby table for self selection. As students come into the classroom, they find their own name card and go to the teaching easel. Using their emergent reading skills as well as the picture on each question card for clues they are promoted to answer the question by placing their name in either the yes or the no column on the easel. When we come together for our morning meeting/mat time at the start of the day we look at the question of the day, read the question together, count the votes together on each side of the easel and this usually leads to a group discussion around the topic covered in the question. The students are encouraged to share and contribute to the class discussion which leads to a higher level of identity and participation in the program.
This is how easy it has been to add this practice to my classroom each day however the question of the day concept is so versatile it can be used in so many ways.
Here are some further examples:
Using the practice of voting for the question of the day, as a transition activity where students answer the question using their name cards before moving from one activity to another or moving from inside to outside.
Using the question of the day to start a group discussion around a particular topic such as identity by using these questions – do you have brown hair? Do you have green eyes?
Using the question of the day to look at early mathematical skills such as picture graphs and counting the votes on each side.
Using the question of the day to divide the class into two groups for a further activity such as rotations
Using the question of the day to look at emergent reading skills by showing students how to look at the pictures on each card to give us clues and make meaning of the text.
Why do I need to add Questions of the day to my classroom?
Every classroom could benefit from having the question of the day added to their daily routine. There are so many positive outcomes that I have personally seen in my classroom by implementing this practice. Here are some of the benefits that I have witnessed:
Adds opportunities for emergent reading
Early mathematical concepts such as picture graphs are explored
Opportunities for name recognition (of students own names as well as peers names)
Opportunities for group discussions around the daily topics
A fun and engaging way to start the day
The question of the day concept is so versatile there are so many ways that these can be used in any early years classroom. The question of the day can be used as part of the morning routine, as children enter the classroom they find their own name card to answer the yes or no question placed on the whiteboard or teacher easel. The activity can be used as a transition activity for when you are moving children from one activity to another or moving children from inside to outside. The daily question can also promote group discussions about topics that you are covering in your curriculum, for example the question of ‘have you been to a farm?’ Can lead students into a conversation around what animals live on a farm? Discussions around where are our food comes from? (Eggs don’t come from the supermarket!)
Are you ready to add to your classroom in a fun and engaging way? Are you ready to watch your students grow in confidence as they share their identity with the class? Do you want for your students to become more independent by giving them daily opportunities to complete tasks for themselves? Click here for a sample from my resource Question of the day.
Ready to take the question of the day to the next level in your classroom? Question of the Day
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