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, and Dramatic Play.

   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. The learning that takes place here includes: discovering the alphabet, letter recognition, pre-writing skills, pre-reading skills, beginning and ending sounds, fine motor skills and phonics.

   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. Additional learning that takes place here includes; learning mouse control, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and knowledge of computer functions.

   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. The students learn a variety of things is the Library Center. They include; experience quiet moments, creating own stories, gathering information, use of imagination, sequencing events, proper care of books, the concept that letters and words have meaning, pre-reading skills and language skills.

   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. The learning that takes place here includes: pre-reading skills, development of language skills, the concept that letters have meaning, learning proper care for books, following directions, working independently, gathering information, connecting stories to their pictures, and listening skills.

   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.

   Games and Puzzles Center- The Games and Puzzles center provides a fun way for the students to practice basic learning as well as sharing and working together to accomplish a task. There are many educational games and puzzles for the students to choose from. Often times you will see the teacher participating in the fun.

   Math Center- There are a variety of activities included in the Math Center for the students to choose from. The students may practice telling time with a large clock, count money in a cash register, sort fruit by their color, make patterns with unifix cubes, or use one to one correspondence to match the number of pegs to the correct numeral. The learning that happens here includes; estimation, classifying/sorting, counting, comparing, patterning, time, money, using hand-eye coordination, and number formation.

   Science/Social Studies Center- The science center is located next to the classroom window to enhance observation opportunities. The students discover how things work, weather conditions, ant activity in the class ant farm, ladybug lifecycles in our Ladybug Land (beginning in the spring). They also use their senses as they touch items from the environment such as pine cones, sea shells, leaves, flowers, seeds, acorns, and grass. They observe birds in the outdoor birdfeeder and squirrels jumping from tree to tree. The students are encouraged to document their observations by drawing a picture or 'writing' what they see.

   Building Center-

   Sand/Water-

   Book Making Center-

   Art Center- The activities change weekly at this center based on the subject/theme being taught in whole group instruction. The students expand their creativity through a closely monitored art activity. They use a variety of materials such as paint and paint brushes, stamps, glue, glitter, crayons, markers, colored pencils, fabric, foam and paper scraps. The students increase their language development as they cooperate and share materials. This center also enhances hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and creative expression.

    Dramatic Play Center- The Dramatic Play Center is a favorite in an early childhood classroom. Here, the students learn cooperation, language skills, emotions/feelings of others, acting out real life situations, verbalizing ideas/concepts and observation.