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Centers
By Michelle

Hi Tamara,
I use centers and teach first grade. I tried the 10 minutes and switch that drove me crazy. So I made a poster board with a pocket for each child and their name on it. Then I picked up some colored popsicle
sticks and wrote either a 1,2 or 3 on the sticks. 1 represented the first center they would go to. 2,3 etc. Each color would represent the center. After the third center I had the child read a book. This works out nicely. The first month you just have to make sure everyone is going to the centers. It works!!!!

The centers I am starting a new writing center. I usually

have some set activity for them to do. I went to this program over the summer and they said that in a writing center you should have different types of paper and different writing tools and let the children write what ever. So I am going to try that but I asked relatives if they could get me some scrap paper at their jobs because I can't afford to buy new paper. I have a language arts center where there is words and letters for the chidren to put together sentences or words. I also have different games for blends and capital letters.
In the math center I have different games for the topic they are learning or have learned. I have a listening center. I only have one tape recorder so only one child can use it. I also have a big book center where they can sit on a rug and read . I also have a reading center with bean bags and baskets of books. I try to make the room all child oriented, I took away my desk and I use one big filing cabinet for my stuff which is in the back of the room. The rest of the room is all for the kids. Michelle