Young children learn by doing, by being actively engaged with materials, people, ideas, their own bodies and voices. This is a challenge at circle time, when we have a group of egocentric, energetic children at different ages, developmental levels and learning styles. How can we address these variables and have our large group times be a valuable learning experience, as well as a time we create community and have fun?

We’ll explore several types of experiences that encourage children’s active participation and foster language and creativity. Working with “zipper songs”, that is – zipping out words and inserting new words – we’ll sing new versions of songs based on children’s interests and ideas. We’ll learn storytelling technique that involves using three dimensional objects to tell stories with children contributing throughout. We’ll sing, learn and co–create a variety of songs, stories and movement activities as well as plan a circle time that encourages participation throughout.

Objectives
At the end of the workshop, participants will learn:

• To create songs and experiences that actively engage preschool children to encourage more language and creativity.
• Storytelling technique using a story can or story bundle (small figures and props) to tell well known and newly created stories that keep children involved throughout.
• To address children’s different developmental and energy levels, learning styles and interests during circle time.
• Create a classroom repertoire using song cards that can be expanded year after year, shared with parents and used as a class song book that children can read as they sing.
• Incorporate the five ingredients of active learning into every part of circle time.
• Design a 20 – 30 minute circle time that includes a beginning, middle and end with several contrasting types of experiences such as seated/standing; singing along/active storytelling

Outline

Day 1

• Welcome and Introductions
• Active Learning
  • The 5 ingredients of active learning and High/Scope
  • The opening songs
  • Create variations of the songs together
• Large Group Times – Adults and Children
  • Definition of circle time/large group time
  • Rationale for circle time
  • Child development
  • Circle time issues
• Language Development and Music
  • Zipper Songs
  • Brain Development and language
  • Rhyming and Alliteration
• Different Types of Songs
• Developing a Classroom Repertoire
• Choosing music around children’s interests
• Circle Time – the Structure
  • Getting Started – Gathering
  • Transition to circle time – make it musical!
  • How do we get them there?
  • Brainstorm Possibilities – seated and moving
  • Writing gathering songs/chants
• Songwriting – the process
• The Middle of Circle Time
  • Transition to the next activity/experience
  • Using a companion puppet – Alice the Alligator
  • Andy Anybody puppets – make one, try it
  • Developing a character – name and voice
• Story Can Story Telling/Bundles
  • Demonstration of Wanda and Willie story
  • Active Learning – identifying ingredients
  • Repetition/Predictability/Participation
  • Simple storytelling – a 5 minute story
  • Character development – name and voice/personality
  • Beginning/middle/end
  • Challenges

Day 2

• Daily routine and circle time
  • How is it working now? Let’s look at issues
  • Consider changing circle time in the daily routine
  • Circle time space in the room – where?
  • Why a circle? How to make it easy for children (and you!)
• Demonstration of a story song
• Story Can Story Extensions and variations
• The End of Circle Time
  • “Warning” – our last song/activity
  • Build into the next part of the daily routine
  • Song writing – ending/transition/goodbye song
• Let’s Put it all Together
• Create an individual plan around one or several children’s interests
• Tell a community story using the “Talking Stick”
• Making our own story stick
• Conclusion

Trainer’s Profile
For over fifteen years, Julie A. has presented numerous workshops, presentations and concerts in her home state of Michigan and throughout the U.S. She is a National Wolf Trap artist and does music residencies in preschool classrooms with teachers and children. Julie has a degree in musical performance, an M.A.T. in Early Childhood and been a preschool teacher at the High/Scope Demonstration Preschool in Ypsilanti, MI. She conducts preschool teacher training as an educational consultant as well as for Wolf Trap and the High/Scope Research Foundation.

Julie’s five outstanding children’s recordings have won national awards including a Parent’s Choice Award for her most recent CD, “Fandagumbo”. Her experience and expertise in both music and early childhood along with her enthusiasm, warmth and sense of humor enable her participants to be actively involved. Throughout her workshops and presentations, Julie uses singing, movement and storytelling to encourage teachers to use their own ideas to create musical activities that they can easily use in their settings.

Methodology
Hands-on and interactive

Target Audience
Preschools Teachers

Duration: 2 days, 14 hours

Venue: 51 Cuppage Road Starhub Centre #03-00 Singapore 229469

Closing Date:  30 Oct 05