Basic Circle Time Approach – Circle Time should begin with a Greeting Ritual  and a Relaxation Technique in either order or combined into a single activity.

A Greeting Ritual, like singing a good morning greeting song, reciting a cheer, chant, or affirmation, reciting a prayer or the Pledge of Allegiance together (see the previous blog on ‘calendar’ and flag waving) encourages that important sense of community, family, and teamwork that is SO necessary for educational safety and optimal learning.

Having a morning Relaxation Technique, be it prayer, deep breathing, stretching, yoga, passing hugs around the circle, or even mutual shoulder massages is a wonderful way to set a mood and allow children to prepare themselves for attentive listening and sharing of ideas. Sometimes faith-based programs get a little hinky about using relaxation techniques that are derived from philosophies they see as “threatening” to their own beliefs. To them I say, Relax!

And Then – Typically, after the community has settled and is paying attention, the theme or topic of discussion is presented using a Catalyst of some sort and the teacher opens up a Brainstorming session including the issuing of a Challenge, question, or project in which the children express ideas, thoughts, opinions, memories, facts, or simply words about the topic. 

The teacher accepts all expressions, asks open-ended questions, gives facts and language as needed, and writes down the children’s words to post as Word Walls. There may be a theme-related book, song, chant, poem, or movement activity presented before or after the theme is introduced, there may be puppets or real objects passed around for inspection, or any other brief activity relating to the theme and its key concepts. 

And Finally – Lastly, the teacher offers each child the opportunity to choose an area in which to begin to interact with the carefully orchestrated materials set out for them and each child makes a decision about his plan of action.

(This time of Purposeful Play is usually called Center Time. If possible, it is good to have Center Time immediately follow Circle Time, even for a brief period, because the children will be eager to move into the work right away and may lose interest in the topic if too much time passes between Circle and Center Times). 

Think of Circle Time as the pep talk or the huddle before the big game begins.

Next Blog: Circle Time 3 – The Cat, The COD, and The COW