It’s no secret that teachers often dread arrival and dismissal times each school day. Kids may be tired, bored, or out of sorts, which leads to unwanted behaviors in the classroom. Traditionally, teachers have set morning work expectations during the 10-15 minutes when students are arriving and unpacking. This work may include catch-up time, content-related worksheets, quiet reading time, or extra help in small groups.

While there is certainly value in each of these work items, the reality is that educators have no idea what kind of evening or morning a child has been handling. Some students may not have eaten breakfast, may have a parent who is out of town, or may not have had the best night’s sleep. It can be a very high expectation for all students to arrive at school early in the morning and be ready to tackle an assignment immediately amidst the chaos of arrival.

With this in mind, teachers have been implementing a new take on morning work, known as “soft start.” A soft start allows for more choice, creativity, and engagement as students arrive each morning.

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Soft start materials for a strong morning routine!
Via @lifewlittlelearners

Here is everything you need to know about implementing a soft start, how it will change yours and your students’ lives, and what items you may want to consider when trying your first soft start in your classroom.

What is a soft start?

As students arrive each morning of school, the expectation is that after unpacking and following a morning routine, they have choice in how they begin their day and who they’d like to begin it with. Students can choose to engage with building blocks, Magna-Tiles, coloring books, magazines, etc. The key is that whichever item they choose each day, they should be following a clear set of expectations like the ones listed below:

Numbered soft start bins
Via @secondgradeserenity
  1. Soft Start items should be kept in bins which are easily found, stored, and cleaned up each day.
  2. Students get to choose up to 3-4 people to engage with while using a bin. Too many kids at one bin/activity causes issues, so it’s best to set a limit.
  3. Once a soft start activity is chosen for the day, students should use it for the duration of the soft start. There is not enough time for students to be switching around items each day. Pick one and done!
  4. Set a timer on the board each morning that tells students when it’s time to clean up. We suggest 15 minutes of soft start time every day. If you are not quite ready to allow students to choose their morning activity, you can consider beginning the soft start at tables and giving each table a different bin each morning. After students unpack, they can head to their table to engage with the students they sit with and the bin you left for them that day.
Smartboard detailing the various table activities for the morning, including a puzzle table, tech table, math table, literacy activity table, are for block play, and reading corner.
Via @myimperfectclassroom

The impact of beginning the day with a soft start

As an educator who recently made the switch from requiring morning work to opening with a soft start, here is my first hand experience with this change in third grade. In past years, while implementing morning work, students arrived at school slowly and dragged their feet to their morning work spots. There was often immediate tension as students began to work on assignments they may have been struggling with in previous days. Many students who independently read during morning work were just sitting in their chairs staring off into space. There was a serious lack of purposeful relationship building during this 15 minute time span. Even when I had time to pull a small group for a re-teach during arrival, it was usually too chaotic in the room for the group to focus as other students were still arriving.

Fast forward to this year as I began and continue to implement a soft start. Students are eager to get into our classroom, unpack their bags, and find classmates to engage with. All students begin their day with their own choice of activity as they meaningfully build, create, and talk with peers. I have never seen so many smiles at such an early hour of the morning! During the occasional conflict between peers in the morning, it is a great time to work on conflict resolution and relationship building. Students often interact with peers outside of their friend groups during soft start time, allowing our classroom community to blossom. Soft starts truly set the tone for each school day, and I will never go back to morning work.

What materials do I need?

So, what exactly will you need in order to transition from morning work to a soft start routine?

Make it simple.

Start by asking family, friends, and neighbors if they have any STEAM items or creative kids activities they are willing to donate. Be sure to only collect easy clean-up items. Next, create an Amazon Wish List of affordable soft start items you’d like to have in your classroom. If you are able to and feel comfortable doing so, share your wish list with student families. As you receive new items for soft start, consider putting out one new item each month to keep things fresh. Over the course of a year or two, your soft start collection will grow, slowly but surely.

Not sure where to start? Here are some proven favorite soft start items to add to your Amazon wish list:

  1. Wooden Domino Blocks
  2. Brain Flakes
  3. Magnetic Building Sticks
  4. Stencils
  5. Gel Pens
  6. Creative Straw Construction
  7. Brain Teaser Tangram
  8. Legos
  9. Jumbo Coloring Pads
  10. Bristle Blocks
  11. Play-Doh

It can be overwhelming to switch common routines in the classroom, but I’ve learned from experience that this one is totally worth it!

Begin Class Right with a Soft Start Routine