We have a 'routine' that we follow everyday with the main staples of eating / sleeping / outdoor play - however I am another who offers large blocks of uninterpreted child led play .... my environment is set up to be rich in materials that allow children to learn through play at their own levels -which with a multi age grouping is ideal ... creative mediums / sensory, large and small blocks, music, various props for dramatic play, open ended materials, books, puzzles and so forth ... I limit the 'adult led' activity to a minimum and 'as needed' and instead just follow their lead, ask open ended questions to get them to think.

For example rather than doing worksheets for the ABC learning or flashcards or other North American traditions ... I make sure my environment is packed full of 'literacy rich materials' for them to explore on their OWN and for me to reinforce and support as this play naturally occurs ... so add old computer keyboards and joysticks to use in their block play for exploring 'office play' or 'airplane' and what not or add 'menus' to the dramatic play centre, clipboards and pencils for 'taking orders' or 'doing work' or 'being Dr' and the children go through the stages of printing/writing naturally on their own with the wee ones 'scribbling' their order and as they age and develop the connections that letters have shape and meaning they start on their own to want to 'print' proper letters through the exposure through play and reading together during the day.

Aside from the 'staples' of meal times / nap times and going outside daily ... my crew gets a lot of 'democracy' over the program where we vote on what we are doing what we are interested in learning about and so forth - I follow an emergent curriculum. However to aid in an literacy rich environment I do use the Jolly Phonics principles in the program where I purposefully add materials and things to the playroom each month to reinforce exposure to certain letters and sounds they make to 'aid' in literacy - we just do not use the 'worksheets' that come with this program because I find more hands on and natural ways to tie this in as their play unfolds.