The New Circle Time

Click here to view my, "Circle Time Book" on TpT.

In the past, the focus of my circle time was basic skills like days of the week, weather, and counting in addition to socialization, turn-taking, and coming up to the Smartboard. However, with new social distancing guidelines, I realize that I will need to revamp my circle time procedures.

In order to drive my instruction, I wanted to make a clear outline of what I wanted my students to gain from this time.

• socialization (from a distance)
• turn-taking
• following directions
• calendar skills
• feelings
• numbers
• alphabet
• shapes
• colors

Normally, my students would raise their hand, I would call on them and they would come up to the smartboard to select their choice of song about each topic. However, because students will not be able to come up to the board, they will each need a copy of slide so that they can select by pointing on their copy which song they want to hear (my students are non-verbal so they need the visual to communicate). 

After the songs plays, I would go around the circle and ask each student a question depending on their level for example after listening to the "Days of the Week" song I would show students a chart or manipulatives ask each student:

• touch Monday
• Where is Monday?
• What is today?

Because it will not be practical to clean each manipulative between turns, I created a "Circle Time Book" that each student will have for use during circle time. This will alleviate me needing to pass around materials and collecting materials thus reducing the spread of germs. I also plan to give each student a gallon size ziplock back with a shaker, scarf, musical instrument, bubbles so that they will each have a personal inventory of everything they need to engage in circle time.