centers

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centers
By Gail

8:50 seatwork and table conversation
9:10 morning meeting which includes math activities , interactive writing, read aloud, songs and poems etc.
9:30 whole group handwriting lesson 3xweek
9:45 math centers - partners
or alone (these start at 9:30 2xweek)
10:00 recess
10:20 language centers - small groups - during this time I conduct small group work such as guided reading, writer's workshop
10:50 choice (play centers) later in the year this will change to longer lang. centers - 1 hr
11:30 lunch
12:00 read aloud and rest
12:30 theme discussions
12:45 specials
1:30 choice

again or O.T. work or Reading buddies
2:00 recess
2:25 snack
2:40 ready to go home and show 'n tell/social discussions
On Fridays, I have a big thematic art project after morning meeting. It lasts until about 11:00. As you can see, we have a very NAEYC friendly program. The choice center activities are drama (lots of cultural options there,) blocks, manipulatives, science discovery, writing/drawing, library, play doh, sand table, puzzles and games. There's lots of learning going on at all of these. It's amazing how often the children will go for the math manipulatives as a choice activity, either pattern blocks, cubes, links, math games. I will usually introduce new things with the large group and then set them to exploring it. As far as language centers, I'm focusing on letter work - recognition and matching, upper and lower cases. In a few weeks we will move to more word work - concept of a word, circling words, pointing to words in repetitive text, phonemic awareness and word encoding and decoding especially with more interactive writing. Our kids come in with limited letter recognition but leave reading well. Keeping the program successful for all while helping them build a bank of strategies is the key for me.
You can develop a program that works for you. Block something out and gradually add new things as you get comfortable. It does work.