Predictability and consistency are essential for all children. Knowing what is going to happen next is the key to enhancing their security and emotional stability. It frees up their emotional tank and allows them to do all of the important “work” of childhood including playing, exploring and learning.

What is a routine and how do you use them for positive outcomes?

Routines like instructions that guide a child’s actions toward a specific goal can be used for many reasons, but two of the most important are ensuring children’s health and safety, and helping children learn positive, responsible behavior. A simple example is washing hands before they have their snack.

Why are routines so important for young children?

Within early years settings, it’s crucial that children learn to have a good sense of routine. Through talking, taking turns, sharing toys, learning to wait, and helping others during their daily activities, young children learn important social skills that will help them later.

As children grow and learn, routines help them to develop a sense of security and feel safe in what we often refer to as a stable learning environment. In other words, routines help integrate children’s learning with an “organized connection.

When children are involved in a good routine, not only do they feel confident and in control, they also learn to develop positive social skills as well as a sense of satisfaction in being able to do things for themselves.

For example, children learn important social skills such as saying hello, good morning and goodbye and familiarising themselves with the importance of turn-taking and participating in group time sessions.

How do routines help children learn?

Routines provide children with a context for learning. Through effective use of routines and transitions children learn how their world is organised and what they need to do in order to interact successfully in it.

Routines provide children with a sense of continuity throughout the day as well as letting them know what to expect next.

When planned properly, routines also offer opportunities for children to learn methods associated with math and sequencing, including:

• following an ordered sequence of activities,
• determining relationships between elements,
• counting,
• making simple calculations.

Participating in common daily routines can also have a powerful effect on children’s language development, with many day-to-day activities providing excellent prompts for discussion.

Educators and parents can name items being used in the routine, discuss each action as it is being done and talk about what comes next.

It is also important to provide a solid base for children to begin engaging in positive interactions with other children as well as carry out meaningful conversations in which they can get to know each other more.

From: various resources