Understanding Large Group Time
Large group time is an adult-initiated activity during which all children and adults participate in signing, movement experiences and interactive storytelling. All teachers, caregivers, and assistants participate in all of the activities during group time.
Adults plan and initiate large group experiences that are active rather than passive, move swiftly from one experience to the next, involve brief rather than lengthy introductions, and accommodate children's interests and initiatives.
The duration of large group time in a 3 and/or 4 year old classroom should be about 15 minutes long.
At large group time, adults introduce the activity but then the children make choices about how to do it. Children choose what song to sing, how to change the words or gestures of a song or chant, weather and how to play musical instruments, how to move their bodies, what animals to pretend to be, and how to use the materials available. Music during large group time should encourage children to move how they choose instead of following specific directions like the hokey pokey.
Large group time is an important part of each day because it build a sense of "we" and "us" in our classroom community. Children share their ideas and observations and receive adult support for their initiatives. Large group time briefly draws everyone together to try out new toys, learn new vocabulary words, sing and dance. The underlying message of this time of day is togetherness.
At large group time, children have many opportunities to participate as a member of the group. They express their own ideas and listen to those of others. Children observe one another and use what they see and hear to copy, modify or spur their own innovative ideas. They participate in the activities as group members working in collaboration with others. Teachers often capture and share children's thinking during large group time by charting, diagramming, and drawing.
Children share the control during large group time. Both children and teachers take turns being the leader and follower, the speaker and listener. Teachers plan activities that allow for children's input, choices, and ideas. In shared control teachers make adult-sized decisions (planning to move to music with children). Children make child-sized decisions (how to move to the music).
HighScope suggests that there are three parts of large group time.
- Beginning: Getting large group time 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 from the previous part of the day.
- Middle: Scaffolding active learning.
- Once all the children gather, give a brief opening statement designed to catch their attention.
- Turn the props and materials over to the children.
- Participate on the children's physical level (if the children are sitting on the floor you should be too).
- Watch and listen to the children to observe how they interpret the activity.
- Imitate what the children do, and try out their ideas and suggestions.
- Let children be the leaders.
- End: Bringing large group time to a close
- Warn children when the activity is ending.
- Plan a transition to the next part of the daily routine that incorporates the activity.
- Put away any props or materials as part of the transition activity.
Consider large group as a time to explore, discover, and talk about things that the children are interested in. Replace rote learning, calendar, and weather by introducing children to instrumental music of all genres, creating stories together, or learning about technology.
