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Circle Time


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I am currently working in a sessional pre-school, which when full, will have 24 children ranging from 2.6-4 years old.

 

We know we should be doing circle time, and we are doing it, but have been advised to split the children into groups to ensure smaller circles relevant to their age/stage. The trouble we are having now is how to divide the children and when to hold circle time within each session.

 

Some of our children attend all day so would, in effect be part of 2 circle times. What do you do in this instance because I would assume you wouldn't do the same session twice?

 

In my experience, pre-EYFS, the children would come into the setting and have circle time straight away, however I am now led the believe that the children should be allowed to explore the activities before circle time. My problem with this though, is that I feel that children's learning is being interrupted when they are stopped to participate in circle time.

 

So, how do you manage your sessions, including circle time?

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My new setting has circle time and registration about half an hour after children have come in and I am not sure about this...the children are just abou to get stuck in and we interrupt them? I think I may change it...but I have to say some days it works and the older children are used to the routine and I guess we are building a routine for the new ones - all children have participated, we havent' had reluctant chidren so you could say it works (I have just evaluated our practice!)......I think you have to see what works and be very flexible about how the session is going really.....we only sit on the carpet for about 5 mins or so at the moment with new ones it is a much as they want....we come together at lunch time and that is always a much more successful time....

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Hi,

 

Our parents aren't always that quick to go, so the children get to explore from 9am when the doors open until the parents have all left, and peace descends, then we call them to the carpet for circle time.

 

We have upto 20 children aged 2-4 and have a relaxed view to participation. The newer younger children often go for a wander during this time and we encourage them to come back and sit with an adult.

 

On the whole we find this workds well and vary the time on the carpet depending on how restless the children appear so it can range from 5 minutes to 20 mins.

 

Once we have finished, the children go off to play and we start any planned activities.

 

Although the children get their play interrupted in my experience they soon return and carry on where they left off and believe me if the staff can't remember who was in the sandpit or playing with the dinosaurs before circle time the children certainly will!

 

Despite the eyfs requirements for free flow and continuous provision, minimal interruptions I find our children like the routine and are incredibly co-operative and flexible.

 

Hope this helps.

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I am currently working in a sessional pre-school, which when full, will have 24 children ranging from 2.6-4 years old.

 

We know we should be doing circle time, and we are doing it, but have been advised to split the children into groups to ensure smaller circles relevant to their age/stage. The trouble we are having now is how to divide the children and when to hold circle time within each session.

 

Some of our children attend all day so would, in effect be part of 2 circle times. What do you do in this instance because I would assume you wouldn't do the same session twice?

 

In my experience, pre-EYFS, the children would come into the setting and have circle time straight away, however I am now led the believe that the children should be allowed to explore the activities before circle time. My problem with this though, is that I feel that children's learning is being interrupted when they are stopped to participate in circle time.

 

So, how do you manage your sessions, including circle time?

 

We have always run a circle time and children love it is also a benchmark for when they go home our session runs like this

registration sat in keyworker groups for 5 mins

free play an hour and a forty five mins

tidy up time

story time(also do sounds, days of the week, numbers etc) 10-15 mins

toilets and wash hands

snack (we do a large group snack time some ofsted people dont like it others love it, we just feel that all to often children dont all sit down together at a table and learn to hold a conversation and listen to others to this is when we practice)

circle time where we do our singing 15 mins ish

back to tables to collect coats and artwork

then home

 

we have run like this since I took over 5 years ago he set routine helps the children to settle quickly and we always tell them mummy comes back after cirlce time.

 

hope that helps

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