Circle time is a worldwide spread phenomenon which simply refers to the activity where children in kindergarten and primary school gather in a circle to communicate or play with one and another. The entire concept can be originated to the german pedagogue Friedrich Fröbels (1782-1852) who invented the first kindergarten. Fröbels described the circle time as an important time of children's days as the element strengthens and develops community and confidence among the children.
In this study I will analyze and discuss different pedagogue’s ideas and thoughts on the concept of circle time and I will highlight children's participation and influence in the circle time. I want to investigate the mindset of the preschoolers and their experiences of how they make the children involved, and teach them to be involved as an important part of the children's lives. Considering those children’s influence and participation according to Lpfö98 is a prerequisite for the children to be able to influence their situation at preschool.
In order to investigate the purpose of the collection and the factors that may affect the children's opportunities for participation and influence, I have used the qualitative methodology which is the most important and useful material for answering questions that this investigation is about. The purpose behind my choice of qualitative method is the center for interviewing preschool teachers at the preschools. I have booked 2-3 preschools for this study and I have written down some supplementary questions as a means of reaching the purpose of the study. I have recorded the interview while noting some important points to help the conversation to roll forward.
The result shows that circle time is a process of learning, where the values lay in the sense of community, interface and group feeling. The results of my empirical material indicate that circle time creates more and wider opportunities for the children to learn participation and influence among preschoolers. The pedagogues’ participation in this study, all came to the same conclusion that the learning process of participation and influence take place when the children are gathered around each other, as they are during circle time. According to them, the activity is the time and place where the children automatically, due to being surrounded by each other, get to learn affinity and community to a group.