I am a first year teacher in a K-3 Multicategorical classroom. I have 5 students, two 2nd graders who are cognitively delayed, two first graders that are cognitively delayed, and a kindergartener with down syndrome. My question is, do you think it is necessary to give them a half hour of rest time in the afternoon? Lunch is at 11:30am and dismissal isn't until 3:35pm. The administration hasn't said anything to me about this, but I was curious to hear your opinions before I asked about it. Thanks!
Our primary teacher lets the little ones rest at the beginning of the year. Usually the K/1's.... She says they outgrow it for the most part midway through the year.
I know first hand from my own special needs boys that they get worn out more easily then their peers. Not sure that the older ones would need it, but I definitely think your littlest ones would benefit. Perhaps the older ones could just lie down with a book and have quiet time?
I was going to suggest soft music, "quiet lights," and books... that's what I did with my PreK full-day kids last year because I WASN'T ALLOWED to give them a rest time (because "this is public school, not daycare, and if they need a nap, they shouldn't be full-day")... my kids didn't fall asleep, but this was a calm, resting time for them (while the staff rotated them through bathroom, brushing teeth, etc). It was hard for them at first, but I REALLY saw an increase in their attention span and ability to stay with books for a longer period of time.
Thanks for the responses. I think I'll definitely mention the idea of rest time or quiet time with a book to the principal and see what he says.
I'm at a public school and we put down kids for 1 hour on cots etc... I thought it was somewhat of a requirement. I know when I was in K it was a requirement to nap it we were full day-- but well that was a different state and many moons ago.
apparently it isn't state law if they got away with it... i was appalled when i found out i wasn't allowed to. I think they can fudge because my kids were 9-2:30 (the kids that left my room for PM in a different calss stayed til 3). The one kid I had that consistently fell apart in the afternoon, parents agreed to come get him at 1 4 days a week (we late started on Fridays) and he usually fell asleep in the car on the way home. I had several, though, who went to private therapy immediately bfore and after school... that's a LONG day for 3's without a nap!
Our kids are in school from 8-4...and we too are not allowed to have a "rest time" or "nap time". I do what some others have suggested music, low lights, and books. If they fall asleep, they fall asleep
I teach a K-2 self-contained class and we do not nap. I do let them have quiet time when I put on music and look through books. At the beginning of the year they could only do this for 10-15 minutes before it is crowd control. My administration will not even consider them having a nap. My families have a hard enough time getting their children to go to sleep at night that I would not even consider putting them down for a nap and I think my parents (esp. with Gr. 1and Gr. 2 students) would be upset if I put their child down for a nap. You could do other things if you want them to have some "down time" - file folder games, story tapes, small group games.... I don't know how severe your students are but I really can't see a reason why second and first graders need a nap.
Yeah, I don't really want the first and second graders having a "nap." I do think some of the ideas of "quiet time" with music and a book is a good idea for the first and second graders. The rest of the kindergarteners have a half hour of "nap" time in the regular ed classes, so I figure my one kindergarten boy might nap during this time. Thanks for the responses!
