Centers

Literacy Centers

The children work in academic centers every morning. The centers focus on the skills we are working on during our whole\small group lessons. Academic centers provide opportunities for students to be actively engaged in learning and making choices as they practicing their letters, reading, writing, math, science and social studies. The centers provide a variety of hands-on materials and meaningful activities for the students to choose. We have a chart that is rotated daily. The children find their picture card next to the center in which they are to go. The children have twenty minutes at each center and visit two centers per day.

The center rotation chart consists of a wheel of center names. Along the outside are student pictures. The teachers turn the wheel each time the students rotate. As the year goes on, more and more centers may be added to the rotation. The children may visit up to 10 centers a week.

Free Choice Centers are also included in your child's day. These centers are different than the academic centers in which the students a required to visit every week. Free choice centers include Library Center, Games\Puzzles Center, Building Center, Dramatic Play, Lite Brite etc.

Writing Center- The writing center is filled with a variety of material for children to practice writing with such as pencils, crayons, colored pencils, markers, dry erase markers and even shaving cream. The center also contains a picture dictionary, wipe off boards, a portable word wall and alphabet letters. The students use these resources to write freely in journals, practice handwriting, write letters, etc.

ABC Center- In the ABC Center, children practice their letter knowledge using a variety of materials such as letter stamps, pocket charts, Play-Doh letter shaping, stencils, games, etc.

Computer Center- The children play educational CD Roms that support literacy development as well as technology development. CD ROMs are rotated periodically. We use internet games and educational CD Roms that support phonics and phonemic awareness development as well as number knowledge and counting skills.

Library Center- The Library Center allows students the opportunity to become familiar with a wide variety of literature as well as time to practice reading independently or with a friend. Students in this center self select from a collection of picture books, class books, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and dictionaries.

Listening Center- The Listening center gives the children an opportunity to listen to a variety of stories on tape/CD as they page through the book. Children make a connection between oral language and printed text. If time allows they may also illustrate a favorite scene from the story.

Read and Write the Room Center- Children walk around and read words on posters, charts, books, and anywhere else in the classroom. They use a clipboard to write the letters and words that they find. Sometimes I will give the children specific things to look for such as words that begin with the letter 'a' or the names of friends.

Lite Brite Center- In the Lite Brite Center the students use brightly colored pegs and a Lite Brite to practice making the letter of the week. The letter is printed on a worksheet in both upper and lower case forms. The students also color pictures that begin with that letter.

Games and Puzzles Center- The Games and Puzzles provides a fun way for the students to practice basic learning as well as sharing and working together to accomplish a task.

Math Center-

Science/Social Studies Center-

Building Center-

Sand/Water-

Book Making Center-

Art Center-

Dramatic Play Center-

Centers