Wiggle and Freeze!

Let's get our bodies ready for learning! We're going to play a game called 'Wiggle and Freeze.'

When I say 'Wiggle!' you can gently wiggle your fingers, toes, shoulders, or even your whole body! But make sure your wiggles are safe and don't touch anyone else.

When I say 'Freeze!' you have to stop moving like a statue! Can you do it?

Ready? Let's try! Wiggle! ... Freeze! (Repeat several times, varying speed and duration).

Great job everyone! You showed me safe and calm bodies, and you listened carefully to my directions!

Ready, Set, Go! Script

Warm Up: Wiggle and Freeze! (3 minutes)

Teacher: "Hello, amazing friends! Welcome! Today, we're going to talk about how we can all have a super fun and safe time at school. But first, let's get our bodies ready with a quick game! It's called Wiggle and Freeze."

"Listen carefully! When I say 'Wiggle!', you can gently wiggle your fingers, toes, shoulders, or even your whole body! But remember, our wiggles are safe and don't touch anyone else. Can you show me a safe wiggle?" (Pause for students to wiggle safely)

"Good! Now, when I say 'Freeze!', you have to stop moving like a statue! Can you do it? Let's try!"

"Ready? Wiggle! ... Freeze!" (Repeat several times, varying speed and duration, observing for safe wiggles and quick freezing.)

"Fantastic listening and great safe bodies, everyone! Give yourselves a pat on the back!"

Introduction to School Expectations (4 minutes)

Teacher: "Wow, you were all such great listeners and showed wonderful safe bodies in our game! Those are super important skills for school! Let's look at our School Expectations Slide Deck to learn more."

(Display Slide 1: Ready, Set, Go! For School!)

Teacher: "Today we're going to learn about how we can make our classroom a happy and safe place for everyone. We'll talk about listening, following directions, and having safe and calm bodies."

(Display Slide 2: What Does Listening Mean?)

Teacher: "What do you think listening means?" (Pause for responses) "Yes, it means using our ears to hear, and our eyes to watch the person who is talking. It also means keeping our bodies quiet so our brains can hear everything!"

(Display Slide 3: Why is Listening So Important?)

Teacher: "Why do you think listening is so important at school?" (Pause for responses) "That's right! When we listen, we learn new things, we know what to do, and everyone feels happy and safe!"

(Display Slide 4: Following Directions!)

Teacher: "Just like in our Wiggle and Freeze game, following directions means doing what a grown-up asks us to do. It helps us play games and learn exciting things!"

(Display Slide 5: Safe and Calm Bodies)

Teacher: "And what about safe and calm bodies? What does that look like?" (Encourage students to demonstrate or describe) "Yes, it means keeping our hands to ourselves, using walking feet inside, having quiet voices, and sitting nicely when it's time to learn."

"Now, I have a special story called School Rules Story that shows us all about these ideas. Let's read it together!"

(Read School Rules Story Reading aloud, pausing at key moments to reinforce the concepts.)

Teacher: "What did you notice about how the children in the story used their listening ears?" (Facilitate a short Listen Up! Discussion Guide)

Activity: Follow the Leader (5 minutes)

Teacher: "You did such a great job with our story and discussion! Now, let's play a game where we can really practice following directions and using our safe and calm bodies! It's called Follow the Leader."

"I'm going to be the first leader! You need to watch me very carefully and do exactly what I do. Remember to use your safe bodies and follow my directions. Are you ready?"

(Lead students in a few simple, safe movements: clap hands, touch toes, jump lightly, walk in a circle, stomp feet, etc. Observe their ability to follow directions and maintain safe distances. If appropriate and time allows, allow a student to be the leader for a very short turn.)

"Excellent following directions, everyone! You are superstars!"

Game: Body Statues (5 minutes)

Teacher: "For our next game, we're going to practice calm bodies and listening for the music. It's called Body Statues."

"When the music plays, you can dance and wiggle your bodies safely! But when the music stops, you have to freeze like a statue and hold still. Can you do it? Let's try!"

(Play some upbeat, child-friendly music. Allow students to dance. Stop the music and have them freeze. Repeat several times, encouraging different statue poses. Emphasize holding still and not bumping into others.)

"Amazing statues! You are so good at having safe and calm bodies and listening for the music to stop!"

Cool Down: Sticker Star (3 minutes)

Teacher: "Wow, what a wonderful job everyone did today! We talked about so many important things: listening, following directions, and having safe and calm bodies. And you showed me all of those things!

"Can you give me a thumbs up if you tried your best to listen today?" (Pause)

"Can you give me a big smile if you followed directions today?" (Pause)

"And can you show me a calm body right now?" (Pause)

"You are all shining stars! Because you did such a great job practicing our school expectations today, you each get a special sticker to remind you what a 'Sticker Star' you are!" (Distribute stickers, praising individual efforts as you do so, using the Sticker Star Cool Down.)

"Thank you for being such wonderful learners today! I can't wait to see you use these amazing skills every day at school!"

The Day Lily Learned About School Fun!

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Lily. It was her very first day at preschool! Lily was so excited. She saw colorful blocks, sparkly paint, and a big, comfy rug.

Her teacher, Ms. Daisy, smiled. "Good morning, everyone!" she said. "I'm so happy you're here! We have some super important ways we can all have fun and learn together."

First, Ms. Daisy held her hand to her ear. "We use our listening ears when a friend or teacher is talking," she said. "That way, we can hear all the cool things we're going to do!"

Lily watched her friends. When Ms. Daisy talked, some friends looked at her, and some even tried to keep their bodies still. Lily tried it too. It felt good to hear every word!

Next, Ms. Daisy showed them a picture of kids lining up. "We follow directions to stay safe and play games!" she explained. "If I say 'It's time to line up!', we all try our best to stand in a line, one behind the other." She made a wobbly line with her fingers. "It helps us get to the playground or wash our hands safely."

Lily remembered how much fun it was to follow the leader in her backyard. She knew following directions would be fun at school too.

Then, Ms. Daisy talked about safe and calm bodies. She showed them how to use walking feet inside, how to keep hands to ourselves, and how to have a quiet voice when indoors.

"Why do you think it's important to have safe and calm bodies?" Ms. Daisy asked.

A boy named Sam said, "So we don't accidentally bump into our friends!"

A girl named Mia added, "So everyone can hear the story!"

Lily thought about it. When she kept her hands to herself, her friends felt safe. When she used walking feet, she wouldn't fall or make others fall. When she had a quiet voice, she could hear everything and so could her friends!

Ms. Daisy smiled. "Exactly! When we all use our listening ears, follow directions, and have safe and calm bodies, our preschool will be the best place ever to learn and play!"

And from that day on, Lily tried her very best to remember Ms. Daisy's important ways to have fun at school. She became a super listener, a great direction-follower, and a master of safe and calm bodies, and her school days were filled with joy!

Listen Up! Let's Talk About Listening

Introduction (1 minute)

Teacher: "We just read a wonderful story about Lily and her first day at school! Lily learned how important it is to use our listening ears. Now, let's talk about what good listening looks like and sounds like."

Discussion Questions (3 minutes)

1. Question: "In our story, how did Lily show she was using her listening ears? What did her body look like when she was listening?"

   • Prompt for answers like: Looking at the teacher, quiet hands, still body.
   • 
     
     
     

2. Question: "When someone is talking to you, what can you do to show them you are listening?"

   • Prompt for answers like: Looking at their eyes, nodding, not talking over them.
   • 
     
     
     

3. Question: "Why is it important for everyone in our classroom to listen to each other? What happens if we don't listen?"

   • Prompt for answers about learning, safety, and feeling respected.
   • 
     
     
     

Wrap-up (Optional)

Teacher: "Great ideas, everyone! Good listening helps us learn, stay safe, and be kind to our friends and teachers. Let's try our best to be super listeners every day!"

Follow the Leader Activity

Objective

Students will practice listening to and following multi-step directions while maintaining safe body space.

Materials

• Open space in the classroom

Instructions

1. Explain the Game: "We're going to play a game called 'Follow the Leader'! I will be the leader first. Your job is to watch my body and listen to my words very carefully. You need to do exactly what I do!"

2. Emphasize Safety: "Remember our safe and calm bodies? We need to make sure we don't bump into our friends while we're playing. Let's make sure we have enough space around us."

3. Teacher as Leader: Start by being the leader. Begin with simple, clear actions, gradually increasing complexity as students get the hang of it. Examples:

   • Clap your hands (1 step)
   • Touch your knees, then clap your hands (2 steps)
   • Stomp your feet, then turn around, then hop once (3 steps)
   • Wiggle your fingers, then put your hands on your head, then sit down (multi-step, including sitting)

4. Observe and Praise: As students play, observe their listening skills and ability to follow directions. Offer specific praise: "I see you listening with your eyes and ears, Maya!" or "Great job following those two steps, Noah!"

5. Student Leader (Optional, if time permits and group is ready): If the group is doing well and there's time, invite a student to be the leader for a very short, simple sequence (e.g., two actions). Remind the student leader to give clear directions and for others to watch and listen carefully.

Reflection (Briefly)

"You all did such a super job following the leader! You used your listening ears and followed all my directions. That makes learning and playing so much fun!"

Body Statues Game

Objective

Students will practice self-regulation, listening for cues, and maintaining calm/still bodies.

Materials

• Music player and age-appropriate music

Instructions

1. Explain the Game: "It's time for another fun game! This one is called 'Body Statues.' In this game, when the music plays, you can dance and wiggle your bodies in any safe way you like! But when the music stops, you have to freeze like a statue! No moving at all until the music starts again!"

2. Emphasize Safety and Calm Bodies: "Remember our safe and calm bodies? When you're dancing, make sure you have enough space so you don't bump into your friends. And when you freeze, try to make a super still statue!"

3. Demonstrate: Briefly demonstrate dancing and then freezing in a statue pose.

4. Play the Game:

   • Start the music. Encourage students to dance freely and safely.
   • After 10-15 seconds, pause the music. Call out "Freeze!" and watch as students stop moving.
   • Observe students' ability to hold still and maintain their frozen pose. Praise good listening and still bodies.
   • Resume music and repeat several times. You can vary the length of dancing time and freezing time.

Reflection (Briefly)

"Wow, you are all amazing at being body statues! You showed fantastic listening to the music and had such calm, still bodies. That's a great way to show control and be safe!"

Sticker Star Cool Down

Objective

Students will reflect on the school expectations learned and receive positive reinforcement.

Materials

• Small stickers (optional, but highly recommended for preschool)

Instructions

1. Review Key Concepts: "Wow, what a wonderful job everyone did today! We talked about so many important things that help us have a super school day. Can you remember some of the things we talked about?"

   • Guide students to recall: listening, following directions, safe/calm bodies.

2. Quick Check-in:

   • "Can you give me a thumbs up if you tried your best to use your listening ears today?" (Pause for responses, acknowledge efforts)
   • "Can you give me a big smile if you tried your best to follow directions today?" (Pause for responses, acknowledge efforts)
   • "And can you show me a calm body right now?" (Pause for responses, acknowledge efforts)

3. Positive Reinforcement: "You are all shining stars! You showed fantastic listening, you followed directions so well in our games, and you had wonderful safe and calm bodies. Because you did such a great job practicing our school expectations today, you each get a special sticker to remind you what a Sticker Star you are!"

4. Distribute Stickers: Go around and give each student a sticker, offering specific, positive feedback as you do so (e.g., "Thank you for your excellent listening, [Student Name]!").

Conclude

"Thank you for being such wonderful learners today! I can't wait to see you use these amazing skills every day at school!"