Home Hot Topics Articles Directors' Choice Awards About Us / Contact Us Activities & Curriculum Activities for Outcome-Based Learning Arts & Crafts Music for Learning Recommended Reading Sharing Boards: What Do YOU Think? NEWSlink Current National News Conference Calendar Topics In Early Childhood Education Art and Creativity in Early Childhood Education Job Sharing Board State Licensing Requirements Stay Connected! Each month we'll send you an email filled with articles and ideas for your classroom. Subscribe Now Date: 3/21/2007 2:10:00 PM Author: Chris (vstchris@yahoo.com) Subject: Circle time Even though I think the issue of circle time was not mentioned in the original problem, I do want to agree with Bev. As a Preschool turned elementary teacher I can assure you that children who have not had the experience of sitting for at least 15 miniutes will have a problem in kindergarten. As a matter of fact, many procedures commonly done in preschool are the opposite of what children need to be introduced to for success in kindergarten. Being able to sit and listen is a needed skill in kindergarten that children must know on the first day of school. In preschool we were told that it is not appropriated to have young children walk in lines. In Kindergarten the first thing the teachers says to the children is, "please line up". In preschool we encouraged children to talk pleasantly while eating. Kinder, no talking allowed during lunch. This can go on and on but the main point is that helping young children learn how to listen and can not be left to their choosing. It needs to be part of planned curriculum. When children come to kindergarten and have never had to sit they struggle because they don't understand why they have to. When I was in preschool, I had a three and four's class but towards the end of the school year (February and on) I started having the pre-kinders spend more time working on planned projects and having separate group time stories so that they could get more experience comprehending what they heard. I can tell when one of my kinders have been in an environment where they have no structure, just free choice. I'm sorry, it's unrealistic and unfair to the child. Check out latest research. The child of today is not the child of 50, 30 or 10 years ago. It's a whole new world and we have to be willing to change with it or move out of the way. Name: Email: Subject

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