If your circle times are chaotic and loud, and you find yourself drained and giving up, this post contains 4 tips from Jocelyn Manzanarez, owner of Musically Minded, on how to engage preschoolers at circle time!
Circle time is that all important part of your preschool day where you teach all the fundamentals like letters, numbers, colors, and shapes. But it can be so hard!
While there are trainings that teach you how to teach circle time, these 4 tips will teach you the reasons why circle time requires some thought and a plan, why music and movement are vital to a successful circle time, one extremely important skill that is taught through circle time that may not even be on your lesson plan, and what the most important time of circle time is.
It Begins With The First Hours Of The Day
So, if circle time is such an important part of the preschool experience, how can you be sure that it gets the energy it deserves? Believe it or not, it happens long before you ever get to the circle. It begins with the first hours of your day.
Think about it: you oversleep, can’t find your keys, skip breakfast, and get a speeding ticket on your way to work. What will your attitude be when it comes time to gather the children for circle time? The last thing you’ll want to do is be fun and engaging. But contrast that with a morning when you get out of bed with plenty of time to shower, do your hair and makeup, eat a decent breakfast, and arrive at school early with a smile on your face.
The energy and excitement that you bring to circle time will be reflected by the children. Your attitude is what will set the foundation for how things will go that day so create a morning routine that works for you and allows you time to be well prepared and ready to exude the warmth and happiness the children need from you. If you want to engage preschoolers at circle time it starts when you first open your eyes for the day.
Planning Versus Flexibility
But you are working with children, so how prepared can you be? All it takes is for one child to ask why their goldfish died that morning to set a very different tone for how circle time will go that day. You need a plan. You need to have a big picture of how you want your circle time to look on most days, but you must also be flexible. If you need to change course, then do so, just know that there are subjects more important than reading, writing, and arithmetic.
Those All Important Social Emotional Skills
Social emotional skills are critical to young children. Social emotional skills are relationship skills, the ability to share, communicate, and control one’s emotions. The ability to talk about what they are feeling. The kinds of skills that are developed in a discussion about Johnny’s dead goldfish.
One incredibly important aspect of preschool circle time is the sense of belonging. Jocelyn states, “One of the components of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs… is loving and belonging. That’s a need that comes way before those cognitive skills. We need to make sure to tap into saying hello to every child, making an opportunity to connect eye to eye with them, letting them know they belong here.” So, when your carefully laid plans take a different turn, keep this ultimate goal in mind.
Why Can’t They Just Sit Still?
Goals and plans and big pictures all sound grand, but one thing you can’t help but remember is that you are working with children. And very young children at that. How do you keep preschoolers engaged for an entire circle time session?
Remember the importance of movement. As Jocelyn says, “Always give them something to do!” Fingerplays, dancing, interactive stories, something that requires their participation, and preferably more than just answering questions. “Brains cannot stay focused that long without some sort of movement. Alternate between sitting and moving and switch about every three minutes,” she adds.
With some planning, flexibility, patience, and a good attitude you, too, can engage preschoolers at circle time!
