It feels
good to be back to school: familiar
routines, new little friends AND the joy of introducing them to my musical
world! I’m Miss Carole of Macaroni Soup –Active Music for Active Learners!
The start of
a new school year is exciting for some children, scary for others. It takes all our best teaching techniques,
patience and empathy to get everyone moving forward positively. Moving – that’s the operative word for
this month’s blog!
Stamp your feet!
Music &
Movement can be the perfect distraction for children to forget their worries
and join in. Or not – some may watch at
first. It’s been my experience that if I
wait, give them an encouraging nod and smile, wait some more – they DO get the
confidence to get up and move.
I start with
a Welcome/Hello song. Then do a zipper
song with sitting movements (“Sticky Bubble Gum” is always a big hit!) Then – LET’S GET DANCING!
Jump up high!
Here’s one
of my favorites:“Everybody Clap Your Hands!”I learned it from the legendry Ella Jenkins. She doesn’t claim to have written it – “It’s
just an old, old song,” she told me. But
it’s transformative – no child can resist it!
There’s nothing really to teach – just follow the instructions built
into the song.
NOTE:
Be sure you do the song, too!
Model participatory behavior.
Hear the song clip HERE. It's track #4.
LYRICS: Everybody clap your hands
Everybody clap your hand
Everybody, come on and clap your hands!
Turn real slow!
V.2
Stamp your feet!
V.3
Jump up high!
V.4
Turn real slow.
V.5
Wiggle around!
V.6 Clap and stamp! (2 things at the same time!)
V.7 Clap, stamp & turn (3 things!)
V.8 Sing – with your tongue sticking out (4 things!):
"Everybody sing along!"
Sing...with your tongue sticking out like this!
Put your tongue back in!
Yup – it gets really silly at the end
with tongues wagging as you sing, clap, stamp and turn around! That’s the fun of it – and school should be
FUN!
NOTE: Take a second to have everyone put their
tongues back in – tap your fingers to your lips. It’ll make everyone smile!
Need a Welcome/Hello song? More starter movement songs?
And finally – I am sorry to have been
absent from PreK and K Sharing for so many months. The surgical repair of my hip’s labrum meant
changing priorities in order to meet classroom, concert and professional
development commitments. But I’m back –
almost 100%! Please contact me if you’d
like me to come to your school, library, church or conference. I’m in Chicago, but I travel all over the
world to bring developmentally appropriate music & movement to those who
work with young children!
A few months ago, I shared information about challenging preschool behavior and how we, as teachers can approach it. But what about every day preschool behaviors?
They feel pretty challenging even if they ARE developmentally appropriate, for sure!
And we need to remember that it is our role, as the adult in the room, to help guide our children through the situations they face in the classroom each day--no prevent it or punish for it.
Sure, we certainly should know what triggers children to react negatively and do our best to provide an environment that does not create negative behavior.
We can provide multiples of popular toys and materials. We can provide a space in the classroom to build that super high block structure that is not in the middle of the room and, therefore, in the major path of traffic. There are many other areas we can observe, assess and do.
Today, though, I want to make a suggestion about something you should STOP doing.
Stop using words like "Take Turns" or "We share the toys in school" and start showing them what that actually means!
We tend to think they know what it means to share or take turns, mostly because we or their parents have said it day in and day out!
But really, have we ever taken the time to really explain and show what those words mean? Have we taken the time to think about what those words mean versus how we apply them to children?
What we sometimes have shown them is that sharing means relinquishing what they have to another child and that a person's turn is over when an adult says so, not because a person is done using an item.
I mean, let's face it, if you have 12 cars in front of you, you can share with me. If you have 1 car in front of you, short of cutting it in half, you can't share it!
And, if you have the one car I want to use, we can take turns.
However, what does that mean? Usually the teacher sets a timer for 5 minutes and tells you that when the timer goes off, it's my turn.
But what if you are having that car go up that crazy, awesome block ramp you just built and it has to drive through the (imaginary) snow and mud to get to the top. Now....you must decide......will it go down the ramp or will it use it's transformer wings to fly out of the snowstorm?
Right when you are decided the fate of this car, the timer goes off and you are told that it's MY turn to use it. BUT--YOU WEREN'T DONE USING IT YET!
I used the timer method for a long time until I realized that it's not up to me to decide when or how long a child's turn is. It is up to the person using the item!
Real life comparison:
Let's say another adult in your home is using the one laptop in the house. They are sending an email or writing a paper. If you ask them if you can use the laptop (aka: have a turn) when they are done, what happens?
Most likely they respond with "Sure!", they finish their email or paper and let you know when they are done, right?
Would you ever set a timer for 5 minutes and, when the timer goes off, go over to that person, take the laptop out of their hands and say "Timer went off--my turn."?
Of course not!! The person who is using the laptop knows when they are done.
It should be the same for children.
You: Playing happily with potential flying car in the block area.
Me: I want to use that car.
You: But I'm using it right now.
Me: But you've had it for a gazillion minutes. MISS TEACHER! She won't let me use the car!!!!
Teacher: You need to share (or you need to take turns)!
You: Well, it's my turn right now!
Me: But I want a turn!!
Teacher: We'll set the timer for 5 minutes and then it will be Cheryl's turn.
This is the typical approach.
Instead, it is my belief that we need to let the child decide when their turn is over. It might be in 5 minutes, it might be at clean up time. If that happens, you can always put a note on the toy or item that says "Cheryl's turn is tomorrow" and let me use it first tomorrow.
We need to approach every challenge as an opportunity to teach problem solving skills, including what sharing really means. And what taking turns really means.
Children can not learn to negotiate problems if they are not allowed to have them.
Some Resources To Provide Tips and Techniques
I have an article on the website about Behavior Guidance for other behavioral challenges we see day to day in the classroom. It helps go over 4 steps to take to help decide HOW to approach different behaviors.
And if you missed my previous article on Challenging Preschool Behaviors, you will find that here.
About the author
Cheryl Hatch has taught and directed preschool programs for over 20 years. She is the Creator and Owner of Preschool Plan It, a website dedicated to sharing preschool themes, activities, articles and training with early childhood educators. She volunteers as the coordinator and teacher of the MOPPETS program in her town (a preschool program for the M.O.P.S.--Mothers of Preschoolers Program). She has her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education. Cheryl has been an active, integral member and leader within the Teachers.Net Early Childhood community for many years, moderating live chats and providing peer support on the Preschool Teachers Chatboard. You can read Cheryl’s articles, activities and themed preschool lesson plans at www.preschool-plan-it.com
Circle Time is one of my favorite times of the morning.
I love hearing about the children’s
adventures since we last saw each other (even if that was just yesterday!).
I love sharing new ideas and new materials.
Sometimes I even have my blood pressure checked by a resident doctor! It’s an exciting time in preschool!
However,
it was not always like that!
Circle Time
used to be the bain of MY existence.
Figuring out how to get 16-24 children to focus on what I was saying was
akin to herding kittens!
Circle Time is a
common part of the preschool day and a traditional time spot in most preschool
schedules. It is meant to be a time of
coming together as a group, or preschool family if you will, where learning and
bonding happen.
Unfortunately, with the pressures of trying to “get it
all in” before kindergarten, many preschool programs have “morphed” preschool circle
time into a version of the Kindergarten Morning Meeting with one ingredient
missing: Kindergarteners!
In efforts to properly prepare preschoolers for
Kindergarten, the expectations of preschoolers has been adapted to kindergarten
expectations, but preschoolers are still preschoolers—not kindergarteners.
Unfortunately, for
children it can be a time filled with boredom and frustration leading to
disruptive behavior.
This results in more frustration (for all involved) as they are corrected for sitting in the wrong spot, not
looking where they should or not remembering and/or recalling what was just
taught or discussed.
For teachers, it
can be a frustrating and seemingly futile undertaking as stories are endlessly
interrupted, multiple potty breaks are needed and, it seems, most of the time
is spent redirecting children’s focus or rearranging carpet mats or squares.
Many early childhood teachers are instructed in college about
all the wonderful opportunities we have to prepare children for Kindergarten
through our preschool Circle Time.
They are taught to take advantage of this
window of opportunity each day where we have the children’s undivided attention
as a group and use this time to teach the concepts they’ll need to know such
as:
Calendar (including ordinal counting,
“yesterday/today/tomorrow”, days of the week and months of the year)
Weather (including dressing the weather bear and therefore learning about
seasons and dressing properly for each)
Letter recognition (letter of the week)
Number recognition (number of the week)
Shape & Color recognition (yup-with shape and/or color of the week)
Attention span/focus through reading a story
What they don’t teach is what to do when preschoolers act
like….I don’t know…….preschoolers.
Many early childhood college classes focus so much on
“preparing our children for kindergarten” that we begin treating them like
kindergarteners and imposing kindergarten level expectations on their preschool
levels of understanding and ability.
My mantra has become loud and clear:
We all need to remember that preparing preschoolers for Kindergarten involves giving them meaningful experiences withe time to explore, question and interact with the
tools, materials and environment they are in now. And that includes Circle Time!
Yes, they will have Morning Meeting in Kindergarten where
they will be expected to sit in a large group and:
Respect their own space and that of others
Not poke the friend next to them
Listen to a 15 minute story
Focus on the person talking
Participate in Calendar, weather, and learning letters, spelling, numbers,
addition and more.
This does not mean placing the expectations of mastering these skills on them now. These areas take time to develop.
In many preschool
classrooms I have observed this type of Circle Time happening and it lasts 30-40 minutes!
That is not learning.That is
conforming. And frustrating. And ineffective. And, yes, it is like herding kittens.
Let's face it, we are spending most of that time trying to control their focus--which was
lost about 18 minutes ago!
Having effective and successful Circle Times happen by planning the activities that will be presentied in the same way as any other Interest Learning
Center activity in the classroom is planned:
Intentionally and with the abilities of the individual children in the classroom in mind.
Let's consider Tanagrams for a moment.
The first time we introduce them, it might be at the Math or the Manipulatives/Game Center (or even at Circle Time).
We don’t expect the children to begin
creating patterns & shapes and understand parts and wholes immediately after removing the tanagrams from the box.
We give the children time to explore the materials in ways that make
sense to them: touching, stacking, sorting, spreading them across the table, etc.
Once they have more experience with
them, we introduce the pattern or shape cards.
It’s the same with Circle Time. We should not start preschool with the expectation
that they have the skills and experience to meet the end goals as listed above
(focusing on a 15 minutes story, taking turns speaking, etc.). We need to give them visual reminders, time, and hands-on ways to learn these
things and continually do this throughout the year.
For Storytime we can find ways to make the story intereactive. We can provide story related props for the children to use and hold during the story, flannel pieces to add to the flannel board throughout the story or opportunities to act out the story as we read it.
To teach children how to focus on the person talking and take turns talking, we can provide a visual reminder such as a Conversation Rules Poster (click here for a free download of the poster)
We can also plan activities where they can practice this in shorter time periods rather than expecting the group to sit through loooonnnnng coversations and stay focused! For example, ask a question (such as their favorite color, favorite character from the story you just read, etc.) and then roll a ball to one child to answer the question. That child then rolls the ball to another child and he/she answers the questions.
When a child starts telling you their favorite color or character, now is when we can remind them about taking turns: "Cheryl, it sounds like you want a turn answering the question! Right now Billy has the ball so it is his turn. One moment, your turn is coming!"
Getting Back to Circle Time!
Let’s get back to what preschool Circle Time was meant to
be: A time to share experiences.
A time to connect and bond as a group and as a classroom community.
Here are the Top 6 Do's for Circle Time:
1.Time:Do
not make group time longer than preschoolers can handle!
2.Balance:Provide a balance of active and passive activities throughout group
time.
3. Flexibility: Ditch the activity when you see you
are “losing” them.
4. Intentionality: Treat Circle Time as an Interest
Learning Center!Know your goals for
group time each day.Plan for it as you
would any other area of your weekly planning with hands-on, developmentally
appropriate activities and expectations.
5. Preparedness: Have a plan! Be prepared!Many times I see teachers gathering the
supplies or book or items they’ll need for Circle Time after they’ve gathered
the children.Having them sit there for
5 minutes while you get ready……well, you’ve already lost them.
6. BE:Show
up for Circle Time!Be sure YOUR mind is
focused on the children and not on the next activity, or tonight’s staff
meeting, or chatting with a co-worker about the weekend plans.The children will know if you want to be
there…..and if you aren’t focused and excited about this group time, why would
they be?
I’ve written a couple of articles about Circle Time that
give more information that you might be interested in:
Cheryl Hatch has taught and directed preschool programs for over 20 years. She is the Creator and Owner of Preschool Plan It, a website dedicated to sharing preschool themes, activities, articles and training with early childhood educators. She volunteers as the coordinator and teacher of the MOPPETS program in her town (a preschool program for the M.O.P.S.--Mothers of Preschoolers Program). She has her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education. Cheryl has been an active, integral member and leader within the Teachers.Net Early Childhood community for many years, moderating live chats and providing peer support on the Preschool Teachers Chatboard. You can read Cheryl’s articles, activities and themed preschool lesson plans at www.preschool-plan-it.com
