The Beginning and Conclusion of “Circle Time”

Informant information: 

Lauren Grant is a 20 year old woman from Andover Massachusetts. She attends school at Quinnipiac University in an occupational therapy program. She has worked at the Recreational Education Center, an after school and summer care program for children with special needs, for the past four years. She has sent some examples of songs that the teachers use to engage with the students during “circle time”.

Type of lore: Verbal

Language: English

Country of Origin: United States of America

Social / Cultural Context:

• At the Recreational Education Center in Peabody, Massachusetts, an after-school and summer care program for children with special needs, the following songs are sung by teachers of children with special needs in order to engage with the students. The students sing these songs along with the teachers. They are sung during “circle time”, which is an activity in which the the entire day center joins together, and all of the kids and teachers do an activity together instead of working one-on-one. It is a period for learning and socializing.

“The Introduction Song”

Transcript:

“An Introduction Song”
It’s very nice to meet you,
Have a great, great day!
It’s very nice to meet you,
And this is what we say!
Shake my hand, shake my hand, shake my hand!

“Circle time is over”
Circle time is over now, over now, over now!
Circle time is over now,
It’s time for <insert next activity>

Informant’s comments:

Lauren stated that the first song is used as an “introduction song”

The second is sung at the end of circle time, to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down. This song is used primarily as a transition into the next activity, which can be snack time, free-play, individual learning, etc.

Collector’s comments:

We categorized these pieces of folklore under verbal lore because they are sung. This folklore fits under the category of folklore from families with children with special needs because the children with special needs sing these songs along with their teachers. These songs are also authorless. They contain repetition and rhyme for easy memorization. These songs are specific to this center for children with special needs because of how they’re used on a daily basis. Transitions are often difficult for children with special needs to navigate, and the employment of these simple, repetitive songs at the beginning and conclusion of every “circle time” serves to signal to the children when they can expect a change.

Tags/Keywords: Song, Music, Special needs,