Kindergarten Lesson Plan Template (with a Filled-In Example)

A kindergarten lesson plan template should be short and practical: a standard and an “I can” goal, materials, a quick hook, a brief modeled lesson, guided practice, hands-on independent practice, a check for understanding, differentiation notes and a closing. Kindergarten lessons succeed or fail on timing, movement and clear routines, so a good template makes you plan those parts, not just the content. Below you’ll find a fill-in template, a complete example for a math lesson on comparing numbers and tips for writing plans that actually work with five-year-olds.

What makes kindergarten planning different

Kindergarteners learn through talk, movement and hands-on materials. They can focus on whole-group teaching for about 10 to 15 minutes before attention drops. Transitions, such as getting materials, moving to the rug or cleaning up, take real time and need to be planned. Many students are still learning to hold a pencil, take turns and work without an adult nearby.

So a kindergarten plan should answer a few extra questions:

• What will students do with their hands and bodies during the lesson?
• When will they move?
• What exactly will they say during practice? (Sentence frames help.)
• How will materials get out and back?

The template

Copy these nine sections into your planning document. Keep each one brief; a kindergarten plan fits on one page.

Add a line for transitions and movement if your school doesn’t already have that on its template. It’s often the difference between a smooth lesson and a chaotic one.

Filled-in example: comparing numbers to 10

Subject and time: Math, 30 minutes.

Standard: Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals (Common Core K.CC.C.7). Use your state’s equivalent.

“I can” goal: I can tell which number is greater and which is less.

Materials: Number cards 1–10 (two sets), linking cubes, two puppets, a “more/less” anchor chart, partner recording sheets, crayons.

Hook (3 minutes): Two puppets argue over a snack. One has 3 crackers, the other has 7. “Who has more? How do you know?” Students turn and talk with a partner, then share.

I do (5 minutes): Build towers of 3 and 7 cubes. Stand them side by side. Think aloud: “I see the 7 tower is taller. When I count, 7 comes after 3. So 7 is greater than 3. 3 is less than 7.” Write 7 is greater than 3 on the chart with the towers drawn next to it. Repeat once with 5 and 2.

We do (5 minutes): Hold up two number cards. Students build both numbers with cubes on their rug spot, compare the towers and show a thumbs up for the greater number when you point to it. Practice three pairs. Use the sentence frame together: “___ is greater than ___.”

Movement break (1 minute): “Jump the greater number!” Show two cards; students jump that many times.

You do (12 minutes): Partners play “Number Battle.” Each flips a card, builds the number with cubes, compares and says the sentence frame. The partner with the greater number colors a box on the recording sheet. Circulate and listen for the sentence frame.

Check for understanding (during and after): While circulating, note who compares using towers only, who compares by counting and who knows without building. At the end, give each student two numbers on a card and ask them to circle the greater one.

Differentiation:

• Support: Numbers 1–5 only, with ten frames instead of cubes, or work with you at the teacher table.
• Extension: Numbers to 20, or “How many more does the smaller number need to be equal?”

Closing (2 minutes): Puppets return. Students help them solve the snack argument with a new pair. Reread the “I can” goal and students show a thumb (up, side, down) for how they feel.

Transitions: Materials in bins at each table before the lesson. Clean-up song signals the end of partner play.

A second example in brief: a phonics lesson

The same template works for literacy. Here’s a compact version for a 20-minute lesson on the short a sound.

“I can” goal: I can read words with the short a sound.

Hook: A paper bag holds a cat figure, a hat and a map. Students say each word slowly and listen for the middle sound.

I do: Write cat on the board. Point under each letter, say each sound and blend: /k/ /a/ /t/, cat. Think aloud about the middle sound.

We do: Students blend mat, sat, pan and tap with you, touching their arm for each sound.

You do: Partners build short a words with letter tiles from a picture card, read them to each other and write two on a whiteboard.

Check: Each student reads three short a words to you during partner time.

Differentiation: Fewer letters to choose from for students still learning sounds; students who are ready build four-letter words like flat and clap.

Closing: The class reads a short sentence together: “The cat sat on a mat.”

Notice that both examples keep teacher talk short and give students many chances to respond.

Writing a strong “I can” goal

The goal should name one skill, use words a five-year-old understands and be checkable by the end of the lesson. Compare:

• Too broad: “I can do math.”
• Too vague: “I can understand numbers.”
• Clear: “I can tell which number is greater.”

Read the goal at the start, refer back to it during the lesson and check it at the end. Students quickly learn that every lesson has a target.

Building in movement and talk

Five-year-olds need to move. Plan at least one short movement moment in every whole-group lesson: stand up if you hear the sound, jump the number, act out the word. Pair it with talk. “Turn and tell your partner” every few minutes keeps everyone thinking, not just the students who raise their hands. A short opening routine helps too; our morning meeting ideas include greetings that double as warm-ups for counting and letter practice.

The weekly view

Most kindergarten teachers plan in two layers. The weekly overview lists each block by day: morning meeting, phonics, read-aloud, math, centers, science or social studies, specials. Then daily plans add detail for the lessons that need it. For a centers-heavy week, our list of kindergarten math centers gives practice activities you can slot into the “you do” part of each math plan.

Keep the weekly overview on one page, so a substitute or co-teacher can see the flow at a glance.

Checking understanding in kindergarten

Formal tests aren’t needed for every lesson. Short, playful checks work better:

• Watch and note during partner play, using a class list on a clipboard.
• A one-question card at the end (“Circle the greater number”).
• A quick one-on-one check while others play.
• Thumbs up, side or down for self-assessment.

Over time, these notes add up. If you track skills across the year, a simple skills checklist by month helps you see who needs reteaching before report cards.

Common planning mistakes

• Too much whole-group time. If the “I do” part runs over 5 minutes, split it.
• No plan for materials. Passing out cubes to 22 kindergarteners without a system can eat the whole lesson.
• Worksheets as the main practice. Hands-on practice first, paper second.
• Skipping the closing. Even two minutes of wrap-up helps students remember the goal.

Plan faster

A template saves time, but writing every section for every lesson still adds up. An AI lesson plan tool can draft a kindergarten lesson from a standard and a short description, including a hook, practice activities and differentiation, and you adjust it for your class. If you also teach younger children, see our pre-K lesson plan template, built around weekly themes.

For more templates, standards alignment and planning routines across K–5, visit our full lesson planning guide.