Table of Contents

Core Philosophy

Key Values

Love, Risk, Joy, Engagement, and Reflection form the foundation of our approach. These values manifest through:

• Meeting people where they are - Start with each child's current abilities and needs
• Listening and taking time, being curious - Slow down to truly understand
• Responding to needs - Let observations guide your decisions
• Making intentional changes - Adjust based on what you see and learn
• Unconditionality and holding space - Provide consistent support regardless of behavior
• Reflecting as adults - Continuously examine your own practice and assumptions

Child Needs Foundation

Before establishing routines and expectations, we must understand what children fundamentally need. These needs form the foundation for all our practices and decisions.

Physical and Emotional Safety

Children need physical and emotional safety in order to thrive. This safety creates the foundation for all learning, exploration, and relationship building.

Responsive Environment

Children need environments, relationships and routines that are responsive, consistent, reliable, and predictable. This doesn't mean rigid - it means thoughtfully structured around their developmental needs.

Being Valued

Children need to be seen, heard, valued, and understood. They need adults who recognize their inherent worth and unique contributions to the community.

Autonomy with Support

Children need time, space, autonomy, and support to meet their own needs. They require freedom to make choices while knowing caring adults are available when needed.

Trust and Self-Pacing

Children need to feel trusted, and set their own pace. They thrive when adults believe in their capabilities and allow natural development to unfold.

Clear and Simple Expectations

Clear, simple, and reasonable expectations are more likely to be understood, accepted, and internalized by children. They provide children with a sense of security and trust in their relationships.

Expectations vs. Rules: Understanding the Difference

In traditional classrooms, rules usually have only one right way of accomplishing them with little room for interpretation. Take the common rule "no running in the classroom." Children either follow it or they don't - there's no room for critical thinking about safety in the moment.

In Anji Play programs, expectations are general values with many right ways to accomplish them. Different children can follow the same expectations in different ways, often differently than adults might.

The Running Example

In an Anji Play program, it can be completely acceptable for a child to run in the classroom as long as our expectations are being met. Maybe the area is empty and there's no risk of injury to themselves, others, or the environment. If problems arise, natural consequences become learning opportunities.

Routines and Responsibilities

Tasks, both large and small, are part of every day at school. These tasks form the basis of many classroom routines, and are a core responsibility of the classroom community. The completion of these necessary tasks maintains the order, regularity, and hygiene that are necessary for the child's physical and emotional health and safety.

Benefits When Children Participate in Necessary Tasks

For Children:

• Contribute to and take responsibility for the classroom community and for themselves
• Show and take pride in their abilities
• Are empowered to be independent
• Feel valued as capable community members

For Teachers:

• You will have more time to observe and listen
• You will have a greater appreciation for and trust in your children's abilities
• You will strengthen foundations for the children's future success
• You'll experience less stress managing daily tasks

Guidelines for Building Routines

Avoid External Motivation Systems

Job charts, rewards, and other strategies may work in the short term, but they make task-completion dependent on external, rather than internal motivation.

Building Intrinsic Motivation

Instead of external rewards, focus on:

• Natural consequences and learning opportunities
• Children's sense of contribution to the community
• Pride in developing capabilities
• The inherent satisfaction of completing meaningful work

Responsive Daily Schedule

A responsive daily schedule is a schedule that you have the power to change based on your understanding of the needs of your children. A responsive schedule minimizes tension and struggles that come from multiple transitions and irrelevant content.

Schedule Characteristics

• Flexible - Adapts to children's observed needs
• Transitions can take as long as necessary - No rushing for the sake of time
• A few fixed times anchor the day - Predictability where needed
• Time primarily dedicated to play, food, rest, self-care, reflection/sharing

Flexible Transitions

It's important to remember that the entire class does not have to transition at once. Different children need different amounts of time to transition, especially when transitions include self-care tasks. One common approach is dividing the group into two smaller groups, allowing one to move on while others complete what they need without feeling rushed.

Sample Anji Play Schedules

2-3 Year Olds

Specific Routine Guidelines

Gathering as a Group

Gathering as a group each day brings your classroom together as a community, provides children with an opportunity to know what to expect for the day, is an ideal setting for you to model and reinforce listening and dialogue, and gives everyone a chance to learn about ourselves and others through sharing and reflection.

Morning Gathering - Starting Off the Day

• Begin with a song or ritual
• Briefly explain what to expect for the day
• No minimum or maximum time (short is okay)
• Model listening
• Ask clarifying questions as needed
• Not a time for "teaching"

Gathering After Play

• For the first week(s), focus on children introducing themselves
• As the year progresses, this becomes time to support children's reflection on their play
• Start this routine early so children are accustomed to coming together daily
• Encourage children to bring photos of their families
• No minimum or maximum time (short is okay)
• Model listening and ask clarifying questions as needed
• Not a time for "teaching"

Closing Gathering - Saying "Goodbye"

• Closing ritual or song
• Teacher briefly shares/previews what will happen the next day, including any changes to schedule or routine
• Answer any questions children may have about what you've shared

General Gathering Expectations

Decide in advance whether gatherings will take place in chairs, on the floor, with assigned spots, etc.

Meal Times

During meals and snacks, children come together, relax, recharge, have a chance to develop good habits, and master new skills. Meal times cement relationships between children, and present a great opportunity to learn more about your children through relaxed and open conversations.

Meal Time Guidelines

Meals and snacks should be as self-directed and independent as possible.

With teacher support, as necessary, children can:

• Set the table
• Serve their own food
• Clear and clean tables
• Clean dishes and sweep

Nap and Quiet Time

Children need rest to joyously and actively participate in the day. By establishing a clear, consistent, and responsive nap-time routine that involves and empowers children, most of your children should be able to put themselves to sleep independently.

Nap Time Structure

• Same time every day: quiet music, lights dimmed/off
• Children help set up by placing their own mats
• Children lay out their blankets
• Children get a book to read on their mat
• Teachers can pat or rub the child's back, but should avoid holding or rocking

Play

Play is how children understand the world, themselves, and others. It is a time for the child's freedom and intentions to fully lead. What happens during play and what you observe and record during play will inform many of your decisions about your schedule, your materials, and the environment.

Play Guidelines

• Indoors and outdoors
• Child decides what, where, how, with whom
• Teacher makes sure children are safe
• Teacher responds to needs, if necessary
• Teacher steps back, remains present, observes, and records play

Play Transitions

• Play ends when the children have finished playing
• Some children may be done playing before others
• Play ends when the schedule requires a transition
• The end of play is the beginning of clean up

Clean Up

Clean Up Process

• Clean up can be cued with a specific song, played on repeat until all materials are back where they belong
• Children should have as much time as necessary to return all materials to their homes
• Children will finish, and may return to the classroom, at different times
• Teacher can record process and help as necessary

Play Stories

Children will come back into the classroom with their recent play experiences still fresh in their minds. Right after play is the perfect time for each child to draw a picture of what they just did, and for you to write down their story of play. By making Play Stories a consistent, daily routine, your children will integrate a practice of meaningful reflection and expression into their lives.

Play Stories Process

• Provide each child with their own set of markers
• Invite child to "draw what you played today"
• Children gather their own materials
• Children draw what they choose
• Children describe the content of their drawing to the teacher

Being a Part of the Conversation

Many children enjoy talking with their friends and classmates. These conversations happen at different times during the day and are a perfect way to learn more about your children, their interests, abilities, and experiences.

By being present and listening to these conversations, we can become more responsive and model the kind of listening and curiosity we hope to see in our children.

Conversation Guidelines

• Listen for conversations - they often take place during meals and snacks, and bathroom breaks
• Start a conversation when there is time and opportunity for a one-on-one relationship, or for a relationship with a small group
• Listen to conversations
• Let children speak without interruption
• Wait to see how other children respond
• Ask clarifying questions
• Talk about listening, as necessary
• Don't center yourself in the conversation (take a deep breath and reflect before sharing)

When Children Cannot Follow Routines or Meet Expectations

What happens when children cannot follow the daily routines, transitions or meet the expectations for their classroom community? The answer comes back to relationships, and how the educator understands the child in question.

Ask "Why?" Instead of "What Do I Do?"

An Anji educator may respond to a crying child with a hug or reassurance. That same educator may also recognize that the child needs time and space on their own to work through their feelings. Perhaps another child takes the initiative in responding to the crying child's needs.

It's possible that a child who hit another child had a rough morning at home, maybe they have trouble expressing their feelings, or maybe they were hit first. Regardless of the reason for the child's behavior, they were unable to meet an expectation.

If the educator does not already have a clear idea based on their knowledge of the child, then they take the most challenging behaviors as an opportunity to observe closely, to learn more about that child, and support both that child and the children around them.

The Power of Simple Expectations

When expectations are simple, reasonable, and focused on safety and care, they make it possible for most children to meet them most of the time. For this reason, the educator can develop a clearer picture of the needs of the child, instead of dealing with the child's response to expectations that are complicated, unclear, inconsistent, or unfair.

Implementation Guidelines

Setting Up Routines

Language and Communication

Transition Strategies

Before Transitions:

• Give children time to complete their current engagement
• Use consistent signals (music, verbal cues)
• Allow some children to continue while others move on

During Transitions:

• Never rush the entire group together
• Support individual needs (different pacing, sensitivities)
• Maintain calm, patient presence

After Transitions:

• Acknowledge children's efforts
• Notice and celebrate independence
• Adjust expectations based on what you observe

Environmental Supports

Physical Environment

• Clear, labeled storage for all materials
• Child-accessible serving tools and dishes
• Comfortable spaces for different activities
• Visual cues for routines (pictures, symbols)

Emotional Environment

• Consistent, predictable rhythms
• Flexible timing that follows children's energy
• Multiple ways to succeed at expectations
• Adults who model the expectations themselves

Social Environment

• Children helping each other naturally
• Collaborative cleanup and care routines
• Shared responsibility for community spaces
• Celebration of individual contributions

Supporting Children Through Challenges

Common Situations & Responses

Support Strategies

1. Slow down your own pace
2. Observe closely to understand needs
3. Listen to what the child is communicating through behavior
4. Adjust expectations to match developmental needs
5. Stay calm and maintain connection

Assessment & Reflection

Daily Observations

• Are children meeting expectations most of the time?
• Where do struggles consistently occur?
• What adjustments might better serve children's needs?
• How are individual children growing in independence?

Weekly Reflection Questions

• Do our routines allow for deep engagement?
• Are transitions smooth and unhurried?
• Do children feel capable and valued?
• What stories do our routines tell about children's abilities?

Monthly Review

• Which expectations need clarification or adjustment?
• How has our daily rhythm evolved?
• What new independence skills are emerging?
• Where can we provide more choice and autonomy?

Key Reminders for Educators

Our Approach to Supporting Children

• Meeting people where they are - start with each child's current abilities and needs
• Listening and taking time, being curious - slow down to truly understand
• Responding to needs - let observations guide your decisions
• Making intentional changes - adjust based on what you see and learn
• Unconditionality and holding space - provide consistent support regardless of behavior
• Reflecting as adults - continuously examine your own practice and assumptions

For Teachers:

• Model expectations yourself - children notice inconsistency
• Trust children's capabilities - they often exceed our expectations
• Prioritize relationships over compliance
• Stay flexible while maintaining predictability
• Use observation to inform practice - what you see during play informs schedule, materials, and environment decisions
• Remember: Structure can be an expression of love when it serves children's needs

For Administrators:

• Support teachers in making schedule adjustments based on observations
• Understand that "slower" transitions lead to deeper learning
• Value independence and self-regulation over quick compliance
• Recognize that play time is learning time and should be protected
• Trust teachers' professional judgment in responding to children's needs

Getting Started: Implementation

1. Ground yourself in child needs - Review and internalize the fundamental needs children have for safety, responsiveness, being valued, autonomy, and trust
2. Simplify expectations - Focus on the four clear and simple expectations only
3. Map your current schedule - Use age-appropriate schedule as starting point, but remain flexible
4. Create large time blocks - Minimize transitions, maximize deep engagement time
5. Start with one routine at a time - Don't try to implement everything at once
6. Observe and adjust - Let children's responses guide your refinements
7. Trust the process and the children - Building authentic routines takes time and requires faith in children's capabilities

Weekly Reflection Process

Use these questions to guide your practice:

• How are the four expectations working in practice?
• What does our daily rhythm tell us about how we view children's capabilities?
• Where do we see children taking on responsibility and independence?
• How are our routines serving relationship building?
• What adjustments might better meet children's observed needs?

Success Indicators

You'll know your routines and expectations are working when:

• Children move through their day with confidence
• Natural helping and collaboration emerge
• Transitions happen without stress or rushing
• Children take initiative in caring for themselves and others
• Both children and adults enjoy the rhythm of the day
• Individual needs are met within the group structure
• Children demonstrate growing independence and responsibility
• You have more time for observation and meaningful interactions
• Conflicts decrease as children develop internal motivation
• Children show pride in their contributions to the community