This blogpost explores easy and engaging ways to bring poetry, rhythm, and connection to your classroom routine.
Circle time is a cherished part of any preschool or kindergarten day. It’s where children gather in the community, settle into the rhythm of daily learning, and begin their journey for future learning and connection.
What better way to open that sacred space than with a poem? After all, poems can be used as a springboard for teaching various simple concepts and values.
My Sweet Poems by Naomi Dada is a versatile, heartwarming poetry book that fits beautifully into any early childhood classroom. Each poem is short, emotionally rich, and rooted in values kids need most: gratitude, kindness, imagination, emotional expression, and love.
In this post, you'll be shown exactly how to use My Sweet Poems during your circle time to support early literacy, calm transitions, build classroom culture, and to spark joyful bonding and learning.
1. Start the Day with a Poem:
Choose one short poem to kick off your morning routine. A gentle poem like “Sun” sets a peaceful, bright tone for the day.
2. Use Poems to Introduce Emotional Topics:
When teaching about emotions, the poem “My Feelings” is a perfect springboard. It helps children explore sadness, feelings, expression, and healing in a safe and simple way.
After reading, you may invite students to share moments they felt happy, sad or had big feelings.
You can follow up with drawing, storytelling, smiley faces to identify emotions or mirror-face activities to reinforce emotional awareness.
3. Incorporate Movement and Directional Learning:
Turn the “Dolphin” or “Ship” poem into interactive movement poems. Have children “swim in, swim out, dance to the left and dance to the right.”
You may add music or rhythm instruments and turn the poem into a movement game.
This is a great way to burn off energy while reinforcing spatial awareness and prepositions.
4. Build Vocabulary Through Repetition:
Choose one poem per week and revisit it daily.
You may encourage children to:
Clap along with the rhythm
Act out the story or character
Identify repeated words or rhyming pairs
5. Use a Poem to Anchor Transitions:
Transition poems can calm and refocus the group. Try reading “My Dog” to lighten the mood or “My Parents” before sending kids off to make thank-you cards or clean up for dismissal.
6. Connect Poems to Arts & Crafts:
After reading, transition into a creative activity. For example:
Paint a sun after “Sun”
Create a Bingo puppet after “My Dog”
Draw a thank-you heart for “My Parents”
These hands-on connections deepen comprehension, build connection and make the learning stick.
7. Celebrate Circle Time Poems with a Weekly Performance:
At the end of the week, invite kids to perform their favorite poem from the week for the class (or even for parents!).
You may use puppets, props, or simple hand motions. This builds confidence, memory, and classroom joy.
In conclusion, poetry belongs in circle time because it meets children right where they are with short attention spans, big feelings, and boundless energy.
My Sweet Poems is the perfect poetry companion for circle time, helping children:
*Build early literacy
*Explore emotions
*Learn through movement
*Connect through joyful bonding
With just a few minutes a day, you can turn circle time into a sacred space for stories, feelings, creativity, and connection.
To follow through on the above, just go ahead and do the following:
- Add My Sweet Poems to your classroom circle time basket! Available on Amazon or naomidadawrites.com
- Get free printables and poem-based craft ideas by joining the mailing list.
- Share with us how you use the poems during circle time and tag @naomidadawrites