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I’ve been teaching English for Kindergarten as a foreign language since 2016 up to present. Circle time is our daily routine where the children gather together with the teacher in a circle or U-shaped to start our day with fun, taking their turns and to work things together in unity concerning each other. I love this activity because through this I may be able to communicate and engage with my students. When they are already inside the classroom, I usually play a Good morning song and do some action songs that are simple and easy for them to memorize and sing and they enjoyed doing this with their friends. When the music stops it’s time for them to sit down on their spot (I put their pictures on the floor to know their places) and ready for circle time. Kids ages 3-4 have a very short attention span, so I prepare some classroom rules for them to follow once they seated on their spot. I choose to make it simple and easy to memorize for the kids. We do this together with an action for them to get it easily. I remind them also about their proper behavior towards the teacher and their friends. Here are the rules: 1. Eyes on teacher 2. Good sitting 3. Listen 4. Zip your lips Once they are settled down, it’s time for us to start. Here are my usual circle time activities: 1. Good morning Greetings: This is the time we say good morning to each other with a smile on our face and I encourage them to speak to boost their confidence. 2. Question Time: Asking the kids how they are doing for today? Ask them if they are happy or fine. By this, we create a little conversation to build a rapport. 3. Attendance Time: Checking the attendance if who is absent for today, and let the kids think and observe if their seatmates are present or not. 4. Fingerplay Time: We do chanting and songs this time. Usually, we sing “The Wheels on the Bus”, “Incy Wincy Spider”, counting numbers song with no music or video. I let them sing and do their hand movements to enhance their fine motor skills. 5. Kindergarten Calendar Time: Singing the “Days of the Week” and “Weather of the day” song. I used to prepare a chart for the days of the week with its corresponding color according to the Thai calendar. Ask the kids “What day is today?” I encourage them to respond in a complete sentence like “Today is ___.” Same with the weather of the day, ask them “How’s the weather today?” Kids will answer using the hand movements for today’s weather. Through this, I want to enhance their observation skills and recognition skill. 6. Game Time: Nature for the kids to be playful. I do prepare exciting games for them depending on the topic that we have. Some games are: sorting, matching pictures, guessing what’s on the envelope or box, doing Simon Says, forming a puzzle and some games that help them develop their mental skills and pay attention to the instruction given. Having a circle time needs preparation and focus. We do this not only to kill the time but for our kids to learn and to develop and discover some of their skills and abilities. We need to do it through learning with fun with unforgettable experiences that they can share with others when they grow up. I believe that experience is a part of learning.
