Planning Effective Group Times

1
Planning Effective Group Times

• Group times have four parts the opening, body,
  closing, and transitions.

2
Group-Time Preparations Strategies

• Location
• circle time
• specific spot to sit
• Focus
• Pace and Variety
• Materials
• variety of props
• concrete items

• Advanced Preparation
• always practice first!
• have materials set up
• Active Involvement
• high interest activities
• children INVOLVED
• Group Time Teaching Methods (p. 119)

3
Group Time Variations

• Greeting Times
• songs, welcomes, daily routines - brief
• Planning Times
• picture plans, child-initiated, choice
• Storytelling Groups
• Know story, be dramatic, use pauses

• Read-Aloud Times
• Friendship Circles
• social skills, I care
• Class Meetings
• positive discipline, childrens self-government
• Brainstorming Groups
• KWHLH, charts

4
Continued Variations

• Minilessons
• Short and to the point, writers workshop
• Authors Chair
• children share their writings, celebrate
  accomplishments of one another
• Reporting Times
• sharing, closure, reviewing

5
COMMON QUESTIONS FOR GROUP WORK

• Should all children be required to participate in
  group time?
• What are some strategies for facilitating
  conversations among a large group of children?
• What should the group leader do when children
  interrupt a story or presentation?

6
COMMON QUESTIONS FOR GROUP WORK

• What can be done to support easily distractible
  children?
• What should the group leader do when children
  become unhappy or angry during group times?
• What about show-and-tell?

7
Adapting Whole Group Instruction to Children of
Different Ages and Abilities

• Younger Children Short in duration, high on
  participation, low on talk, short songs
  stories, familiarity

8
Adapting Whole Group Instruction to Children of
Different Ages and Abilities

• Older children longer in duration, high in
  participation, discussion, complexity, surprise,
  factual problem solving information

9
Pitfalls to Avoid in Planning Group Times
10
Planning a Field Trip

• What is the purpose of the trip?
• What is your destination?
• Does the site allow children to be children?
• Does site support educational goals?
• Length of the trip/needs/disabilities/safety
• When will the trip take place?
• How will children get to the site?
• Walking, transportation, car seats???

11
Planning Field Trips

• What kind of supervision will be necessary?
• Minimum of two adults
• Use of parent volunteers
• How will permission be obtained for children to
  participate?
• Written permission or CANT GO
• Follow-up phone calls and reminders

12
Planning Field Trips

• How can parents and other family members be
  involved?
• How will the lesson continue after the field trip
  is over?
• Reinforcing activities
• Do not leave LEARNING to chance
• What is your backup plan?
• Weather, sicknesses, backup box, first aid

13
Following the Field Trip

• Group discussion
• Photos from trip
• Art/Collages
• Story dictations
• Journal Writing
• Book making
• Pretend play with blocks or props

• Role plays
• Items collected from trip
• Math story problems
• Cooperative groups
• Repeat visits
• THANK YOU NOTES - A MUST!