For third grade...

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For third grade...
By Julie/IN

I've been working with four other teachers to develop smart centers for first grade. We've taken the format and plugged in social studies, science, math, language arts skills, etc. We used our state standards and our teachers
text books plus a lot of brain power. From that, I would say that you could use smart centers at the third grade level. It would work best if you were able to sit down with a couple other teachers to plan them. The ideas flow so much better. There is a lot of criticism on centers--just things to keep the kids busy instead of a way to integrate curriculum. We're using them while we teach

literacy groups. Some of the actual smart centers in the book would not be appropriate for third, but others would be.
We're allowing 25 minutes for a smart center initially and then 40-45 minutes the second part of the year.
The book is great because of the ideas and the format of the centers. I would not say that it's a well-written book--like books by Shelley Harwayne or Sharon Taberski (not that those have to do with centers, just that I think their books are well-written). It just makes me know that I can create centers that are really meaniful and tied to the curriculum.
The other thing that was great about them is that you can use exactly what you already have available. You don't have to go out and buy a bunch of stuff.
That was a pretty round about way to answering your question. So, my answer is yes, it would be appropriate to third grade, though you might end up using the format and creating your own smart centers more than the exact ones they have already written.
If there is a workshop on Smart Centers in your area, I suggest you go! You definitely would benefit from that!