Soft Start: The Change That Made Our Classroom Mornings Special

What is a soft start?

In the hustle and bustle of teaching life, it’s easy to overlook the importance of a gentle start to the school day, especially for young learners. This is where the concept of a “Soft Start” comes into play. A Soft Start is a simple yet powerful practice in elementary classrooms that allows students to ease into their day in a calm and focused manner. Instead of diving headfirst into academic tasks, students engage in activities that promote a positive and inviting atmosphere. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of this approach and tips to help you get started in your classroom. 

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Benefits of a Soft Start

1. Reduces Anxiety and Stress: For many students, the transition from home to school can be stressful. A Soft Start helps mitigate the stress that students may be feeling by providing a predictable and calming routine that sets the tone for the day. Students can walk into a warm and inviting atmosphere feeling safe and supported.
2. Fosters Positive Relationships: Activities during a Soft Start often encourage social interaction and collaboration, providing opportunities for students and teachers to connect and build a sense of community.
3. Promotes Focus and Readiness to Learn: By starting the day with calming activities, students are better prepared to focus and engage in academic tasks later in the day. I’ve noticed that students are always in a better mindset towards academics when they are able to ease into the school day with a Soft Start routine. 
4. Enhances Classroom Management: A calm start to the day sets a positive tone for behavior and classroom management, making the rest of the day smoother and more productive. Students learn to regulate their emotions and develop valuable skills such as self-awareness and problem solving with peers. Many SEL strategies that you are teaching throughout your day are practiced during these morning routines which will help with making those strategies concrete practices that they can use moving forward. 

Implementing a Soft Start

Implementing a Soft Start in your classroom can be straightforward and flexible. Here are some steps and ideas to get you started:

1. Set the Tone: Begin by creating a welcoming environment. Greet each student at the door with a smile and a kind word. Soft background music can also help set a calming atmosphere but is not necessary.
2. Set morning routines: Practice morning routines for students to complete before beginning Soft Start. In my classroom, students put their materials in their lockers, make their Zones of Regulation choices, and put their folders in their mailboxes before grabbing any Soft Start materials. 
3. Provide Choices: Offer a variety of activities that students can choose from. This empowers them to take charge of their morning and engage in something that interests them. Activities could include:
   • Reading: Provide a selection of books for students to read independently or in pairs.
   • Drawing or Coloring: Simple art activities can be very calming and enjoyable.
   • Puzzles and Games: Quiet games and puzzles encourage problem-solving and collaboration.
   • Journaling: Allow students to write about their thoughts, dreams, or anything on their mind.
   • STEM Materials: Building with STEM materials invites creativity and innovation. 
4. Modeling Expectations: Clearly communicate and model your expectations for Soft Starts including the clean-up process. Also, be sure to model the use of new materials when they are introduced.
5. Keep it Consistent: Consistency is key to the success of a Soft Start. Establish a routine that students can rely on every day. This predictability helps reduce anxiety and creates a sense of security.
6. Incorporate Mindfulness: Consider integrating mindfulness activities such as deep breathing exercises or guided meditation to help students center themselves.
7. Transition Smoothly: After the Soft Start activities, gradually transition to the day’s academic tasks. This can be done through a group discussion, a brief morning meeting, or a fun and engaging activity that leads into the first lesson.

Tips for Success

Here are some tips that have worked in our classroom since we implemented the Soft Start approach in our classroom. 

1. Be Patient: It may take some time for students to adjust to the new routine. Be patient and give them time to settle into the Soft Start.
2. Observe and Adapt: Pay attention to what works best for your students. Be flexible and willing to adapt activities based on their interests and needs. With your observations, you may run Soft Start differently from year to year. 
3. Involve Students: Get feedback from your students about the activities they enjoy. This can help make the Soft Start more engaging and meaningful for them.
4. Organization: Soft Start materials should be placed in easily stored areas and cleaned up each day. Placing the materials on storage shelves or bins would be beneficial.
   • I don’t have a specific number of materials for students to use. I have many different options including; magic eight ball, fidget spinners, board games, boggle, vast amounts of art materials, STEM items, etc. You get the idea, there are many different options for the students. The trick is not introducing a material until it is modeled, talked about, and practiced before being given as a Soft Start material.
5. Time Frame: In our class, we have the time that the bell rings to our daily special being 25 minutes. I allow my students to have approximately 20 minutes of Soft Start time once they complete their morning routine expectations prior to grabbing the materials. You can always play around with this number, but I’ve always felt that 15 minutes is the perfect amount of time and works very well with students. 
6. Teaching Routines: It is never too early to start teaching your routines for Soft Start. I take the time to teach my expectations on the first day of school and introduce approximately 2 activities that they can participate in. I mention that I’m watching how they follow the expectations and look forward to adding more activities when I see how well they handle the first 2. Start with easy classroom activities that require minimal explanation.
   • I usually limit students to no more than 4 per area, unless it is an activity that can handle more than four and wouldn’t get too noisy. Also, this will vary depending on students playing board games. These games may be 2 players or up to 6. Just be sure to set the parameters with students before letting the materials loose for students to use independently. 
   • Most importantly, make sure that students pick their Soft Start material and stick with it. They shouldn’t be into multiple materials or moving around the classroom. Set the expectation early and your class will have a calmer environment overall. 
7. Clean-Up: Set a visual timer somewhere in the classroom that tells students when it’s time to clean up. I mentioned earlier that 15 minutes of soft start time is the sweet spot. Over the years of providing Soft Start, students have continually felt that they have adequate time to transition to school and ease into the day with the allotted time. After the full 15 minutes, the students get 2-5 minutes of clean-up time. 
8. Materials: I felt overwhelmed with this part when I decided to try out Soft Open for the first time. You will be surprised with how quickly you accumulate items. I started out by raiding the old board games that I had down in our basement. I also reached out to family and friends on Facebook to see if anyone had items to donate. In my beginning of the year letter to families, I mentioned that I wanted to begin Soft Start and asked if anyone had items to donate to help us out. I also created an Amazon Wish List of Soft Start materials we would love to have and added it to newsletters, open house pamphlets, etc. One other sneaky great place to look for Soft Open materials is the dollar spot at Target. I’ve found some very useful items that the students love from that area.

Materials to Add

Here are some materials that I’ve added to our Soft Start mornings that are loved by our students. Adding these to an Amazon wishlist would be a great way to start adding items to your Soft Start list.

1. Connector Straws
2. Plus Plus Blocks
3. Hexagon Blocks
4. Brain Flakes
5. Fidget Spinners
6. Boggle
7. Tetra Tower
8. Connect Four
9. Tic Tac Toe
10. Magnadoodle

Conclusion

A Soft Start is a powerful tool in creating a calm, focused, and positive classroom environment. By easing students into the school day with enjoyable and low-stress activities, teachers can set the stage for a productive day of learning. Give Soft Starts a try in your classroom and watch with joy as your students begin their days with a smile and a sense of readiness to learn.