Circle Time Ideas and Clues

Distribution of The Classroom: -Create a special corner with lots of visual posters to help children

Establish Rules 1/. Only one person talks at a time. 2/. Listen and at the person who is talking.   3/. Keep your hands and feet to yourselves. 4/. Do not say things that upset people. 5/. You can pass in the circle if you need time to think.

Set a Routine Hellooooooooooooo Says everybody names Songs Weather Personal suggestions. Good Bye

CIRCLE OR TRAIN ACTIVITIES idea How to start? Forming a circle or train with 25 little children isn’t as easy as it sounds. I always try to follow the same procedure. • Explain in L1 that the pupils can only come to join the train (or circle) when you call out their name. Stand where you want to position the train. Say Hello Rosana and gesture to the pupil to come and hold their hand. Invite another pupil to come and ensure he holds hands with the previous pupil. Continue in the same way until you have all the pupils in the train. Once pupils are used to this method, it will be easy

Routine Ideas STARTING THE CLASS Small children generally like a degree of routine, they feel comfortable when the know what's going to happen. It's a good idea to have a set way to start the class - singing a Good morning song, saying a particular rhyme, greeting a toy, etc.

Clues before preparing any activity When preparing an activity to take into the infant classroom for the first time, the following questions should be considered: • Does the task involve activities that the pupils would enjoy doing in their mother tongue? • Is the language involved natural? Would the children say this in L1? • Are the skills required to carry out the task within the pupils’cognitive and motor skills? • Can I physically organise the activity? Trying to form a circle with a group of 25 three year olds can be a major task! • Where are we going to do the activity, at the tables, sitting on the floor, working on the wall etc.? How long will the activity take? If the responses are generally positive, then go ahead.