Give the students your basic rules on the first day of school. Write some rules on the blackboard, such as raising your hand when you have a question. Children need to know you have expectations of them and classroom rules in place.
Ask for the students' input.You can split the class into groups and have each group write down rules that are important to a successful classroom environment. Then go over each group's rules together and pick the ones that you and the class agree upon.
Make a poster of the rules. Each child can work on it and add something. You can make pictures for each rule and write the rule next to it. Try to involve everyone in this process. Display it where everyone can see it.
Make copies of the rules and send them home to the parents. By involving the parents, you are reinforcing the rules further. You can even have each child ask his parents to sign the rules sheet and send it back. This will tell you that the parent reviewed the rules with her child.
Practice the rules regularly. Take some time everyday to go over rules. For instance, you can ask someone a general question like "What do I do if I need to go to the bathroom?" Make sure she understands and answers correctly. Understanding is vital to following the rules.
Give each child feedback each day. Let him know if he followed the rules by making a day to day chart for him. Give him a smiley face for good work or a frown if he needs to work on the rules harder. Write down specific things he can do to follow the rules, such as raising his hand to ask a question.
Enforce the rules. For example, if someone keeps talking while you are teaching, you have to enforce the no-talking rule. You could have her sit in the corner or outside so that all the students learn the consequences of breaking the rules.