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| I often get emails asking about how I manage my literacy centers. Each year I've tried something new to help manage them, there's no real science but it's depends what works best for you. I hope some of my ideas can help others become more successful when working with literacy centers! Please email me if you'd like to know more about a center and how it works. |
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| Literacy Center Management |
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During the '07-'08 school year I tested out using "Must do" and "Can do" centers. Students have 4 must do centers that all students are expected to finish and will recieve a grade on each week. The 5th day each week is considered a "catch up day." Each students "must do" must be completed before a can do can be chosen to work on. My students wear name tags around their neck when working at a "Can do" so I can quickly spot where each child is working and how many students are at each center. It seems to be going really well and all of my students get their Must Do's done! :-) |
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Center Contracts ('03-06) |
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What centers do you use? Do you use them all at once? How many at a time? |
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No, I wouldn't do all of my centers listedbelow all at once but on this page is a mixture of the many centers I have been using over the years. I thought the more centers I post the more teachers out there I can help out :-)
The center contracts above show that last year I would have 6-8 centers to complete each rotation. My kids had to keep their work and turn it in with their contract at the end of each rotation.
I started this year with 4 Must Do centers that changed every week and then the 4 to 6 Can Do centers. Working with Must Do and Can Do centers really has allowed my slower students.
As of February I've changed to 6 centers (see the black chart) and each center has a Must Do on the directions and a Can Do listed below on the directions paper at the center (See the right photo ).
The right side of the black chart shows our Word Study activities for the week. |
Must Do/Can Do Directions 
My "Must Do/Can Do" centers were inspired by Ms. Masden,
a Kindergarten teacher at my school.
My center signs were created by a first grade teacher at my school and I am not able to post them.
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Other Teachers using Must Do/Can Do Centers:
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Other Teachers Literacy Center Pages
The letter next to the teachers name indicates the grade level
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| My Literacy Centers |
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Poetry Center
I've gotten great resources from websites like
Shel Silverstein.com Other ideas are to have a poem of the week. The kids can glue it into a poem notebook, find words being studied, and illustrate.
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Listening Center
I have alot of books on CD I have purchased from Scholastic and our school library has books on tape for students to listen to at the center. Students after reading reflect on their favorite part and explain using complete sentences why it was their favorite part in the story.
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File Folder Games Center
I have so many of the "File folder" centers that I made my first year of teaching and realized that they make a perfect quick center activity. Most of the classic file folder games take less than 5 minutes to play so I put a variety of games out for the kids to choose and play.
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Newspaper Center
I've saved extra Weekly Readers from past years or the Sunday Mini Page from the newspaper for this activity. The students read an article in the "newspaper" and then needs to respond in writing to explain what they learned from it and how that will change his/her learning.
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Writing Center
Each week I have a new writing center often they are based on a monthly theme. Below was for October called Monster In a Jar. The class had to draw a picture of a Monster in a Jar and then write a story to explain how the monster got there! View a sample of the Writing Center
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Making Words
Students work with the word builder strategies to help sudents in building words out of other words. Students use chunks, blends, and digraphs to help discover the letters needed to make new words. View a sample of the Making Words Center
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Word Wall Center
Students choose words off the word wall to practice spelling using magnets. Then students will write complete sentences and show the meaning of each word in each sentence. I use cookie sheets from the dollar store to make this a portable activity.
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Letter Writing Center
Our School has an in school mail system called "Wee Deliver". Students use their center time to work on letter writing skills while writing to friends in our school building. Then students take their letters to the "Wee Deliver Mailbox" and the mail staff before and after school each day sorts and delivers the mail! View a sample of the Letter Writing Center
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Leap Frog Center
I purchased a Leap Frog on ebay for my class during 2005 and it has proven to be a worthwhile purchase. I ask for donations of games and batteries to keep this center going!
View a sample of the Leap Frog Center
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Handwriting Center
We use the Handwriting Without Tears program at our school. All my children are required to trace their letters in highlighter first and then go over them in pencil. The highlighter helps children with gliding through their letters instead of the jerky motion that can come from a pencil. This strategy was recommended by our OT a few years ago and I have continued it with all my students.
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Art Center
My art center is a combination of my former "following directions" center and a writing activity. Kids still need time ot be kids working on cutting, gluing, and following directions to complete a task. Attached is an example our Native Amerian Art Center. (I love to get many of my art center ideas off crayola.com) The photo below is an example of our Monster Tales Art Center idea from Teresa Wilson.
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Spelling Center
This year our school has implemented the Words Their Way Word Study Program. Each day before centers my students practice their weekly spelling sorts and complete a word study activity before starting their Must Do centers. View Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check
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Computer Center (Mac & PC)
Our school provides two Dell Comptuers (black computers in the background) and I have two iMacs that I take care of that we use in the classroom. The Mac's use CD's only and the Dells have internet access and everything on them.
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Social Studies Center
Students complete activities that reflect what we have been learning about in Social Studies. This year we will learn about our government and our leaders. We will also learn about Native Americans and our United States of America.I got a lot of these activities from Target during back to school sales.
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Science Center
The science center often reflects our three major units of study, the lifecycle of the butterfly, balancing and weighing, and liquids. Students complete mini-experiments during this center and they will record their data and reflect upon their experiment after they have completed it.
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Second Grade Skills Center
Second grade skills center can have any form of study from research, dictionary skills, facts & opinons, grammar skills, or even BCR practice.
View a sample of the Research Center.  |
Read a New Book Center I usally put all the new books I buy in a "New Book" basket. I put out with the books a review page for students to compele after they have read the new book. |
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Useful Literacy Center Books
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