Morning songs usually take place first thing after students arrive. During the morning circle routine, have students sit on the floor in a circle and join them. Ask them for a favorite class song and sing it as a group. “Ring Around the Rosy” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” gets children moving and focuses their attention on school. If you are discussing a certain theme for the week, like Halloween or Easter, sing a holiday-themed song to get them excited for lesson time. Avoid teaching the song at the start of the day; children are more receptive after they’re given time to adjust to new surroundings.
Date activities during morning circle time helps children remember days of the week, numbers and the names of months. Ask the children what month it is; they should raise their hands and speak in turns. Then ask what day of the week it is, and after that ask for the date. The morning starter board should have a calendar that states the month along the top, the days of the week and each number date of the month. After pinning the date to the board, ask the children to count up to that day as a group. If it’s the first of the month, ask them to count the months instead, starting with January. You can also lead the group with songs about the days of the week and months of the year to help them remember.
Preschool is often the first time in a youngster’s life when they will learn to talk about the weather. Each day, let the students take turns to get up from the circle, go to the window and tell the class what the weather looks like outside. Use this time to talk about the season and what happens to leaves, grass and flowers each season, or if it’s usually rainy, cloudy or sunny. On your morning starter board, have a section for weather and have pictures for each season and an envelope of small pictures that describe the weather, such as a sun, a sun with a cloud, raindrops or a cloud with wind. Ask another student to go through the envelope and pick the pictures that best look like the weather the first student has described. Pin them up on the board to show what the weather is for the day.
Turn morning circle starter activities into games with young learners. Using a plastic ball, or a stuffed class toy, start by asking a question about class material from a previous lesson. Whoever knows the answer should raise her hand; the teacher then throws the toy to the child and the child gives the answer. The child can either ask the next question, or the teacher can ask again, but the child throws the toy to the next child to answer the question. The game continues until each child has had a turn to throw or catch the toy.