UPDATED: August 20, 2009
INDEPENDENT LITERACY CENTERS
Within our classroom, students are to complete independent work centers.
Students are introduced to each center for the week, given directions, and are
shown the end result of the center. Once students are introduced to all these
centers for the week, they are "let go" to freely choose which centers they
would like to complete. They have to pick a center, gather all the materials
for the center, complete the center using the directions given, make sure the
center is done to the best of his/her ability, put all materials away after
center is completed, and then account for the completed center on his/her
center sheet. After one center is completed, they can then choose another
center until center time is up for the day. When necessary, some student will
be told which centers to work on in order to help them learn to their full
potential. We will start these centers in October and they will continue
throughout the entire year.
Students love these centers within these centers we do the following topics:
* Literacy
* Math
* Patterning
* Shapes
* Sequencing
* Handwriting
* Story Writing
* Star Words
* Science
* Hands (Fine Motor Skills)
* Art
* Name Work
* Vowel Work
These are great centers where students have to learn independence and
organizational skills. These skills are needed in first grade. Motivational
skills are also learned since students have to complete centers of their own.
If centers are not completed as they need to be, I encourage students to go
back and put a little more effort into their centers. Therefore, students will
learn to be accountable for their work. Students are also not supposed to
complete all the centers. I make sure that students complete the
appropriate centers for his/her skills level.
MATH WORK PLACE CENTERS
Also within our classroom, students get to complete math centers. These math
centers are "hands on" related and lots of fun. As with the independent
centers mentioned above, students get to choose their own center and play the
games with a partner. Math work place centers are part of our math program
and will continue throughout the rest of the school year.
