Circle Time Routine-continued

Yesterday we looked at gathering time, today we are going to look at circle time. Remember, at the gathering time we did:
Roll call, weather, calendar, flag salute, and question of the day

Circle time is reserved for those daily lessons that are different. Basically, what concept are we focusing on this week and how am I going to discuss that with the group. This is the general Circle Time outline:
Gathering Song
Concept Game
Book
Lesson
Dismissal

This is the same routine no matter the age, but the length will differ depending on the age; and of course the depth of the lesson as well.

First, the gathering song. This is the place where you grab their attention. Maybe it's another roll call song. Maybe it's a very active song that pulls them in. One of my favorites is ram-sam-sam. I also like head shoulders knees and toes. I start off singing it normal. Then I have the group sing it really LOUD! Then we sing it really fast. Then real slow or real quiet. I always end it in such a way that everyone is sitting and listening intently.
Then we do a concept game. This can be as simple as singing icky-sticky bubble gum where things get stuck to different parts of the body. Or, play a matching game where you have different colored bowls and pass out beanbags and have each child take a turn tossing the bean bag into different containers. Really what you are doing is teaching the children to wait their turn in the group, though they are also learning a concept at the same time.
The we read the book.
After the book, I point out the vocabulary words of the week in the book and we discuss what they mean. Then we have our lesson for the day; whatever that is. Again, this isn't so much a matter of teaching a lesson so much as the children learning to increase their attention span paying attention to the teacher and sitting in a group without disturbing others.
Last is the Dismissal. This is also always some sort of transition game; again to teach them to wait their turn and follow directions and routines.

Note, whichever book I read, I read the same book all week. I may change it up and read different versions of the same book. For example, if we were reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, I might bring in different versions. I also might not read the book everyday, but might do a storytelling rendition or a flannel story or have the children act it out. As long as they get the experience of the book, that's what matters.

So, this is what a typical circle would look like with me:
Gathering Song: Ram-sam-sam
Concept Game: Simon Says
Book: Parts by Tedd Arnold
Vocabulary Words: Panic and Brain (Panic means a sudden feeling of fear; Brain is the soft matter in our head that helps our bodies function) These are the definitions that I use with the children. Then we use them in a sentence. By the end of the week, they should be able to use them on their own in regular conversations
Lesson: Discuss particular parts of the body (maybe joints or muscles) and talk about where they are and what they do.
Dismissal: Crawl in a box

Are there any questions from these last two days?