First-graders are young enough that they require more careful supervision than older children. At their age, they have not fully developed their social interaction skills and this may contribute to undesirable playground behavior. Enlist the help of fellow teachers during recess. Develop a schedule so that more than one teacher can monitor the students at the same time. The more adults present during recess, the less likely you will see the occurrence of problem behaviors. Parent volunteers may also help with the supervision process.
Your first-grade students are more likely to exhibit better behavior when the expectations are clear and defined. At the start of school, discuss proper playground behavior. Create a list with your class and write down acceptable behaviors in one column and unacceptable behaviors in another. Display this in your classroom as a reminder to students throughout the year. Review as warranted, both with the class or individual students.
Despite efforts to prevent unwanted behaviors on the playground, a first-grader will exhibit these from time to time. When this happens, deal with the situation in a way that the child will learn why the behavior was inappropriate. It is important to determine why the child acted inappropriately in the first place. Talk to the child about his thoughts and go over the appropriate and inappropriate playground behavior chart you created earlier in the year. It is important to deal with any behavioral issues on the playground as they happen.
Anticipating possible problem behaviors helps prevent them. Arguments over the use of equipment may occur, so institute turn-taking rules for equipment use. A child may be picked on during recess but adequate supervision helps prevent this. Physical fights may also occur. However, establishing behavior expectations also helps to minimize this issue. Screaming is another issue on the playground; establish noise guidelines prior to allowing your first-graders on the playground.