Implement students teacher-development circle time plans

Since the opportunities for reading, discussion, and play in circle time are endless, so too is the
opportunity for children to learn and grow. How to behave appropriately in a group is a learned skill,
which prepares young children for more formal education, for other group activities, and for many
experiences in adult life. Everything from social skills to language to empathy can be gained with
practice in circle time. When planning the circle time you need to prepare for a consistent transition
into and out of circle time. Repetition of a simple song, movement, action, guessing game, activity, or
icebreaker to signal and start and end of circle time helps children learn the basics with greater ease.
Tape a circle on the floor, create a circle of carpet squares to sit on, or place names around the circle so
each child knows where to go. Length of time and group size should be appropriate. Toddlers should
only have face to 10 minutes of circle time; preschoolers can participate for 10 to 15 minutes. For best
results, the group size should not exceed 20 children. Use a variety of techniques to hang on to
childrens attention. These techniques include humor, suspense, varying the tone and volume of your
voice as you read and speak, including children in the story or an activity as much as possible, and
choosing topics that are of interest to young children. Choose a wide variety of topics, themes, books,
songs, activities, games, experiments, movement, finger plays, and props that are appropriate for the
childrens age and stage of development. Over the course of a week or month, plan to touch on each
area of development so children have the opportunity to learn new skills, practice developing skills, and
learn more about the world they live in. Be prepared with a back-up plan if a story, song, or activity is
not of interest to the children, have another in mind to save the day. Keep in mind that a circle time
never ends, just like the influence of a good teacher.