Planning Assistant guide
Writing a strong prompt
The more you tell it about your children, the more the plan fits them. A topic alone gets a generic plan.
Include 2 or 3 of these
-
1
What they're doing
What did you see? Where? With what?
“They fill cups at the water table and pour them into bigger buckets outside.”
-
2
What they're saying
Their words, questions, and ideas.
“One child said the crow is looking for his breakfast.”
-
3
A skill you're working on
Social-emotional and social skills count. The plan will build them into the interest.
“…and we're working on taking turns.”
-
4
What you need
How long it's lasted, what you've tried, and any limits.
“For two weeks.” “We read one bird book.” “No small pieces.”
See the difference
Real Full plans from the tool, for 3-year-olds. Same tool, same settings — only the prompt changed.
Example 1: An interest
Just a topic
What the teacher typed
“Birds”
You get: general bird activities, like “What Do Birds Do?” and “Feather Sort and Count.”
Strong prompt
What the teacher typed
“For two weeks, a crow has landed on the fence outside our window every morning. The children rush to watch. One child said, ‘He's looking for his breakfast!’ Some have started flapping and cawing outside.”
You get: a plan built on their crow and their theory, like “What Did the Crow Do Today?” and a “Crow Breakfast Sorting Investigation.”
Compare the full plans
Open any part to compare the two plans side by side.
Example 2: A social skill
Skill on its own
What the teacher typed
“Taking turns”
You get: turn-taking games, like “Whose Turn Is It? Pass the Stone” and “The Turn-Taking Game Board.”
Interest + skill
What the teacher typed
“My class loves water play. They fill cups at the water table and pour them into bigger buckets outside. We are also working on taking turns, since grabbing cups from friends has been happening a lot.”
You get: turn-taking woven into the play they love, like “One Cup at a Time” at the water table and “Measuring Water Together,” plus the water learning too.
Compare the full plans
Open any part to compare the two plans side by side.
Keep it private
- Write “a child” or “some children,” not names.
- First names go only in the Small Group “Focus on certain children” box.
- Never include last names, diagnoses, or family details.
Which tab?
- Make a plan when you know the interest and want ideas.
- Check an idea when you already have an activity and want feedback based on the Guidebook.