Circle Time: The Importance of Planning

If you are employed in a state that uses a registry to track professional development hours, you will be able to provide your registry ID (Stars, MOPID, Registry or other ECE ID#) after you have completed the quiz for the course. If you pass the quiz we will report your course completion to the state registry using the registry ID that you provide.

Circle time and small group time should be fun and flexible while having a routine that the children can predict and count on. There are many possible elements and it’s important to include the ones that are right for your age group. Don’t feel required to include anything that isn’t right for you and don’t be afraid to include things that may not seem traditional. Let’s explore! Course length  – 2.0 hours.

The course answers the following questions:

• Should every classroom do circle time every day?

• What elements need to be included in circle time?

• Should circle time be the same each day?

• How can I be flexible and yet keep with my routine?

• What are some ways to keep the children’s attention during circle time?

• How do I transition into circle time?

• When is the best time of day for circle time?

• Should I introduce a foreign language in circle time?

• Do I have to do weather and calendar in circle time?

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Participants will identify at least three benefits of small group time and explain how it supports children’s learning by the end of the course.

• Participants will describe and select at least four effective components of circle time and outline how they can be implemented in their own classroom setting by the end of the course.

• Participants will develop and document one revised plan for preparing and implementing circle time, incorporating at least three new strategies learned, to be completed by the end of the course.