Question for Those Who Do Circle Time?

[Hunni Bee]

What do you do when some of your kids don't want to participate?

I have usually 10 kids (sometimes 11) daily. About three of them don't want to do circle time. I tried letting them read books or do something else while the rest of us do Circle Time, but it never works well. They either make so much ruckus that I have to keep stopping to go deal with their behavior, or they cause the other kids to lose interest in Circle Time. So lately I've been "making" come to the circle with everybody else, but its "Criss-cross applesauce on your bottom" or "We're not poking/kicking/touching our friends" or whatever every two seconds. Neither one really works for me.

Plus, the three who do it are quite behind on what they should know by now, and actually need to be attentive at Circle Time.

The trouble is, we are coming up for re-certification by our CCR&R in Nov. They are really big on "child led" stuff, so they say if the child is not interested, allow them to leave the circle. So by making the disrupters participate, I'll probably get low marks in that area...but all hell will break loose if I let them do their own thing, especially with an observer in the room.

What should I do?

[LittleD]

So you have a month to whip them into shape! Offer an (educational) reward - coloring, arts, or play doh. I just let them know, as soon as we are finished our circle time, the sooner we can do -X- and keep redirecting the children who aren't participating back to the circle (preferrably closest to me) Also, give them a heads up BEFORE circle time - Johnny, we have to have every do circle time, so I'm just letting you know now that when it is circle time, you will need to do it with us.

[Hunni Bee]

So you have a month to whip them into shape! Offer an (educational) reward - coloring, arts, or play doh. I just let them know, as soon as we are finished our circle time, the sooner we can do -X- and keep redirecting the children who aren't participating back to the circle (preferrably closest to me) Also, give them a heads up BEFORE circle time - Johnny, we have to have every do circle time, so I'm just letting you know now that when it is circle time, you will need to do it with us.

I always give a sticker at the end, only to those who were paying attention and participated. If you leave or disrupt, you don't get one. Now, I've had kids in the past who could go and do something else quietly, but not these. And I do redirect them, but it just feel like the other 8 kids who are enjoying Circle Time shouldn't have to listen to me redirect the other 3 so much, KWIM?