The Circle Book. By Jenny Mosley.
Circle Time. By Beverley Beattie, Mary Blease and Bridgeen O'Neill. (both Positive Press, 7 each, 01225 719204)
Reviewed by Marian Whitehead, language and early years consultant
Here are two more publications from the rapidly growing Circle Time project. The Circle Book is a taster of the ideas and activities to be found in Jenny Mosley's books and training courses. This makes it a rather disjointed 'read', crammed with a mix of useful strategies, celebratory feedback and publicity for the author's catalogue of materials and training opportunities.
Circle Time is a practical book of 30 lesson plans from a team working in a Belfast school with boys in Key Stages 1 and 2 and focusing on behavioural issues. The Jenny Mosley Quality Circle Time Model, as it is known, sets out to enhance children's and adults' self-esteem and create a positive school ethos.
Neither of these publications is directly aimed at the early years, although many practitioners are using Circle Time with children in the Foundation Stage. It is my view that Circle Time can be just one useful tool in our work with young children, and I have some reservations about the increasing sense of exclusive universal panacea attaching to this programme.
