Lacey Walker Nonstop Talker First Week of School Activities

One of my favorite ways to introduce ideal behavior examples is through the book Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker by Christianne Jones. The first week of school is all about building classroom routines and helping students understand what respectful listening looks and sounds like. By the second day, I like to dive into my behavior management system and set clear expectations for talking and listening during class.

This story is a perfect springboard for discussing the importance of being a good listener and showing respect to others. Let’s take a look at how I utilize this book and its accompanying activities to reinforce positive communication habits in my classroom.

Daily Schedule

As I mentioned in my previous post, I would like to share with you my daily schedule. Alternating between activities and teaching routines and procedures is what works best for me.

8:00 a.m. – Arrival and Morning Work – I usually stand at the door and review arrival procedures as each child enters. Where to store backpacks, lunch boxes, jackets, homework, etc. How to quickly find their morning work and get started with the supplies they need. On this day, we work on fine motor skills with the tracing page.

8:30 am – Calendar and Class Rules – We practice our calendar routines and discuss rule #2, and color the corresponding coloring page.
9:00 am – Teach Routines – Working from my procedures list, we review morning procedures, my behavior system, and the appropriate rug behavior.
9:30 am – Assessment – I give students a lowercase letter inventory to assess their fine motor skills.

Want some more ideas for behavior management? Check out these posts:

Routines and Assessment

9:55 am – Routines – Review recess procedures and how to dispose of and recycle containers when finished properly.
10 am – Recess
10:15 am – Routines – Classroom supplies – I know that I have a more liberal attitude to classroom supplies than other teachers do, but at this time, I show them when and how to access the supplies they need.
10:25 am – Language Arts – Read Lacey Walker Nonstop Talker and then work and complete the “I Can Be a Good Listener” decodable book. (I obviously put these together ahead of time).
10:50 am – Routines – Rewards and Consequences – I go over my behavior management system and try to notice and praise good behavior immediately.
11:00 am – Math – Missing Number Owls

11:20 am – Art – Owl bulletin board project. I leave my bulletin boards empty at the start of the year and fill them up with student work during the first week.
11:40 am – Routines – Review end-of-the-day procedures, cleanliness, and packing-up expectations.
11:50 am – Clean-up/Pack-up
12:00 pm – Dismissal