Discovering the Possibilities of Large-Group Time (LGT)

1. Discovering the Possibilities of Large-Group Time (LGT)

2. A.M. Objectives Participants will be able to: • Describe how to share control with children during LGT • Identify ways to incorporate active learning into LGTs • Identify the strategies for beginning a LGT

3. Large-Group-Time Basics:Importance of LGT Large-group time • Gives all children a repertoire of common experiences • Builds a sense of classroom community • Encourages all children to be members of the group • Provides opportunities for children to take child-sized leadership roles

4. Large-Group-Time Basics:Characteristics of LGT • Active learning in a whole-group setting • All children and all adults participating together • Length of about 10 to 15 minutes • Enjoyable, shared experiences for everyone

5. So why is large-group time often reported to be the most challenging part of the day???

6. Does this look familiar?

7. Which ends up like this?

8. Shared Control: The Secret to Success • Shared control is the mutual give-and-take between teachers and children. • Both children and teachers take turns being the leader and follower; the speaker and the listener. • Teachers plan activities that allow for children’s input, choices, and ideas.

9. Shared Control:Teachers and Children Together • Teachers make adult-sized decisions: • planning to move to music with the children. • Children make child-sized choices: • how to move their bodies to that music.

10. Strategies for Sharing Control Take cues from children.Following children’s cues gives them opportunities to express their own ideas. Participate with children as partners. As partners, adults can share in children’s interests, delights, and creativity. Plan ways to build in choices for children.Children are more likely to become interested and engaged in the activity when they can contribute ideas. This means that sometimes you will copy what children are doing, trying out their ideas for yourself. When planning, this means you should consciously think through each activity, asking yourself, “How can I build in opportunities for choices?” At LGT… Children might suggest movements to songs, ideas for verses, ways to move to music and we shouldn’t expect them to all do the same thing! At LGT… At LGT…

11. With shared control,thereisanother way…

12. With better results!

13. Discussion Point… • During large-group time, how does one balance an adult’s need for control and children’s needs for action???

14. Active Learning: A Must at Large-Group Time Along with shared control, the five ingredients of active learning must be present during your large-group time. • Materials • Manipulation • Choice • Child language and thought • Adult scaffolding

15. Five Ingredients of Active Learning at LGT Materials:These can include props, as well as children’s bodies and voices. Manipulation:Children use their bodies, voices, or props in ways that make sense to them. Choice: Children choose how to move, what to sing, when to participate, or what ideas to offer. Child language and thought:Children express their choices, share ideas, and figure out how to respond to music or movement suggestions. Adult scaffolding: Adults use nonverbal and verbal communication to support children’s intentions.

16. In this large-group time, Allie has decided to balance her shaker on her head, instead of shaking it with her hands! Which of the ingredients of active learning can you identify in this photo?

17. Do you see the excitement and joy on Allie’s face? When active learning and shared control are present, children become enthusiastically engaged — eliminating most behavior problems! Allie has her own shaker (material) and has choices about how to manipulate it in ways that make sense to her. She can share her ideas (child thought and language) about what she’s doing, and sees her teacher supporting her ideas (adult scaffolding).

18. Identifying Active Learning and Shared Control at LGT In table groups, read through each scenario. Decide if shared control and active learning are present in each. If you decide they are absent, write down your ideas for what the teachers could do to share control and incorporate active learning. 18

19. Let’s Take a Closer Look

20. Strategies toWatch for… • Plan ways to build in choices for children. • Take cues from children. • Participate with children as partners.

21. Parts of Large-Group Time Large-Group Time Beginning Middle End

22. Getting Ready For LGT • Prepare for LGT before the children arrive for the day: • Have materials ready and handy. Cue up the music. Gather any props. Have song book ready. Why do you think it’s important to be ready ahead of time?

23. Parts of Large-Group Time Large-Group Time Beginning

24. Beginning: Getting LGT Started • Draw children to the group with a simple, easy-to-join activity. • Begin immediately with the children who have gathered, even if others are still transitioning.

25. Beginning:Easy-to-Join Activities Use easy-to-join activities that • Have few or no directions • Are active • Include frequent opportunities for children to add their ideas

26. Sing “Everybody Do This Just Like Me” using children’s ideas on how to move. Try a fitness routine, doing simple movements to the beat of lively, instrumental music, like “Yankee Doodle.” To the tune of “RockAround the Clock,” sing We’re going to Run, run, run, Run, run run, Run, run, run until we stop… Use children’s ideason how to move next.

27. Discussion Point Why do we start large-group times with an easy-to-join activity?

28. Parts of Large-Group Time Large-Group Time Beginning Middle

29. The Middle:The Meat of LGT • Once all the children gather, give a brief opening statement designed to catch the children’s attention. I’m going to put on some music. Listen to the music and then you can move your body the way the music sounds.

30. The Middle:The Meat of LGT • Participate with the children. • Watch what they do. • Listen to children. • Try out the ways they interpret the activity. I’m going to try walking backward, like Arnie.

31. The Middle:The Meat of LGT • Participate on children’s physical level. Keena says she is crawling through the jungle like a snake. I’m going to see if I can move like a snake too!

32. The Middle:The Meat of LGT • Turn the props and materials over to the children. • Get the streamers, beanbags, bells, shakers, etc., into the children’s hands as quickly as possible. • Children rapidly lose interest if this takes too long, and even more so if the adult is the only one with a prop!

33. The Middle:The Meat of LGT • Depending on the activity length, you may plan just one longer activity for the middle, or two shorter activities. For example • Just play red light, green light • Sing two songs, then move streamers to the beat of the music

34. P.M. Objectives Participants will be able to: • Describe the parts of a LGT • Identify the five types of LGT activities • Explain how to separate, simplify, and facilitate • Identify the sources of ideas for planning a LGT • Plan a LGT using the LGT planning form

35. LGT Activities • Easy-to-join • Songs, fingerplays, chants, poems • Storytelling and reenacting stories and nursery rhymes • Movement activities • Cooperative games

36. Songs, Fingerplays, Chants, and Poems • Remember to slow down your tempo. • Keep hand motions simple. • Build in choices. • Use a song book.

37. Our kids love to say and act out the poem, “The Sitter” from Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic Once children know “Row, Row Row Your Boat,” you might try having children row facing each other and taking each other’s hands In twos, or even threes. Learn the words to call-and-response chants,and then use them with the children (and don’t use the recording!). “Did You Feed My Cow” is an example of this. Sing all the old favorites, such as “Old McDonald,” “Eensy, Weensy Spider,” and “Wheels on the Bus!” Singing a song from the song book

38. Storytelling and Reenacting Stories and Nursery Rhymes • Make up simple stories based on children’s interests. • Reenact simple stories and nursery rhymes. • Have only a few roles or one role that all children can act out. Keep it simple!

39. Our children’s favorite story is a simple one that the teacher made up of little kittens who wake up, lick their paws, drink their milk, go out to play, come in when their mother meows for them, and take a nap. All the children pretend to be the kittens doing the various things described in the story. Simple props like three long blocks for oars, and name cards for “butcher,” “baker,” and “candlestick maker” help to bring “Rub-a-Dub-Dub” to life as children take turns enacting the three roles.

40. Movement Activities:With or Without Music or Objects • Give children the opportunity to move their bodies and develop coordination skills. • Keep it simple! Explore moving with an object first and then layer on the music. • Sometimes you may want to be specific when asking children for their ideas: • How else can we move our arms? • What other ways can we walk? Always use instrumental music so children can hear the beat and aren’t distracted by the words!

41. Try just exploring action words. Here, children are exploring swing. One child suggested swinging her arms. All the children are now trying it out. Lengths of ribbon tied on to plastic bracelets make great ribbon wands that are easy to hang on to. Added bonus — no poking each other! Carpet squares work well to define “personal space” as children are learning about LGT at the beginning of the school year.

42. Cooperative Games • No winners, no losers — the fun is playing the game! • Have reasonable expectations • Children will respond according to their level of development. • Be flexible — games with few or no rules work best. • Remember to build in choices.

43. Use a parachute and sponge balls Play musical chairs (and do not remove any chairs) Play duck, duck, goose. For older children, let them choose the two words (i.e. table, table, dinosaur)

44. Recap of LGT Activities • Easy-to-join • Songs, fingerplays, chants, poems • Storytelling and reenacting stories and nursery rhymes • Movement activities • Cooperative games

45. The End: Bringing LGT to a Close Large-Group Time Beginning Middle End

46. The End: Bringing LGT to a Close • As you finish your last activity, include a planned transition to the next part of your day. • I’m going to put the “Popcorn” music on one last time. This time, move like popping popcorn to your cubbies so we can put on our coats for outside time. • Put away any props or materials as part of the transition activity. • Sue and Emily asked the children to toss their sponge balls into the basket as they moved to planning time.

47. This time, the train will stop at our cubbies. Put your coats on and we’ll go outside. Choose an animal and walk like that animal to your small-group table.

48. Parts of Large-Group Time Large-Group Time Beginning Middle End

49. Make Activities More Child-Centered You can make your LGTs more child centered by using these strategies: • Separate • Simplify • Facilitate

50. Hint: If you find this is hard for you, try keeping your hands in your pockets. Separate Separate the words from the actions • Say or Do: • Show the movements OR describe the movements. • Don’t talk and show at the same time! • For a song or fingerplay, introduce the movements first, then layer on the song or words.