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What are routines in Early Childhood Education?
This might sound familiar: when we enter the classroom, we always put our belongings in the same place, sit in a circle to start the day with specific routines or a morning meeting, have snack at the same time, engage in a special ritual to connect as a group, sing a song to calm down after going outside, etc.
In early childhood education, we find moments from daily life that nurture children’s learning. These moments are routines: real moments that structure our day-to-day. As Loris Malaguzzi says, “if you do real things, their consequences are also real”. This means that the events and experiences that arise in the daily life of the classroom lead to genuine responses and conclusions from the children.
In the early educational stages, every moment of the day is an opportunity to learn. Routines are not merely about organizing time; they serve as emotional and cognitive support structures that help children understand the world around them, develop autonomy, and build meaningful learning.
In early childhood education, we find moments from daily life that nurture children’s learning. These moments are routines: real moments that structure our day-to-day. As Loris Malaguzzi says, “if you do real things, their consequences are also real”. This means that the events and experiences that arise in the daily life of the classroom lead to genuine responses and conclusions from the children.
In the early educational stages, every moment of the day is an opportunity to learn. Routines are not merely about organizing time; they serve as emotional and cognitive support structures that help children understand the world around them, develop autonomy, and build meaningful learning.
Why are routines important for children?
In early childhood education, the concepts of rhythm and repetition are essential for developing autonomy, calmness, and the ability to anticipate what comes next. Each classroom has its own moments that occur consistently. For example, a song that facilitates a transition moment, a routine to start the day, a specific time and habit for snack time, etc.
These moments become anchor points that help us anticipate what we are going to do and structure us in space and time, providing understanding and security.
Routines play a fundamental regulatory function by helping children understand temporal sequence and acquire a stable frame of reference. Anticipating what comes next—the morning meeting, lunch time, or free play—brings calmness and confidence.
Additionally, routines promote the development of autonomy. By repeatedly engaging in certain actions, children learn to perform them on their own, gaining independence and strengthening their self-esteem.
Routines also promote emotional anticipation, allowing them to prepare mentally and emotionally for what comes next. This kind of preparation helps reduce uncertainty and improve adaptation to changes, even during transitions or new situations.
These moments become anchor points that help us anticipate what we are going to do and structure us in space and time, providing understanding and security.
Routines play a fundamental regulatory function by helping children understand temporal sequence and acquire a stable frame of reference. Anticipating what comes next—the morning meeting, lunch time, or free play—brings calmness and confidence.
Additionally, routines promote the development of autonomy. By repeatedly engaging in certain actions, children learn to perform them on their own, gaining independence and strengthening their self-esteem.
Routines also promote emotional anticipation, allowing them to prepare mentally and emotionally for what comes next. This kind of preparation helps reduce uncertainty and improve adaptation to changes, even during transitions or new situations.
Routines with a Mathematical Perspective
Beyond their emotional and organizational value, routines provide fantastic opportunities to develop mathematical thinking naturally and contextually.
At Innovamat, we place special emphasis on these day-to-day moments, which we refer to as Life in the Classroom. That’s why, in the Classroom Manager, we offer examples of how we can continue working on mathematical perspective in these spaces, and, above all, how we can do it in an experiential and meaningful way. We have designed brief game resources for use during transitions and specific examples of how to use moments, like the morning meeting, to pose mathematical questions. We also recommend stories with mathematical content that can be read during the day.
But what about other types of rhythms (such as weekly or annual rhythms)? Calendar work is a clear example of a routine that helps us situate ourselves in time and plays a very important role at this stage. For example, at the beginning and end of the month, we can encourage conversations about what our calendar reveals: “Are there any special days, whether holidays or school or classroom events?” “Has it been or will it be someone’s birthday?” This allows us to talk about the numbers on the calendar and generate rich questions that we will solve using mathematical strategies.
The monthly or annual calendar becomes an excellent resource for working on the succession of days, counting, waiting (how many days until a birthday?), the relationship between dates and seasons, etc.
During the morning meeting, talking about the day, date, or attendance allows us to introduce concepts of number, sequencing, quantity, and time.
Transitions are also an opportune time to introduce mathematical thinking: distributing materials, counting how many classmates are absent, organizing teams, or singing songs with numbers are experiences where mathematical concepts emerge spontaneously.
At Innovamat, we place special emphasis on these day-to-day moments, which we refer to as Life in the Classroom. That’s why, in the Classroom Manager, we offer examples of how we can continue working on mathematical perspective in these spaces, and, above all, how we can do it in an experiential and meaningful way. We have designed brief game resources for use during transitions and specific examples of how to use moments, like the morning meeting, to pose mathematical questions. We also recommend stories with mathematical content that can be read during the day.
But what about other types of rhythms (such as weekly or annual rhythms)? Calendar work is a clear example of a routine that helps us situate ourselves in time and plays a very important role at this stage. For example, at the beginning and end of the month, we can encourage conversations about what our calendar reveals: “Are there any special days, whether holidays or school or classroom events?” “Has it been or will it be someone’s birthday?” This allows us to talk about the numbers on the calendar and generate rich questions that we will solve using mathematical strategies.
The monthly or annual calendar becomes an excellent resource for working on the succession of days, counting, waiting (how many days until a birthday?), the relationship between dates and seasons, etc.
During the morning meeting, talking about the day, date, or attendance allows us to introduce concepts of number, sequencing, quantity, and time.
Transitions are also an opportune time to introduce mathematical thinking: distributing materials, counting how many classmates are absent, organizing teams, or singing songs with numbers are experiences where mathematical concepts emerge spontaneously.
Beyond Order: Structuring Thinking
Routines allow us to structure not only time but also thinking. They serve as anchor points throughout the day, becoming safe spaces where children can explore, express themselves, and learn.
Although they are repeated does not mean they are static: routines evolve with the group, enrich through small changes, and adapt to the time of year and the needs of the classroom. What’s important is that they maintain their pedagogical and emotional purpose.
The teacher plays a key role here: observing when a routine needs adjustment, identifying group interests to add new nuances, and maintaining educational intent without sacrificing naturalness. The routine should not be a rigid imposition but rather a living and flexible structure that supports development.
Although they are repeated does not mean they are static: routines evolve with the group, enrich through small changes, and adapt to the time of year and the needs of the classroom. What’s important is that they maintain their pedagogical and emotional purpose.
The teacher plays a key role here: observing when a routine needs adjustment, identifying group interests to add new nuances, and maintaining educational intent without sacrificing naturalness. The routine should not be a rigid imposition but rather a living and flexible structure that supports development.
How to Maximize Their Pedagogical Potential
- Identify the times of day that offer the greatest instructional potential: morning meeting, calendar, arrival, departure…
- Introduce questions that invite observation, counting, comparison, and anticipation.
- Maintain a clear structure, but leave room for flexibility and dialogue.
- Use the calendar as a central axis for many of these mathematical conversations.
- Observe how group interests evolve, and adjust your proposals within established routines accordingly.
In Summary
Routines not only organize the day, they also support learning and emotional development. They are spaces of calm, predictability, and shared experiences. If we look at them carefully, we’ll see that they contain much more than order: there’s relationship, language, thinking… and lots of mathematics.
A well-thought-out routine is a powerful tool that promotes both well-being and learning.
A well-thought-out routine is a powerful tool that promotes both well-being and learning.
