LEAP Outreach Project
University of Colorado at Denver
Transition and Circle Time
Routines & Rational
Transition Routine
Sensory Cues
1. Have child turn out lights
2. Have child ring a bell
Get Children’s Attention
1. Say something like, “Everybody FREEZE and LISTEN”.
2. “I’ll know you listening if you touch your, ______”. (Could be a body part, a
color, a letter, a number, an object, or something that begins with the letter
____. Make it match whatever you are working on in the classroom.
Expand by adding a phonetic awareness skill (e.g., Sing a song);
“Touch your (nose), touch your (nose), touch your (nose) [Clap Clap]
Touch your (nose), touch your (nose), touch your (nose) [Clap Clap]
Touch your (nose), touch your (nose)… Nose rhymes with, ______…
Touch your (nose), touch your (nose), touch your (nose) [Clap Clap]
Give SPECIFIC Instructions on what comes next (e.g., Clean Up, Go to Circle, etc.)
Opening Circle
Mr. Sun
1. Pick child to hand out suns (Peer Interactions)
2. “Sun’s up” (Direction Following and/or Motor Imitation)
3. Sing song (Motor Imitation, Participation)
4. Pick child to collect suns (Peer Interactions)
Calendar
1. Month (counting, language, cognitive)
- Ask children what the month is.
- “Hands Up”, Clap out syllables, ask children “How many?”
2. Days of the Week (cognitive, motor imitation, participation)
- Sing Song (“There are 7 Days” or “Days of the Week”), embed motor
actions in song, point out days as you say them
3. Date (counting, motor imitation, patterns)
- Pick a child to pick (roll cube) motor action for counting
- Count days to today
- Allow child to put today’s number on calendar
- Review pattern, what will tomorrows be?
LEAP Outreach, 2004
Secret Sound
1. Pick child to push button, repeat sound several times (language, articulation)
2. Child helps open doors, identify letter (preliteracy)
3. Child sits down
4. Open object doors, say each object (language, articulation)
Song
1. Child chooses song from available options
2. Child uses Sentence Strip “I want to sing ______” (preliteracy, sequencing,
pictures and words have meaning)
3. Sing Song (language, motor actions/imitation, peer interactions)
- Utilizes props and materials for ALL songs
4. If time permits do 2nd song with a 2nd child choosing
Social Skill
1. Follow instructions for teaching social skills
Center Time
1. Hold out name for child to receptively ID name (can use a child to do this)
2. Child picks center (making a choice)
3. Sentence Strip “ I want to play _______” (preliteracy, sequencing, pictures
and words have meaning)
Utilize systematic method for picking children to do jobs at circle. Index cards, names in
a hat, clothes pins, etc. This ensures that each child will get a turn to do something each
day.
Story Circle
Review Superstars
1. Children come up, tell peers what they did to earn Superstars
2. Give reinforcement
More We Play Together
1. Pick 1-2 children to come up and be peer models
2. Sing and sign (language, motor actions/imitation)
- Watch pace of song, keep it slow.
- Go around circle do every child’s name (can do name’s replacing first
letter with sound of the week)
Story
1. Make environmental changes if necessary to ensure all children can see
2. Review name of the book
3. Review author, who it is, what the author does (e.g., “the name of the person
who writes the book is the…”)
LEAP Outreach, 2004
4. Read Book
- Utilizes props and materials, act out story, etc to make time more active
and appealing for all children.
Music and Movement
1. Utilize tape recorded music to get children up and moving around (motor
actions/imitation, peer interactions, following directions)
Transition to Snack
1. Pick curriculum goal to embed into transition
- cognitive, gross motor, following directions
2. Pick children individually to go to snack
3. Children cheer for peers (“Go Adam Go” while clapping) as make transition
Closing Circle
Music and Movement
1. Same as above (if time)
2. Show and Tell (last day of week)
- Kids bring in an item from home related to the Sound of the Week
3. Closing Song/Cheer (HEY, We Came to School Today)
4. Excuse children with Goodbye Song when parents arrive
LEAP Outreach, 2004