LEARNING CENTERS

A learning center is an area in the classroom which contains a collection of activities and materials to teach, reinforce, and/or enrich a skill or concept.

TYPES OF LEARNING CENTERS

• Enrichment Centers

• Skill Development Centers

• Exploratory & Interest Centers

Managing Center Rotations

Layer the activities within each tub

Computers

Listening

Matching Words

Pocket Chart Centers

                                       

                                         Storytelling Center Using a great storytelling board from Lakeshore.  The students love to retell stories using the characters and the storyboard.  You can use a flannel board with many pieces.  Masks and puppets are good for retelling.

Humpty Dumpty

Jack and Jill

Peter Pumpkin Eater

Magnets Centers- making words or sentences

Site Words and Word Families

                                          

                                                         

                                                                                

Alphabet Order Center-Students put flash cards of the alphabet in order.  This can be done on the

floor or on a pocket chart.  Alphabet strips are put in

this station for a visual check.  Letter arcs are

used for putting the alphabet in order.  The

students can string letter blocks in order.  Alpha-bears can be placed in

ABC order.

Overhead Center-The students love the overhead station.  Overhead letter tiles, overhead sight words, overhead word  family tiles, letter dot-to-dot transparencies, overhead pictures with the correct spaces for the letter tiles, D'Nealian handwriting transparencies are just some of the things that students can choose from.

Guided Reading

ABC Centers-

Lengthening Centers

ABC Center Tubs

The students work in Literacy Centers independently for forty-five minutes each day.  During this time, I pull students for small group reading instruction.  My instructional aide monitors the students during Literacy Centers.  For the first four weeks of school, I introduce all of the centers and explain the rotation.  After this, each group is given a choice of three centers to work in each day.

Literacy Centers-Lengthening Centers

Rules

1. Students must start working on the tub activity they are assigned to first on the chart.

2. Once students complete one activity and have an adult check it, they may bring the second ABC tub to their table if they desire to.

3. Students must work the entire time.

4. Students may not choose an ABC tub or other activity that is not assigned to them for that day.

Checklist for Creating Centers

Decide on Type of Center (Standards or Task Analysis)

Specify Outcomes Design the Center Secure Materials Design Learning

Alternatives and Extensions

Determine the Directions

Timeline for Rotations and Procedure for Getting Your Attention

Where do I

start?

Make Sure your CENTERS Include…

• Title / Picture• Instructions /

Illustrated• Necessary

Materials• Learning

Alternatives• Procedures for

Assessment/ Accountability

Explaining and Modeling for Students

• Write and Share Instructions for Students

• Devise and Explain Management System

• Set up the Center• Orient Students to

the Center

Motivate Students to Use Centers By:

adding new activities and materials,

letting students create their own activities at the centers,

having teacher directed lessons in small groups at the center,

providing opportunities to share products they have produced as a result of working at the center,

providing a means of record keeping and evaluating so that both student and the teacher can account for time spent and learnings accomplished at the learning center.