How to Use This Back‑to‑School ECSE Bundle to Make a Simple, Fun First Week of School
The first week of ECSE doesn’t have to feel chaotic. In fact, it can be calm, predictable, and joyful when you anchor your routines with simple visuals, multisensory literacy, and fine‑motor activities that help students feel safe and successful.
That’s exactly why I created the Back‑to‑School ECSE Bundle, which includes:
The adapted book On the First Day of School
A 10‑page traceable‑word coloring book (school, lunchbox, crayons, backpack, bus, teacher, cubby, scissors, glue, pencil)
Together, these two resources create a smooth, low‑prep first week that supports communication, fine‑motor development, and routine learning — all while keeping things fun.
Below is a simple, teacher‑friendly plan for using the bundle across your first week.
⭐ Day 1: Build Comfort + Predictability
Start your week with the adapted book On the First Day of School. The repetitive language and clear visuals help students understand what’s happening in their new environment.
Use it during:
Morning meeting
Small groups
A “tour the classroom” routine
Pair the book with the school and bus coloring pages. These pages give students a calming, independent activity while reinforcing the vocabulary they just saw in the book.
Teacher tip: Model the traceable word using AAC or verbal language: “Bus. I see the bus. Let’s trace bus.”
This builds early literacy without adding pressure.
⭐ Day 2: Introduce Classroom Materials
Today is all about exploring tools and routines.
Read the adapted book again — repetition builds confidence — and pause on pages that show materials students will use.
Then offer coloring pages for:
crayons
glue
scissors
pencil
These pages double as a fine‑motor warm‑up and a gentle way to teach expectations around classroom tools.
Teacher tip: Place these pages in arrival bins so students start the day with something familiar.
⭐ Day 3: Practice Routines
Use the adapted book to highlight routines like:
Putting items in the cubby
Carrying a backpack
Sitting at the table
Then offer the cubby and backpack coloring pages as follow‑up activities.
Students love coloring things they recognize from their real environment — and it helps them connect the routine to the visual.
Teacher tip: Send home the backpack coloring page as a “first week keepsake.”
⭐ Day 4: Build Independence
By mid‑week, students are ready for more independent work.
Use the adapted book during small groups, then set up a simple fine‑motor station with:
teacher coloring page
school coloring page
lunchbox coloring page
These pages are errorless, calming, and predictable — perfect for students who need structure to feel successful.
Teacher tip: Add a visual direction card:
Color
Trace
Show your teacher
This supports independence without adding complexity.
⭐ Day 5: Celebrate the First Week
End the week with a final read‑through of On the First Day of School. Students will recognize the vocabulary, routines, and visuals — and that familiarity builds confidence.
Then let students choose any coloring page from the bundle. Choice is powerful for ECSE learners and helps them feel ownership over their first week.
Teacher tip: Create a “First Week of School” bulletin board using the coloring pages. Families LOVE seeing these displayed at pick‑up.
⭐ Why This Bundle Works So Well in ECSE
Predictable visuals reduce anxiety
Traceable words build early writing skills
Errorless coloring supports independence
Functional vocabulary helps AAC users participate
Repetition builds confidence and routine memory
Low‑prep structure keeps teachers sane during the busiest week of the year
This bundle gives you everything you need to create a simple, fun, and meaningful first week — without spending hours prepping materials.
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