Montessori Morning Circle: What Is It and Why Is It So Important?

Brenda Kipkemoi Spetember 17, 2022 10:50 EAT

In every Montessori Classroom, mornings begin with a special assembly known as “The Morning Circle.” This assembly acts as bonding time for children, where they begin each morning greeting one another.

This is an important part of their day because it helps them feel more connected with their peers and teachers. It also sets up their day by creating a sense of community within the classroom environment.

This is accomplished by having all the children stand or sit in a circle around one another so they can see each other face-to-face. This will allow them to create an intimate, convivial and safe space where they can share information about themselves and connect with others.

What Happens During the “Morning Circle?”

Morning Circle is not only an opportunity for students to get to know one another but also a time when teachers can record attendance, help children set their own intentions for the day, and make sure they are ready to learn!

During Morning Circle, teachers will ask questions based on what they learned from their children during previous circles or lessons. This helps build rapport between teacher and child and allows for deeper levels of communication than would be possible otherwise.

Your child will be encouraged to sing songs, recite poems, and engage in creative movement exercises. The morning circle is also an opportunity to encourage your child’s independence by allowing them to choose their activity from a list of options.

Your child will learn new songs and poems each week during circle time. These songs and poems are chosen with great care, as they are known to develop a child’s social skills, reinforce their knowledge of the world around them, and help them become more confident speakers.

The morning circle is an important part of Montessori education because it helps children feel comfortable speaking in front of other people. This skill will be invaluable later on in life!

Some Inspiring Montessori Circle Time Ideas

Meditation

Meditation doesn’t have to be too long. Teachers teach their students how to meditate in one minute, and they can do it together.

Children start by learning how to relax their bodies. They close their eyes, take deep breaths, and imagine what it feels like to be completely relaxed and comfortable. They then try to recreate that feeling in their bodies.

Next, teachers teach them about mindfulness. Mindfulness (a key principle of Montessori education) means paying attention on purpose and being aware of what you are doing at the moment without judging yourself or others.

This is a good skill for children because they can focus better on school work if they know how to practice mindfulness during the day when they need it most!

Teachers explain how mindfulness affects our lives positively by bringing us back into our bodies instead of focusing on external distractions like other people’s opinions or expectations from the society around us!

Role-Playing

Role-Playing is a great way to get the point across when trying to explain a specific situation. It is creative, engaging, and effective, which makes it a great addition to circle time.

Role-playing is an excellent way to get your students engaged in learning. It allows them to practice their learning in a safe environment without fear of being wrong. The teacher can model how to do something and then allow the students to take turns doing it with each other or on their own.

This helps students feel confident in their ability to succeed at something new before they try it out on their own outside school hours.

The “Time to Put Our Work Away” Song

“Time to Put Our Work Away” is a great song sung to the tune of “London Bridge Is Falling Down.”

This can be a great song to help children transition from work to circle time. Teachers often modify the lyrics for the morning circle in the classroom or at home.

Sample Lyrics:

Time to put our work away

Time to put our work away

We’ve finished all we had to do today

Now it’s time for play!

The Opposite Game

It is as simple as doing the opposite of what the teacher says.

• If the teacher says stand up, the children should sit; if the teacher says sit down, they should stand up.
• If the teacher says clap your hands, they should cover their ears.
• If the teacher says “speak loudly”, they should speak softly etc.

The game can be played with one child or a group at a time. The children love this game and will enjoy playing it repeatedly! This game is great for teaching kids about listening carefully and following directions even when they don’t understand why.

The Triangle Game

The triangle game is a great way to introduce the concept of adjectives, and it is more suitable for children of 5+ years.

Teachers use the Montessori Triangle Boxes for this activity. The teacher should have already introduced the children to different kinds of triangles, e.g. equilateral, right-angled and obtuse-angled triangles.

First, teachers ask the children which of the triangles are ‘bigger’ or ‘smaller’, then ask questions like: “Which one has more sides?” and “Which one has more angles?”.

Then teachers can introduce adjectives like “small” and “short” by attaching them to one of the pieces in the box and giving it back to one child (e.g., “I’ve given you a small triangle”). The child must then say which piece they think is the biggest or smallest based on what they know about shapes so far. This can be done with other shapes, too (e.g., squares vs circles).

Montessori Morning Circle Time: Final Thoughts

Morning circle time is a key definer of this unique education system. It is a time for students to learn about the world around them, their community, and each other. The goal is to create an environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and experiences.

The morning circle time at Kericho Montessori School is focused on creating an environment where students can share what they have learned throughout the day. This helps foster a sense of community among our students and teachers and provides a place for parents to connect with their children’s school.

The main goal of morning circle time is for children to learn to listen carefully without interrupting each other while also learning to interact with others positively.”

If you’re interested in learning more about our school, Montessori learning, and enrolling your child, contact our office at 0719-102-497. We’d love to hear from you!