Launchpad Teacher Guide Teacher Master Guide
Kindergarten Launchpad
Day 1 Minute-by-Minute Action Plan & Transition Routines
DAY 1 ROUTINES
Low-Prep Station Setup Checklist
Nametags taped to tables
Kinder Quest Pack at seats
Playdough at Station 1
Counting Bears at Station 2
Scissor bin & glue sticks ready
Clipboard with Tracker sheets
Phase 1: Landing & Launch (8:00 AM - 9:30 AM)
8:00 - 8:30 | Morning Arrival & Soft Landing
30 Mins
The Routine: Welcome students individually at the door. Guide them to find their named tables. Immediately point out the Kinder Quest Page 1 (Coloring & Name-Writing) at their desks.
Separation Anxiety Tip: Keep transitions minimal. Instruct parents to say quick goodbyes outside. Focus on giving the child a concrete job immediately ("Your first job is to find your name and color the launchpad!").
8:30 - 8:45 | Clean-up & First Transition Routine
15 Mins
The Chime Routine: Ring standard desk chime. Model freezing with "hands on head, bubbles in mouth." Teach the cleanup song.
"When the chime rings: Freeze, 1-2-3, hands on head, look at me!"
8:45 - 9:15 | Welcome Carpet & Read-Aloud
30 Mins
Active Listening Lesson: Model "Criss-cross applesauce, hands in lap." Read a classic first-day book (e.g., The Kissing Hand or Our Class is a Family ). Introduce standard verbal call-and-responses.
Baseline Window: Observe students' carpet stamina, eye contact, and capacity to follow basic instruction. Note indicators on the Assessment Tracker during the reading.
9:15 - 9:30 | Line Walking & Restroom Tour
15 Mins
The Routine: Model line spacing ("Catch a bubble, put arms out to check distance"). Walk past bathrooms and water fountain, establishing hall behaviors.
Kindergarten Launchpad — Master Lesson Plan Page 1 of 2
Teacher Master Guide
Kindergarten Launchpad
Station Rotations, Assessments, & Dismissal
STATIONS & WRAP-UP
Phase 2: Discovery Stations & Screenings (9:30 AM - 11:15 AM)
The Strategy: Split your classroom into 3 cooperative, independent stations while you pull students 1-on-1 for 2 minutes to complete the Baseline Assessment Tracker. Keep groupings simple and rotation signals clear.
STATION A: MOTORS
Activity: Kinder Quest Pack Page 2 . Tracing lines, scissors handling, shape pasting.
Fine Motor Check
STATION B: SENSORY
Activity: Playdough exploration. Students mold their first initials or create their favorite pet shapes.
Social-Emotional Focus
STATION C: ACADEMIC
Activity: Math counter play. Stack colorful blocks or group plastic counting bears by size and color.
Math & Sharing Check
9:30 - 10:45 | Station Rotations & 1-on-1 Assessment
75 Mins
Rotate classes through the three areas every 20 minutes (with 5 minutes of transition modeling in-between). During this time, call one student at a time to your assessment desk. Use the Baseline Assessment Tracker .
Target per student check: ~2 mins. Check letter recognition, counting to 10, and pencil grasp.
10:45 - 11:00 | Guided Playground Recess
15 Mins
Observed Play: Teach boundaries of the play space. Actively watch for peer integration, sharing of equipment, and those exhibiting higher social-emotional anxiety.
11:00 - 11:15 | Closing Circle & Safe Flight Dismissal
15 Mins
Gather students back on the carpet. Play the "Dismissal Routine Game." Introduce backpack packing process step-by-step. Congratulate them on surviving and thriving during Day 1! Hand out high-fives as they align for parent pickup.
Lenny's Golden Transition Cues
Voice Level Scale: Teach 0 (Silence), 1 (Whisper), 2 (Table Talk), 3 (Speaker Voice).Line Leader Cue: "Hands at side, forward eyes, ready for a big surprise!"Station Switch Ring: Do not rotate until desks are completely clear. Reward clean tables first.
Kindergarten Launchpad — Master Lesson Plan Page 2 of 2
Baseline Assessment Tracker 1-on-1 Screen Sheet
Individual Baseline Profile
Diagnostic screen tool for individual kindergarten readiness benchmarks
K-LAUNCH SCREEN 1
Student Name
_______________________
Date Assessed
_______________________
Assessed By
_______________________
Category A: Fine Motor Skills
Mature Pencil Grip
Uses dynamic tripod or quadrupod grip (not fisted)
Basic Scissor Control
Holds scissors correctly; cuts along a straight line
Gluing & Placement
Controls glue quantity; pastes within general boundaries
Manual Coordination
Can string blocks or stack 5+ small cubes easily
Category B: Academic Baseline
Letter Recognition (Uppercase)
Identifies 5+ letters randomly presented: A, S, T, M, O
Number Counting to 10
Rote counts aloud sequentially 1 to 10 with no skips
Name Recognition
Identifies own name written in standard school font
One-to-One Correspondence
Counts exactly 5 objects by touching each one
Category C: Routine Stamina & SEL Readiness
Line Walking & Spacing
Stays in line without pushing or leaving the queue
Carpet Sitting Endurance
Maintains sitting position during 10 min read-aloud
Follows Simple Directions
Complies with 2-step prompt (e.g. "Put paper away, go sit")
Peer Interaction & Sharing
Shares station items willingly; interacts without conflict
Observational Notes & Next Steps
Record any qualitative assessments here (e.g. separation anxiety level, hand preference, communication style, peer friendliness...)
Kindergarten Baseline Screening Toolkit Page 1 of 2
Clipboard Rapid-Check
Class Baseline Checklist
Quick-reference matrix for tracking core skills across 12 students simultaneously
K-LAUNCH SCREEN 2
Quick-Check Key: Write a student's name in each row. Place a check mark () for mastery, or dot (•) for need-to-develop.
Clipboard Ready
Student Name Penc Cut Glue Letr Cnt10 Name Carp Line SEL
Kinder Quest Worksheet NAME:
DATE:
My First Day Quest!
Welcome to Kindergarten • Color, Trace, and Draw
Task 1: My Name
Can you write your name inside the big cloud below?
Task 2: Rocket Trails
Fly the rockets to their home planets! Trace carefully along the dotted lines.
Task 3: This is Me!
Draw a picture of yourself on your very first day of school!
Kinder Quest Packet — Fun Fine Motor Tasks Page 1 of 2
NAME:
DATE:
Snip & Stick Rocket!
Scissor and Glue Exploration Station
Target: Build Your Rocket
Cut out the shapes at the bottom of the page, then paste them here to complete the rocket!
Square 1
Square 2
Cut Along This Line First
Cut out these shapes carefully to build your rocket ship above!
Shape A
Shape B
Shape C
Kinder Quest Packet — Fun Fine Motor Tasks Page 2 of 2
