We get tons of energy out before we start! This is the first group that doesn't get circle time first thing in the morning like all my others did, looking back I sooooo wish I had always done this schedule.
8:30-9:30=outdoor play and a long walk
9:30-10:00=Bathroom break, snacktime
10:00-12:00=Preschool time
We start with a story, then we color, then sing some songs. After that its calendar, weather and number of the day! Then we go into what we are learning and do crafts and such. They are loving it this way! Also, we are not rushed to get anything done, we have two straight hours to do our thing! Next and relaxing.
What time are you trying to do circle time? I do it in morning. You may have to tweak your time. Morning or maybe after your morning snack if you do one? Do it when they are not sleepy or hungry. All the classes I have taken say do not force a child to sit at circle time. I do expect my kids to sit and sit quietly with their hands to themselves. When they turn 2 they can certainly do that and some before that age. My crew loves circle time! I make it fun and interesting and I always teach them something new there. Good luck!!
8:30 to 8:45. I have to keep it short and sweet or I lose them.
1. circle time
2. color/writing... you know the not so fun drawing sheets.
These are their choices.
Normally I will have 3 that want to color and 2 that want circle time. Then as soon as circle time starts, they all run to the carpet to join in. If they start to cause problems in circle time, I will make them go back to the color table.
If its more than two kids that are resisting, then I throw in the towel and we go to the park....
I've done this in the past as well. I should go back to it! It really works
It's tough to do exact routine of the program at all times. I don't. I follow the kids' lead. I keep the basic routine the same (drop off, free play, breakfast, bathrooms/diapers, etc.), but the pre-k/curr/circle time??? Just depends on who is here and what their moods are. A lot of times I just sit on the floor and play with them. We come up with ideas based on what they are playing and sometimes extend that into something more. Sometimes, we just read or cuddle, and sometimes we just laugh. Seems to lighten up the moods a bit
I had some crabbys at circle time yesterday. So, all the sudden, the words to Wheels on the Bus got all messed up. Horn on the bus goes swish swish swish, babies on the bus go beep beep beep, wipers on the bus go round and round.... That got their attention! NO THATS WRONG they're shouting and laughing. So then we had to do itsy bitsy spider all wrong. Tension breaker! Funny!!! Sometimes I sit a Little on my lap and use my baby voice to have the Little "lead" circle time. This is always a hoot. When I get crabby kids, all the sudden I get super over-the-top goofy, works EVERY time.
My kiddos, for the most part look forward to circle time.
We don't do calendar or anything, just songs, games and stories...and chatting.
If they are really engaged in playing I'll often skip it....or hold off until a different time of day.
Recently it's been after clean up and before lunch.
Plenty of times, they ask, "when is circle time" when I didn't feel like doing it, ...so I gotta drag my lazy, combative self to the rug...but end up having fun.
I let the babies roam if the want to but typically they sit with us at least part of it, they love the fingerplays.
I do the same but it's my book area instead of coloring. I like the coloring idea though.
I used to do the book area, until one of the boys decided it would be fun to rip the pages out..... Tried the board book just to see them getting destroyed too.
Now they break crayons..., but thats all they get. its their private crayon stash/pencil box and if they break their own things, they wont get new ones..
I don't have any more crayon breakers right now...I think they are all already broken...
1. circle time
2. color/writing... you know the not so fun drawing sheets.
These are their choices.
Normally I will have 3 that want to color and 2 that want circle time. Then as soon as circle time starts, they all run to the carpet to join in. If they start to cause problems in circle time, I will make them go back to the color table.
If its more than two kids that are resisting, then I throw in the towel and we go to the park....
I do the same but it's my book area instead of coloring. I like the coloring idea though.
1. circle time
2. color/writing... you know the not so fun drawing sheets.
These are their choices.
Normally I will have 3 that want to color and 2 that want circle time. Then as soon as circle time starts, they all run to the carpet to join in. If they start to cause problems in circle time, I will make them go back to the color table.
If its more than two kids that are resisting, then I throw in the towel and we go to the park....
I haven't done circle time in years & years....like it only lasted a few weeks when I had kids all 2.5-5yo briefly. LOL
We do our learning moments as they happen. Today we practiced putting on our gloves, hats and boots without help. It was really only because I just got the bin of winter stuff down from the attic and the kids decided to go through it all "to get ready for winter". So then we talked about what kind of things are unique to winter (snow, ice, sledding, snowpants). Things you don't really want in winter (rain, ice cream, swimming in the lake). How to get ready for the winter (clean up the garden, get the baby pool out of the backyard, wash windows). The kids then went "sledding" in the bin that used to have all the winter stuff in it. One kid started singing Away in the Manger with some of the words mixed up, I jsut couldnt bring myself to correct him. (...The little Lord Jesus lay down his big head...")
Right before snack we did some coloring and talked about day/month/year, and then one girl told me that sometime her mom doesn't like her. "Really?", I say. "Yeah, especially when I get into her stuff"...So then we had a talk about you can still like/love someone even though a person is angry. Everyone gets angry, but you still care about that person. Just like Jesus loves us when we are not having a good day, so do our parents.
That was just in the first half of the morning. I'm ready for a nap!
when everyone is super crabby and combative?! I have attempted circle time this week each day, and each day had to quit because most of the kids are just far too crabby to participate. Ugh. I want to feel like I am teaching them something, but it's hard to teach someone who is so miserable!
I haven't done circle time in years & years....like it only lasted a few weeks when I had kids all 2.5-5yo briefly. LOL
We do our learning moments as they happen. Today we practiced putting on our gloves, hats and boots without help. It was really only because I just got the bin of winter stuff down from the attic and the kids decided to go through it all "to get ready for winter". So then we talked about what kind of things are unique to winter (snow, ice, sledding, snowpants). Things you don't really want in winter (rain, ice cream, swimming in the lake). How to get ready for the winter (clean up the garden, get the baby pool out of the backyard, wash windows). The kids then went "sledding" in the bin that used to have all the winter stuff in it. One kid started singing Away in the Manger with some of the words mixed up, I jsut couldnt bring myself to correct him. (...The little Lord Jesus lay down his big head...")
Right before snack we did some coloring and talked about day/month/year, and then one girl told me that sometime her mom doesn't like her. "Really?", I say. "Yeah, especially when I get into her stuff"...So then we had a talk about you can still like/love someone even though a person is angry. Everyone gets angry, but you still care about that person. Just like Jesus loves us when we are not having a good day, so do our parents.
That was just in the first half of the morning. I'm ready for a nap!
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