Child Care Provider Learning Corner

At Retmus Academy of Learning, voluntary pre kindergarten educator Ms. Dariana understands how to engage children during Circle Time. She understands that Circle Time is not just about reviewing daily tasks such as the calendar, days of the week, and weather but an opportunity for children to explore new concepts, develop their attention spans, and enhance their oral communication skills. It's a time to introduce new materials or themes. To keep children more involved and eager to learn, Ms. Dariana incorporates movement activities during Circle Time. 

• When planning Circle Time, consider the purpose of the gathering and whether it's necessary for ALL children to be involved simultaneously. For activities like story time, mealtime, or introducing new themes, gathering everyone is essential.
• However, for routine tasks such as updating the calendar or weather chart, a classroom helper can handle these tasks independently, allowing Circle Time to focus on more engaging activities. Educators should consider, "What will the children learn during this Circle Time?" and "What hands-on materials or movement activity can I provide to enhance children's understanding?" 
• Remember to utilize those Renaissance Reports after testing. These reports can be precious in assisting teachers with planning and executing individual learning plans for children whose scores are below expectations in a particular testing area or where a classroom may need more time with a specific skill. Consider the Star Diagnostic Report to evaluate children individually and the State Benchmarks Mastery – Class Report for a classroom summary.