Circle Time Ideas for Special Education

Circle Time Ideas for Special Education
Circle time (or morning meeting) is a very important time of the day for students. It can help them learn basic skills like identifying their names and counting. Although circle time should be a fun time for students, it should also be a learning opportunity with meaningful tasks. You can use it to focus on a variety of skills including math, literacy, and communication. I love our circle time routine and want to share how I the time it to encourage a variety of academic skills and communication.

Calendar:
-The numbers on our calendar make a pattern with the colors. Students have to follow the pattern (by saying, "green, blue, green, blue..." etc.) then student has to continue the pattern.
-Students count the days while pointing to the numbers on the calendar and have to determine what number is next.


-Students use the calendar to complete sentences including, "Today is ____." "Tomorrow will be ____." and "Yesterday was_____."
-Students complete the sentence "The month is _____."

Circle Time Ideas for Special Education

Weather:
-Students complete the sentence, "The weather is ____." (rainy, sunny, cloudy, snowy, windy)
-Then students dress "Boo Bear" (yes, the students named him) according to the weather.

Circle Time Ideas for Special Education

Letter of the Week/ Writing:
-Students identify the letter of the week and take turns tracing it.

Circle Time Ideas for Special Education

Identifying names:
-All of our students can't identify their names in print yet. So to work on this, students find their name and move it to "At School."

Between each task, we sing and dance to songs. Here are some of my students' favorite circle time songs:
Good morning song
Days of the week (Clap, clap)
7 Days are in a Week
Macarena Months 
Number Rock

Do you have any fun and meaningful circle time tasks? If so, send them my way!