Substitute Lesson Plans for Elementary: A Full Sample Day for K–5

Good substitute lesson plans for elementary classrooms follow the same rhythm every day: morning meeting, a read-aloud, math, writing, specials, and a careful dismissal. Below is a full sample day you can copy for K–5, plus ready-to-run activities split by grade band (K–2 and 3–5), with answers for every math problem.

A quick note: Daily Bell Ringers is mainly written for grades 6–12, and that is where most of our material lives. This page is adapted for younger grades. The activities are kept simple, age-appropriate, and checked for accuracy, but always defer to the classroom teacher’s routines and the school’s rules.

Sample substitute lesson plan for an elementary day

Times vary by school. Swap in the real bell schedule, then keep the order.

Morning meeting (20 minutes)

Younger students depend on routine, so keep the meeting predictable.

1. Greeting: Students sit in a circle. Go around and each student says “Good morning” to the person on their right, using that person’s name. It helps you learn names, too.
2. Calendar: Say the day, date, month, and year together. K–2: count the days of school so far if the room has a counter.
3. Share question: One sentence each. “What is your favorite animal and why?” or “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”
4. Today’s schedule: Read the schedule from the board. Tell students plainly: “Your teacher is out today. I am Mr. or Ms. ___, and we are following your normal schedule.”

Read-aloud (25 minutes)

Use any picture book or chapter book in the classroom library. These questions work with almost any story:

• Before reading: “Look at the cover. What do you think this story will be about?”
• During reading (stop once or twice): “How do you think the character feels right now? How can you tell?”
• After reading: “What was the problem in the story? How was it solved?” and “What was your favorite part?”

K–2 students can draw their favorite part and write or dictate one sentence about it. Grades 3–5 can write three sentences: beginning, middle, and end.

Math activities by grade band

K–2: Number of the day

Write a number on the board. For kindergarten use a number up to 10; for first and second grade, use one up to 20 or 100. Students show the number in as many ways as they can. Example for 17:

• Draw it with tally marks.
• Show it on two ten-frames.
• Write it as tens and ones.
• Write the number that comes before and after.
• Write one addition fact that equals it.

K–2: Story problems

1. There are 5 birds in a tree. 3 more birds land. How many birds are in the tree now?
2. Sam has 10 crackers. He eats 4. How many crackers are left?
3. (Grade 2) A class has 14 pencils in one cup and 9 in another. How many pencils in all?

Grades 3–5: Problem of the day

1. (Grade 3) 24 students sit in 4 equal rows. How many students are in each row?
2. (Grade 3) Maria has 3 packs of 12 crayons. She gives away 9 crayons. How many does she have left?
3. (Grade 4) A rectangle is 8 centimeters long and 5 centimeters wide. What are its area and perimeter?
4. (Grade 5) What is 1/2 + 1/4?
5. (Grade 5) A book costs $4.75. How much do 4 books cost?

Students who finish early can write their own story problem for a partner to solve.

Writing block (45 minutes)

Model first. Write two or three sentences on the board in front of the class, thinking out loud, then let students write.

K–2 writing prompts

• “My favorite thing to do at recess is ___ because ___.”
• “If I had a pet dragon, I would ___.”
• Draw a picture of your family and write one sentence about it.

Kindergarten students can draw and label; accept invented spelling. Second graders should aim for three sentences with capital letters and end marks.

Grades 3–5 writing prompts

• “Write a letter to your teacher telling them about today.”
• “Should kids have homework? Give your opinion and two reasons.”
• “Write a story that begins: ‘When I opened my lunchbox, something was moving inside.'”

Ask grades 3–5 for one full paragraph: a topic sentence, at least three detail sentences, and a closing sentence.

Brain breaks between blocks

• Simon Says with stretches and jumping jacks.
• Freeze dance if there is music the teacher normally uses.
• Count and move: count to 20 together, doing a different movement every five numbers.

More ideas for this age are in our warm-up activities for primary students.

Specials, lunch, and recess

Specials (art, music, PE, library) are taught by other teachers, so your job is to get the class there and back on time. Check the schedule for the day; specials often rotate. Walk students in a quiet line, and be at the door a couple of minutes early for pickup.

At lunch, find out whether students go through the line in a set order and whether any have allergy seating. Ask a teacher next door or the office if the plan doesn’t say.

Dismissal notes: the part that matters most

Dismissal is the most important part of an elementary sub day. Follow these rules every time:

• Find the dismissal list before lunch, not at 2:15. It should say who rides which bus, who is a car rider, who walks, and who goes to after-school care.
• Never release a student to an adult who is not on the list. Send anyone with a question to the front office.
• Changes come from the office. If a student says “My mom said I’m riding a different bus today,” check with the office before changing anything.
• Count students before you leave the room and again at the dismissal spot.
• Stay until the last student is gone or handed off to the right staff member.

Exit ticket for little learners

Before pack-up, every student answers one question on a half-sheet or sticky note:

• K–2: “Draw a smiley face, a straight face, or a sad face to show how today went. Then draw one thing you learned.”
• Grades 3–5: “Write one thing you learned today and one question you still have.”

Our printable exit tickets page has blank versions you can print.

Leave a note for the teacher

Write who was absent, what you finished, what you didn’t get to, any behavior worth mentioning (good and bad), and anything a parent or the office told you. The sub plans template on our sister site has a fill-in format for the teacher’s side of the plan, and emergency sub plans for any class covers days when nothing was left at all.

FAQ

What should be in substitute lesson plans for elementary classes?

The daily schedule with times, the attendance and lunch count process, the activities for each block, specials and lunch times, students with medical needs, and a clear dismissal list showing how every student goes home.

What if the elementary teacher left no plans?

Ask the office or the teacher next door for the schedule and dismissal list first. Then use the sample day above with the K–2 or 3–5 activities that match the class.

Can these plans work for kindergarten?

Yes, with shorter blocks. Kindergartners usually need a movement break every 15 to 20 minutes, more drawing than writing, and smaller numbers in math.

Is this site for elementary teachers?

Mostly no. Daily Bell Ringers is built for grades 6–12. We adapted this page because subs are often asked to cover every grade.

More ready-to-run sub materials

If you sub in middle or high school too, our 25 ideas for substitute teachers and the free substitute teacher printables are made for those grades. Daily sets for older students post every school day on the Daily Bell Ringers home page.