Making Circle Time Successful
Last week I had an opportunity to meet to many GREAT SLPs who work in preschool settings who asked me if I had new ideas to use for circle time. It’s since prompted an idea for another book… but I can’t start that one until the current one is out of final edits! So until then, here’s a reminder of what I’ve already published here on the website way back in 2008. It’s still relevant! Take a look….
——————————————————————————————-
Making it through circle time at preschool or daycare is often a challenge for toddlers with developmental delays. Here are hints for teachers, therapists, and parents who are looking for ways to make young children more successful during this schedule standard.
Promote Participation and Attention at Circle Time by:
1. Using developmentally-appropriate activities.
Too often I go into toddler classrooms to work with a child who is language-delayed and having difficulty participating in the circle time routine, and I cringe at what the teacher is trying to pass off as an activity interesting enough to hold the attention of 10 two-year-olds.
HINT – HINT – If 8 of the 10 children are not able to participate and pay attention, you’re doing the wrong kind of activity!
Naming flashcards, reciting the alphabet, days of the week, or months of the year, and saying the Pledge are NOT appropriate for this age group! For 4 & 5-year-olds yes (well, maybe), but 2- and 3-year-olds, forget it!
What activities are developmentally-appropriate for younger children??
- Sing simple songs with hand motions, or better yet, songs with lots of whole body activities (think Hokey-Pokey, London Bridge, If You’re Happy and You Know?It, Itsy Bitsy Spider, The Wheels on the Bus, etc…) Try to mix 1 or 2 old favorites with one newer song that’s related to your weekly/monthly theme. Sing the same songs for a week or two to build familiarity, then move on to new ones to match your theme.
- SHORT Flannel Board Stories or SHORT Stories told with Props OR
- VERY SHORT stories from books with lots of pictures related to your theme read with LOTS of enthusiasm. By short, I mean 2 minutes tops! By enthusiasm, I mean?using your voice and your facial expressions to convey the meanings of the words. This is sooooo important for children with language delays who may not understand all of the words, but can follow the plot pretty well if you’re giving them other visual and verbal cues to help them.
- Include only activities that the children obviously enjoy. If you’re losin’ ’em, lose the activity!
- Build routines into circle time such as singing the same opening or closing song so that children know what to expect.
My favorite opening circle time song for toddlers is?letting the children take turns hiding under a blanket and singing:
“Where, oh where, oh where is (child’s name)?
Where, oh where, oh where is (child’s name)?
Where, oh where, oh where is (child’s name)?
Where can (name) be?”
Then help the child uncover and everyone says, “Boo.” This has been a big hit with every class I’ve ever introduced it to from about 15 months all the way through 3 year olds. It also helps children learn their friends’ names.
2. Making? the length of circle time match your group’s attention span.
In the beginning of the year, circle time may need to only be 5 minutes long and then expand to no more than 10 minutes for 2 year olds and 15 minutes for 3 year olds. Why? Because you may lose the attention of even the best-behaved and brightest young children after this amount of time. Very compliant children may still remain seated longer than this, but if they’re not actively participating and learning during this time, why bother?
3. Scheduling circle time AFTER a gross motor activity.
So many preschools schedule circle time for the very first activity of the day. This is GREAT IF your children have been given the opportunity to run, jump, kick, catch, throw, and play rambunctiously for the first 10 or 15 minutes they have been in the classroom, but often this is not the case.
If you don’t have the luxury of planning your own schedule or the facilities to do this, then always?begin circle time with a?2 minute dance to “get the wiggles out.”Or you could have the kids”march” around the room or “hop like bunnies” to pick up and put away toys before beginning circle time.
Many teachers are afraid to do this?thinking that it will hype the kids up. Actually, it’s the opposite. After kids spend some time moving around, their little brains and bodies are more ready to attend.
I love it when circle time is after children have been outside or have had gym time. Not only have kids gotten to move around, they’ve also walked to and from the other location between activities.
4. Providing better seating arrangements for younger children.
Toddlers need to know where and how to sit for circle time. Using an arrangement that promotes visual boundaries is the best way to make sure children stay where they should, instead of wandering around the room or?invading the space of their friends.
Many programs use colored shapes taped to the floor as a guide, but often times the shapes are too small to serve as a boundary for where sprawling legs and wiggly feet should stay. I prefer carpet squares or bean bags. Toddlers with sensory processing disorders will also get a “sensory bump” from using either of these since it provides much more tactile feedback than sitting on floor.
I know storage is a problem for some facilities, but most every room has an empty corner. If you have the children retrieve them from a stack in a corner as the beginning activity for circle time and then stack them back in the corner when you’re finished, you’ve also provided a movement activity PLUS established another “routine” for your classroom. You’ve also extended circle time by at least 5-10 minutes for children with even very limited attention spans since most 2 year olds can be taught to get and return their carpet square or bean bag just by following the examples of other children.
I place minimally verbal children and highly distracted children directly across from the teacher so that they can SEE what’s going on. I also like to place less verbal children between other more verbal kids so that they hear better language “models” BEFORE it’s their turn to respond if we’re going around the circle to answer a question, and so that they can see a peer seated next to them who is (hopefully) on track.
5. Giving kids who can’t participate yet enough support to make them successful, AND a way out.
If the length of your circle time is too long for him, a child could be allowed to sit for the first song/activity of circle time, then be allowed to go to a quiet or calming spot (definitely better than time out for not participating OR disrupting the activity for the rest of the group!) You could gradually extend it so he sits thru the first 2 activities, then he can opt out. Still make the child return for the clean up part if you are putting carpets away since I know from personal experience that most all children CAN learn to do this part.
One other way to help a young child learn to sit and attend is to provide “fidget toys” so that they can get some tactile feedback while being expected to continue to sit. You can provide small squishy toys (think small koosh balls, smushy or stretchy animal toys, or even a Hot Wheels car). You may want to buy several options and put them in a special box so that once a child is sitting he can choose from the box every day.
You can gradually extend the time so that the child has to sit for a minute or two BEFORE he gets the toy in circle time, then he can sit and “fidget” through the next little portion of circle time. When he gets up, the toy has to go back in the box. This works well for kids who are tactile or visual seekers because they want to sit to get the “treat.” If you know there’s something he loves, try to find it in a little toy appropriate for holding?during this time, and I’d give it only during this time for him.
Other items that work great for me when I lead this activity are attaching ribbons to the edges of the carpet squares. I also purchase and wear cheap bracelets that I can give to a kid during circle time if he needs it, or let him “fiddle” with it while he sits in my lap.
I do think it’s okay to hold a child who needs it through circle time, either while I’m seated on the floor or even between my legs if I’m fortunate enough to get a chair! Some teachers balk at this saying it’s not fair to hold one and not all of them, but rarely will you have more than one or two who need to be held until he can do the routine (unless it’s a special needs classroom). Use the laps of other staff members too! If you have a kid who really needs the support, recruit a volunteer to be there specifically for circle time.
Another thing I have done if I have a child with behavioral issues (rather than truly sensory ones) who won’t sit is to give everyone who is sitting a treat like a Skittle (or even a sucker if I think I need a “bigger” incentive) or let everyone who is sitting have a special turn doing something I know this kid likes to do. Some teachers “stamp” kid’s?hands or give stickers for this too, but I usually see children who need more of a prize than that! I am pretty generous with this initially. I go ahead and give a child like this the prize too to get him “hooked” into doing this?even if he initially he just comes over and sits and waits?for the prize while the other kids are getting theirs. Then I might up the ante and remind him that he has to sit through the most of the closing song to get the prize, then all of the closing song, etc… (Often these are the children who get up after the opener, then they come back for the closer.)
——————————————————————————-
You really can use these activities to “shape” behaviors for circle time, but gradually over several days, weeks, or even months, depending on how well you pick your reinforcers, how entrenched the child’s behavior is, OR how his little sensory system is affected. It will likely not happen in a week unless your issues are pretty mild, but it can happen over time for most children.
Be sure to leave a comment if you have other great circle time ideas to share! Laura
Sign Up for your
Free Book
Subscribe
Subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes
Browse Products
Featured Product
Recent Posts
Teach Me To Talk Testimonials
Happy Therapists, Teachers, Parents & Children
"Hello Miss Laura,
First, I would like to thank you for all you do for us moms who are lacking support in the autism community, and thank you for providing tons of information and resources to help our bright children. I myself benefited so much from watching your videos and reading your daily emails. I cannot stress enough how much all this information helped my toddler. Of course, getting an autism diagnosis for your child is extremely scary (she was diagnosed at 2 years old) and I was depressed and did not know what autism was, how it affected children, and how to teach children struggling with this condition. However, your videos helped me to find light in my child and now I am your biggest fan! I rewatch your videos over and over again to make sure I didn't miss anything that can help my daughter. I even purchase two books- Autism workbook and Teach me to Play. My toddler was completely non-verbal, she didn't know how to imitate, no eye contact, no pointing.. you name it she didn't have any skills and I didn't know how to teach her! And that is until I discover ed You- my toddlers (Fairy: smiling_face_with_3_hearts:)!
Now she is little sweet 2.5 years old and she says "mama" (I cried when she said that magic word), she waves bye bye or hi, she points, she gives "high 5", her joint attention is great and overall she is doing so much better! And that's all because I have been doing everything you described in your books and videos! I. My mind I always play "repetition, repetition and repetition", teaching her everything through play that she so much enjoys!!! I can write forever explaining how much I taught her through yr videos and books! And the most amazing thing is that her speech therapist is a big fan of yours as well so it worked out perfectly since we understand each other and work based on your teachings! The therapist even owns the same books I own ...I am so grateful that my toddler has such an amazing therapist; especially the one that understands autism and is ready for a real challenge! God bless you for all you do and I cannot wait for my toddler blossom.. you gave me hope and lit the light inside me. And I'm determined to work with my girl :)"
"Dear Laura Mize and Team,
Thank you so much for all your hard work and publishing books! Our 17-month-old toddler suddenly exploded into speaking and imitating everybody's gestures and sounds, just a week or two after we 'completed' all activities that are listed under 11 pre-linguistic skills! Your method really works!"
Grateful customer.
"Hi Laura!
I absolutely LOVE all of your workbooks, especially your Autism Workbook. Starting with Social Games has been a game changer for many of my littles with ASD and their families. It's been the best way for them to finally connect and sustain shared attention and engagement, leading to longer social interactions, through play!"
Jodie, Dev, Therapist
"Hi Ms. Laura,
Thank you so much for the videos you have posted on your youtube channel. They are so direct, informative, and helpful. Thank you for being a resource for me to become a better therapist."
Dianne
"Hi Laura - I just wanted to say I received my copies of the Apraxia workbooks yesterday and I LOVED workbook 1 (not ready for 2). I'm on chapter 8 and going through the questions carefully so I'm prepared to help my son. I knew it was a great book when you acknowledged the fact that sometimes therapists and doctors don't bring a positive and supportive vibe when diagnosing. I remember being terrified at the mention of apraxia and ASD by both because they had these very concerned looks and made it seem like it was a death sentence. I know now (in LARGE PART, THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR VIDEOS) that it doesn't have to be!! I see a future for him now. You SINGLE-HANDEDLY, through your books and videos have empowered me to help my son after the doctors and therapists have gone home. You've given me strategies, play ideas, plans on how to keep moving forward. I don't always do things right, but I know I'm on the right track and I love that I can reference, and re-reference your books to help me keep going. As I was reading the book, I was so proud of myself because I've used strategies from your previous books and it felt good because I could check off a lot of the skills that you discuss. So, thank you for all your previous books as well!!"
"Gosh, I love all of your emails/podcast/website, just everything!! I work in early intervention as a behavior analyst and am learning so much from you!"
Thank you!
Hailey
"Laura,
I love your work! I am a professor of early childhood special education and a speech language pathologist! I have worked to help children learn to communicate and I know how valuable the information you share is for both early interventionists and pediatric speech language pathologists!
Thank you for systematically organizing and explaining essential steps for young children to learn and develop. You are having a great impact on our profession, the ECE profession and families!"
Sincerely,
David
"Thank you.
If this is Laura herself reading this email let me take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have put forth for us professionals. I own every manual (except the autism manual) and have watched every course on DVD. I have listened to countless podcasts. All of what I’ve come to be as an Early Intervention speech therapist was absolutely to your credit. With your resources at my side I have never needed to scramble for answers and strategies and above all the clear language I use when communicating with parents. My fun, animated affect and key phrases I use have been learned through watching your example. So….thank you! May you be blessed."
Chaya
"I just wanted to thank you so much for your incredible help! You are so kind and lovely and every time I implement something you've taught in your manuals or videos it is always a success, I cannot thank you enough. I really appreciate how specific you are in giving us examples of wording to use and how to use a toy in therapy with your videos, it is exactly what I need to properly help my little students. I also really appreciate your list of books of list of toys. I have seen my little students make significant progress thanks to you. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos, taking more of your CEU's, and reading more of your materials. From the bottom of my heart: thank you so much again!!"
Lauren
"Dear Laura,
What an inspiration!
Thank you for helping me be a better Developmental Therapist. I often listen to your podcasts which help me help families.
Your enthusiasm, professionalism and
the sheer volume of information is so great.
You are part of my team.
I just wanted you to know I appreciate you."
Margaret
"Dear Laura,
Thank you for your generosity in sharing so much knowledge in such a clear and enthusiastic way.
As a retired audiologist with a fabulous and language delayed grandson, I used your podcasts and outstanding publication, The Autism Workbook, to inspire and guide me over the past year.
It works!! He went from barely verbal, no gestures, didn't respond to his name etc etc to a verbal, social, curious, ready to imitate anything, fill in the blanks on familiar "set" speech, generate his own totally appropriate and mostly understandable sentences...not just short phrases anymore... full little paragraphs...about imaginary things, what he did during the day, what he wants. True communication!
You make a powerful difference in this world! ❤"
"Laura Mize, you are a Godsend. I don’t know how one human can have so many helpful things to say in a beautifully organized way, so often. Always amazes me when another super helpful email comes from you, and for free. With free YouTube videos and cheap CEUs. THANK YOU!!!"
Sheila, Canada
"I purchased the book on autism and have watched the #400s series podcasts. Laura Mize has been more effective in teaching autistic tendencies, than many professors, shadowing professions, and the 100s of books, articles and classes or videos, or live workshop speakers, have been at teaching effective practices for a child with ASD. Some of the many lessons she has taught, which I will now use, to be a more effective Interventionist, include but are not limited to: red flags, typical behaviors, self-stimulating behaviors, not taking away toys, rather showing child to play with toy appropriately. She gives examples of child's actions, "inappropriate," explains the reason for: why the child is engaging in these behaviors and how they can be replaced with more appropriate, effective fuctional and age-appropriate skills."
"I’m sure Laura gets these messages all the time, but I thought I’d share. I stumbled across Laura‘s "Autism or Speech Delay?" YouTube video when I really needed it. This video finally listed and explained some of the red flags my son was showing for autism. I share the link anytime a parent is questioning in my FB autism group. This mother I don’t even know said Laura's video changed her life. I know exactly how she feels because It changed families too. Thank you to everyone at Teach Me To Talk."
LINDSAY
"Good Morning Laura,
I received your book (The Autism Workbook) yesterday and it is absolutely amazing! As I evaluate young children (0-3) for developmental delays and write plans for them with their parents, there are a ton of ideas that are ready to use. Others that reinforce what I have been doing, and saying, all along. Thank you so, so much for writing this incredible book and pulling everything together in one place!"
FRANCINE IN MICHIGAN
"Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge, experience, and guidance.
I’m a parent who bought the autism workbook and it’s the only clear resource I found to make a change in my son. I’m really thankful to Ms. Laura for helping out people like us all over the world."
"Laura Mize, all I have to say is that ALL YOUR STRATEGIES WORK."
ANNE, YouTube viewer
"We have 7 SLPs in our preschool (public) program for special needs children (ages 3-5) and we use your courses, books, and techniques every day! :-) We have seen our preschoolers make such great gains!"
"I just received Teach Me to Play With You, and it is ALREADY WORKING! WOW!
Girl…my son is 3 years old, and he NEVER asks for something using words. We were playing “Get Your Belly” (from Teach Me to Play WITH You), and after several times, he laughed and screamed "BEWIEEE!!!" It was a hoot. And I can't believe he said it! I have played with him like this before, but this time I took your advice and acted CRAZY!! I will act like a total lunatic if it will get him to talk to me! Now I can give him "the look" from across the room, and he will say it. That manual is so amazingly practical, and it is a GODSEND right now! Thank you SO MUCH!”
"I wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you. I started watching your videos/podcasts about 4 months ago. My son has gone from losing words he previously used, only having about 7 words at his 2 year check up in August (assessed at a blended 10 month language level) -- to now having so many words, increased social engagement, following commands, spontaneously requesting things, and naming letters & numbers (not in order) as well as colors. We had our monthly meeting with our SLP through the state infants & toddlers program and it felt like we were just bragging the whole time, but I knew in the back of my head it was because I have been using strategies you taught me.
We still have so much work to do with our sweet boy, but I know in my heart he would not have succeeded without the education you provided. I will continue to read your emails & watch videos as we go along this journey and face challenges, but credit is due to you, Laura.
Thank you so much, endlessly."
KATIE
"I just want to tell how fortunate I feel to have found your website and you!! I became a special instructor in EI almost a year ago and I started with hardly any applicable training. I felt so lost and confused as how to help the kids I work with learn how to use words and play. Honestly, I didn't even understand the importance of play, although I always played with my kids. But, once I started to watch your podcasts and get some of your manuals I felt a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and that I could finally teach these kids and their families something of value from a real therapist and based on research!. Thank you so much for seeing the need to help other EI service providers and providing a forum to share your knowledge and years of valuable experience. I'm sure you get a lot of these emails every week if not every day, but I wanted to make I could add to those notes of gratitude!! THANK YOU again!!"
SS
"Just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for these emails and your books, I have them all and they have seriously saved and improved my sessions with my kiddos. Huge thank you."
REBECCA
"I was very frustrated with how speech therapy was going for my child. I would take him and drop him off and not hear much of anything from his therapist and teachers other than, "He had a good (or a bad!) day." Your materials were invaluable for us because I learned how to work with him on his speech. I learned how to teach him to talk and play. I learned how to pay attention to his cues and work with him to teach him to communicate. Without it, I have no doubt he still wouldn’t talk."
BRITNEY
"Hi! I just wanted to say (from an SLT perspective) how incredibly useful I am finding absolutely all of your articles, blogs and resources - I only discovered your site last month and have just received all your books which I feel I am learning more than on my entire university training course!! But also the way in which you give specific, realistic, fun, encouraging ideas for working with parents is really just fantastic, I only wish I have your site sooner! Thanks so much from the UK! Kind regards."
HANNAH
"I just wanted to reach out to say thank you for making things a little easier to manage for me this year. I made the transition from school SLP to private therapist about a year ago. While the change was welcome, it was a lot, and I was just getting my footing in the clinic when I began teletherapy full time. Your website has been a huge lifeline in helping me work with late talkers and coach their parents in an accessible but effective way, even remotely. I look forward to getting your emails each week. I am floored by the amount of valuable, free information that your website provides, and I’m looking forward to investing in your workbooks soon. A sincere thank you for all you do!"
ALLISON
"You are an inspiration! I am truly grateful for the way you put into words and writing how to do what we do as SLPs. At this time in my 13 years of practicing, I find your encouragement keeps me going. As a single mom, I find it a stretch to buy materials these days and I am so thankful for the freebies you so generously share that help me teach my families. I don’t have much time to put together lists or quick references for parents!! Much gratitude!!"
ANDREA
Laura thank you so much. Btw, you have transformed my therapy- I have become such a competent and strong therapist after watching probably like 350 of your videos and podcasts over the past few years. And I am a seasoned therapist with almost 25 years experience. (Yes prob 350 episodes ha!) But there was still a lot I learned from you. I have such a thorough understanding of birth to 3 development and how to properly incorporate appropriate therapeutic goals, techniques and strategies now, thanks to you. Kelly
Hi Laura,I want to thank you so much for the resources you provide, my daughter has delayed speech and though she qualifies for CDS. Honestly the most progress she has made in her speech/language development has been after I implemented your 5 top strategies for delayed talkers! She is now almost 2.5 and her vocabulary is well over 75 (I haven’t counted recently, could be over 100) words when at 2 she barely had four words. Honestly the last few months have been a transformation for her.
Ann
