Are you experiencing unwanted behaviors during circle time? Children aren’t engaging, flopping around, laying down, etc. The first thing I would say is reflect…What is the goal of your circle time? What are you wanting children to take away from circle time? Are you doing circle because that is what we have always done and we have always done it “this way”?
Think about what is developmentally appropriate for the age of the children you are working with. Toddlers generally can’t sit for more than a few minutes before they are looking for something new to discover. Preschoolers may be able to last up to 10 minutes if your circle is interesting and engaging for them. Think about changing things up; much of what you might want to accomplish in circle time could be done more effectively in small groups throughout the day.
If you must pull the group together think about this…everyone find a place and position where you are comfortable and not bothering a neighbor. Make your activities interactive, if you are reading a book involve the children, what do you think will happen next or what if the character did this instead? Incorporate yoga or brain gym into your circle time routine. These activities promote brain function and body movement and will help children to focus throughout the day. Oh yeah, it’s okay not to do circle time every day!
For support implementing this or other strategies, contact the inclusion services department at United 4 Children by calling:1-800-467-2322 or emailing: inclusionservices@united4children.org.
