Line up · tidy up · pack up · move

Transitions & Routines

Transitions cost time when the routine lives only in the teacher’s voice. Signal Fix and Schedule make the routine visible so students know what happens next without another speech.

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Choose the bottleneck

A transition is a sequence, not a single direction.

“Get ready for math” can contain five different actions: finish the current task, put materials away, move, collect the next materials and become ready. Teachers see the whole sequence at once. Students have to execute it one step at a time. When transitions repeatedly stall, the problem is often that the sequence, route or finish state is not visible enough.

The tools in this section solve different parts of that problem. Choose the one that matches the breakdown instead of adding another reminder to the same routine.

If the cue is the problem, use Signal Fix

Use a consistent one-touch cue when students know the routine but keep waiting for individual prompts. The signal should start a known sequence; it should not introduce a brand-new list of directions every time.

If the whole day is unclear, use Schedule

A dayboard is useful when uncertainty about NOW and UP NEXT is creating repeated questions or slow starts. It carries information across the day so the teacher does not have to rebuild the context at every change.

If the movement itself is sloppy, practise the route

Lineup Race and Carpet Race are short rehearsals for two common movement routes. They make the beginning and finish visible so the class can improve the routine without being compared with another class.

If the routine is not actually learned, reteach it

A timer cannot repair a routine students do not understand. Use Mini-Lessons or a neutral rehearsal when the class needs the sequence modelled again. Practice is more useful than timing a confused attempt.

If the room jams in one place, fix the traffic

Doorways, cubbies, bins, carpet edges and shared shelves create predictable congestion. Staggering who moves first or changing the route can solve what looks like a behaviour problem without adding a consequence.

Before launching a tool, define the finish state. “Ready” might mean materials away, body in place and attention available. When the finish is vague, the transition has no real endpoint and students are left guessing when the next activity has begun.