Large group experiences, like circle time, are wonderful opportunities for preschoolers to enhance their social skills, build attention spans, and nurture a sense of community. According to Bandura (1977), children often learn by observing their peers interact and solve problems. In mixed-age classrooms, this type of gathering also allows children to practice teamwork and leadership skills. Let’s explore how you can build community using circle time activities from Experience Curriculum.
READ: Back to School: Why Creating Classroom Community is So Important
Why Children Love Circle Time
Young children look forward to large group activities, especially circle time, which provides a fun and engaging way to start each day. Circle time helps children feel grounded and secure as they gather on a rug or in a special area of the classroom. When this routine occurs in the same space every day, children develop a sense of belonging and know they are part of a group. Starting circle time with the same song signals that it’s time to gather and join in the day’s activities.
Daily Topic Discussion
Once the children have gathered, introduce the day’s topic. Circle time is an excellent chance to foster discussions where children can share their ideas, thoughts, and experiences. During these discussions, your role is to offer multiple ways for each child to participate. Some children may express themselves through words, while others might prefer movement, pictures, or other sensory means. The goal is to ensure every child feels comfortable contributing in their own way.
After discussing the topic, focus on social and emotional learning by engaging in large group games or songs. These activities help children develop empathy by encouraging them to understand that their peers may have different thoughts and feelings. This type of learning is vital as it helps children develop the ability to recognize emotions in themselves and others.
Community Challenge
Experience Curriculum includes a Community Challenge activity embedded in the daily schedule. This activity provides various community-building experiences such as fingerplays, collaborative games, or songs that incorporate each child’s name. The Community Challenge is a powerful tool for promoting teamwork, problem-solving, and coping skills. For example, the Family & Pets weekly theme from the September 2022 Experience Preschool Curriculum helped children role-play, work together, and develop their emotional intelligence.
Here’s how a Community Challenge might work: Children take turns in a role-playing activity where they work together to solve a problem, such as figuring out how to take care of a pretend pet. These group activities not only enhance social skills but also help children practice empathy and understand how others might think or feel differently in certain situations.
The Educator’s Role During Circle Time
In summary, circle time offers a foundation for building a strong classroom community, and you have a special role. Here’s how you can maximize the benefits of circle time:
- Help Each Child Feel Welcome: Circle time should be a safe, inclusive space where every child feels seen and heard.
- Allow for Multiple Forms of Participation: Recognize that children express themselves in different ways. Provide sensory and verbal and non-verbal options to help each child contribute.
- Support Social and Emotional Skills: Through games, songs, and discussions, nurture important social-emotional skills like empathy, cooperation, and patience.
- Promote Leadership and Teamwork: Give opportunities to children to practice leadership. Children learn by observing and working alongside their peers.
Circle time is more than a routine; it’s a powerful tool for building connections, nurturing empathy, and fostering a sense of community in the classroom. By guiding discussions, offering engaging group activities, and incorporating structured routines, you help children develop the social and emotional skills essential for their overall development.
