Circle Time Ideas For Preschoolers – Looking for ways to improve your circle time to make it more fun and engaging for your preschooler or preschooler? Or you need a nice lap routine that includes songs and games to spice things up. Anyway, you are in the right place. Here you will learn the purpose of lap time, how long it should be, how to manage it, the best lap time songs and games…
Frame time is an important part of any high-quality early childhood program. Each day, you gather as a whole class in your circle time area to do activities such as reviewing your daily schedule, singing a greeting or good morning song, and reading a story.
Circle Time Ideas For Preschoolers
Many early childhood educators view circle time as a way to teach children basic academic concepts such as shapes, colors, numbers, and letters;
Circle Time Ideas
But the thinking around this practice has evolved as more research has emerged about how young children learn best and how their brains acquire new knowledge. We now know that young children retain information more quickly that is important to them and is presented in small increments that fit their attention span. Abstract concepts like a calendar don’t make much sense to children, and reporting the weather every day doesn’t provide much educational benefit.
The primary purpose of period time in today’s classrooms is to set the tone for the day. Reviewing the schedule will help your students feel safe and secure because they know what’s coming next.
All good preschool teachers know that young children have short attention spans. I think most preschool teachers would agree that it can sometimes be difficult to pay attention to children in a circle.
The reason some young children struggle to pay attention when they are around is because we are teaching them outside of the attention span. So, can you keep your kids engaged during circle time while accomplishing your goals? Yes, of course.
Preschool Learning Wall Learning Wall Preschool Focus Wall Classroom Decor Learning Board Circle Time Learning
To keep circle time short, limit children in your class to no more than 2 or 3 minutes per year. When done right, the time spent in a large group is short and focused, but it’s still very powerful.
You may also choose to briefly discuss a problem or concern you encountered with your students during this time.
If you need some fun games to play with your kids, these hidden number games are always a big hit in the early childhood classroom.
Managing your circle time effectively can be difficult, and you need to balance your circle time activities and establish a routine that will keep young children engaged. In the diagram above, notice how reading a story is followed by a passive action followed by an active action: this structure respects how a young child’s brain works.
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If we divide it by the minutes allocated for each activity, it will look like this:
The most effective circuit mode for any class includes a balance of active and passive activities. Another important factor is that for people of your age, the time spent in large group activities should not exceed 2-3 minutes per year. As toddlers mature during the school year, your time around may be longer to accommodate their growing attention spans.
Above you can see our entire group meeting space. Some teachers call this period time or calendar time, while others may use the term morning meeting. I hung this oil drip pan on the wall using command strips. We use it as an area for our whole group to meet in the morning.
Twelve bags hang above our birthday board, each labeled with a month. Each student’s name and date of birth are printed on sticks in the shape of people, and the sticks are placed in matching bags. At the beginning of each month, we grab a bag to see which birthdays are coming up soon, then mark the dates on the calendar so we don’t forget important birthdays.
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My best tip for frame time is to regularly review your daily picture schedule. While going over a schedule every day can seem boring to us adults, consistency and routine are what young children need to feel safe and secure in their environment. Having a stable and predictable routine allows children to know “what’s next”. Once your students know and feel comfortable with their routines, they will learn more.
As a teacher, you can add variety and innovation to your circle time activities to increase your student’s interest and engage them, but routines during this period should be predictable.
Our daily schedule is displayed on the oil drip pan and at the start of each shift a magnet is moved to show what we are doing. You can display these cards on a pocket chart and use clothespin to mark each activity.
Circle time is a good time to review or assign homework assignments. You can quickly and easily select and rotate your classroom assistants with this pocket library system.
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When children arrive each morning, they find their name card on the table and “sign in” by placing their card in the appropriate column on the chart. In the morning meeting, count how many students are here today and how many are absent.
There are certain things you should always do during a circle and other things you should avoid. Keys to successful circle timing include:
2. Sitting cross-legged. while it may seem necessary for your students to sit this way in your large group classes, it really isn’t. As long as students are not disrupting others and they are still participating and paying attention, it doesn’t matter how they sit. For students who find it difficult to sit in a more traditional cross-legged style, you can offer different seating options.
3. Show and tell another throwback to a bygone era that is no longer effective or necessary. While show and tell may start out with the best of intentions, it doesn’t meet the needs of today’s young children. The origins of this system go back to a time when the purpose of preschool was quite different from what it is today. Today, we have more effective means of developing oral language skills and bringing them into the classroom without undue wait time or false emphasis on consumerism.
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Research has shown that the most effective way for young children to develop oral communication skills (and the importance of turn-taking) is through conversations with peers. This tells us that a toddler’s time is best spent talking and socializing with friends in informal settings such as recess and center time.
For a more structured oral activity, you can invite students to participate in telling and retelling by acting out a favorite story.
Watch the video above or read this blog post for tips on keeping your kids focused in large group activities.
If your kids have trouble paying attention to you while you read a story, you can read my top tips here.
Rainbow Circle Time Video
When preschoolers have a predictable and consistent daily schedule and know what your expectations are for each upcoming activity, they feel safe and secure and ultimately more willing to learn.
I’ve taught both full- and half-day schedules, and I’ve included free editable templates for both types here. To have editing schedules emailed to you, fill out the form below.
Having a successful frame routine is amazing. But let’s face it, lap time is only a small part of your day. If you really want to become a better teacher, Teaching Trailblazer is the best place to discuss your teaching practice and get the support you need. We have many printable lessons and on-demand video courses to help you become the best teacher you can be. If you would like to be placed on the Teaching Trailblazers waiting list, do so now so you don’t miss the next open enrollment period.
I’m Vanessa Levine, curriculum writer, early childhood educator, consultant, publicist, and author. I help busy preschool and early childhood teachers plan effective and engaging lessons, create fun and engaging learning centers, and build confidence in the classroom. Are you planning tour time activities or want to refresh your circle time ideas? Whether you’re new to the tour or a veteran teacher looking to add more interest to your large group time, I’m here to help. I will share.
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Circle time is an important part of the preschool classroom day. It can be a little nerve-wracking, especially when you’re accepted into a new class. Believe me, these inconveniences will pass with time and a successful period