centers

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Home : 2003 : January : 25

centers
By Julianne

I use the same approach as the above poster. I don't start teaching guided reading until the centers have been going for some time (for me it's more like 2 to 3 weeks rather than just one). I also try to teach centers that
are essentially the same every week with different materials in them. We have four groups of four students, each group visits two centers each day making a total of eight centers to create and maintain. Some that are easy, useful and fun:
puzzle center - jigsaw puzzles teach spatial relations, promote student discussion and are good for eye/hand coordination. You can provide easy

puzzles for the beginning of the year and work up to 100 piece ones later. I keep my puzzles in ziplock bags with the picture cut from the box. Boxes take up too much room and break too easily.

spelling center - write your spelling words 3 times on paper, whiteboard, chalkboard, with stamps, etc. If you rotate what they write with it makes the center fun but takes very little time to set up. Keep the same spelling words every year and you won't be doing much planning after the first year.

math games - any game where kids count, add, subtact or match to get an answer. I have a bunch of these with easy-to-follow directions. Chutes and ladders, dominoes, memory, etc. Once the kids know the games you just put one out for the week and let them go.

Books on tape - if you find a source for books on tape this center plans itself each week and is a favorite. To expand it, have students illustrate the story, copy the title and author, write about it, etc.

Journal center - students keep a journal which they are responsible for writing in during the center rotation. You do not have to plan anything for this one. You should have the center placed very near your word wall and should encourage them to draw pictures and invent spellings at first. You do not need to correct every entry. To expand it, have students reread their own journal entries, rewrite, exchange books, etc.

Art center - At our school we never have enough time to teach real art. Once in a while we do what passes for art in the form of a whole group craft project. So art at a center is great for creativity and enjoyment. Teach proper use of materials, then rotate them each week. Poster painting, collage materials, watercolor, crayons, colored pencils, markers, and anything else you can think of that is inexpensive and allows kids to create independently. You can put up "inspiration" pieces such as copies of master paintings, photos, etc. Or you can show a technique and let the kids go from there.

Write-the-room - a center I thought my kids would hate is, instead, a big hit. Provide clipboards and lined paper for students to wander around your room writing the words they see. Often they want to copy a favorite poem or piece of interactive writing. This center takes no time to set up.