Ideas For Center Work

strong>Here are ideas that I use or have heard about to use in the centers that I use:

1. Art Center-
-Following drawing directions: how to make a snake, how to draw a balloon, how to make a monster

(use these books a lot):

-Use flip cards to: design and label a monster, draw and label a park, draw and label a farm, draw and label your house/room, draw and label your classroom

-Make a card: (must use dear and from/love, and try to write a sentence)

-Following Craft Directions: make a school bus, make a spider, make a Jack O’ Lantern, make a Christmas tree, make a heart, make George Washington/Abraham Lincoln profile or face w/hat, make an Easter basket, make a horse head and silk for Kentucky Derby Day, make a lion/lamb, make a sun, make a snow flake, make a snowman, make a fall tree, make a wreath

-Design: Halloween, Valentines, Christmas treat bag (write name on it and chose pictures from paper that has the word under it telling what it is)

2. Read and Write the Room- I include both read and write the room into one center. For the main part of the year, I have the students read the room for that letter of the week that we are studying, and then copy the word (write) on thier paper. If we spend more than a week on a letter, I will combine the past 2 week’s letters on one page and they have to find two letters and write the words in the appropriate column. Towards the end of the year, once all the letters have been taught, they will have a sheet of paper with all the letters of the alphabet on it. Their job is to find one word that begins with each letter of the alphabet and write it down on the appropriate line. Once that is done, they have to write a sentence using at least 1 of the words they found and wrote down. There are several lines, so gifted kids can write more sentences if you chose to have them.

3. Leap Pad Center- I have collected many Leap Pads and Leap Pad books over the past couple of years. Students can go through many of the literacy based Leap Pad books during the center time

4. Writing Center-
-Shared Reading Activities:
-The Monster Pet: write a story about having a monster of your own; write and draw favorite part of the story
-I Want My Mom!: write and illustrate a picture from the story in more detail; write a rhyme to go with your picture
-BAABOOOM!: write about your experience with balloons; write and draw a story about balloons; write capitions for your illustration
-Bella Lost Her Moo: write and draw favorite part of the book; write a recipe for stew that they would like to eat- make a picture/word list of ingredients- draw pictures showing what to do first, second and so forth; make a silly recipe
-It’s The Weekend!: write and draw about a real or imaginary weekend adventure; (my addition: write about your weekend; write about what you want to do over break)
-ALL About Us: write and draw about favorite poem in book; write a poem from your own experience (use rhymes if you can)
-I Looked Through My Window: write and draw about favorite animal in book; (my addition: write about a bedtime animal you sleep with; write about what you see out your window)
-Whose Baby?: (on index cards) draw on unlined side an animal, on other (lined) side write one or two words that describe the animal (a list of adjectives are provided); (my addition: write about your favorite animal from the book; match and write what a baby animal is called (it’s different than it’s adult name) using a sentence (i.e. A baby cat is a kitten.)
-You Noisy Monkey!: write and draw about your favorite jungle animal; draw and write about a time when you saw an animal (from the book); use describing words to describe your favorite jungle animal or animal from the book
-Kakadu Jack: draw and write about your favorite part from the book; draw and write about a funny shopping experience you once had; draw and write a list of items for Molly Mack and Kakadu Jack to buy the next time they go to the market; (my addition: make a list of items Molly Mack and Kakadu Jack got)
-Look for Me in This ABC: make a list (and illustrate) of things that start with the same letter as your name; (my addition: alphabeticalize a list of things–use simple words or words from the book that relate to each other and have them alphabeticalize– we only do the 1st letter (so don’t get words that begin with the same letter; draw and write about favorite letter or person in the book)
-I Wish I Had A Monster: write and draw about a wish you have, a pet you have, or your feelings about monsters; (my addition: write and draw a story about a monster)
-Gogo’s Goat: make and illustrate a restaurant menu that lists all the items the goat ate; (my addition: make a list of things Gogo ate in the book; write and draw about favorite place Gogo went; make a list of the people Gogo went to- alphabetize the list)
-The Cat and the Monkey’s Tail: write and draw one of the characters that the monkey asks for help- write a caption that tells what the character has that the monkey wants; (my addition: write and draw about your favorite animal in the book)
-My House Is Your House: write an invitation for someone to visit your house (can use a model for students to copy if needed); (my addition: write about a time when someone visited your house (did you like that person there or not?)
-Wheels, Wings, and Other Things: write and draw about something they learned in the book; write and draw about favorite form of transportation; write and draw about a trip you’ve taken on something that has wheels or wings

-Other Activities:-
-Write a letter to: mom, dad, friend, thank you for a field trip or special event
-Write a story about a frog, dog, farm animal
-Write a “how-to”

I want to implement this this year:
-”Pick a Picture”: chose a picture (pre-cut out from magazines, or old calendars pre-ripped apart), think about what is happening in the picture, write down some words or draw a picture to help show what the picture makes you think about, write about your picture, read your writing to a friend. (I got this idea- direction page from More Primary Literacy Centers)

-Perks’ “Class News”: At the beginning of the week, there is a list of 7 spots of things going on this week, 7 kids a week are chosen and during writing time that week (Monday-Thursday) those chosen students are to fill out their slip of what’s going on in that topic for the week. At the end of the week it’s transfered onto the paper to go home. Once all have written their part, the teacher will make copies for everyone to take home. It’s more of a student ownership/responsiblity for learning news letter (I send home mine on Mondays).

-Handwriting Without Tears:

5. Pocket (poetry) Chart/Name Center-
-Names:
-Match picture of student to name card

-Use letters (index cards cut up with a letter on each cut out) to make your name (index card with picture and name on it)- do this in a cookie sheet to contain it or on pocket chart
-Use letters (index cards cut up with a letter on each cut out) to make a friends’ name (sheet has everyone’s in class’ picture and name on it)- do this in a cookie sheet to contain it or on pocket chart
-Stamp your name on paper with letter stamp and ink pad
-Alphabetize names of students (after you do this together- have correct list for them to check) using picture card with name on it
-Read class book My Name Is…- spell friends name as you read

-Poetry:
-Use arrange sentence strips (words from poem are cut out of sentence form) in correct order to recreate the poem (copy of poem available to help and correct)

-Read take home book that matches poem (from A Poem In My Pocket: Spring; Winter; Fall–3 different books)

-Nursery Rhymes:
The books I use for nursery rhyme activities are:

-These books have a color copy of the nursery rhyme (though I copy it- therefore it’s black and white), has directions for teacher to make a file folder to “re-enact” the nursery rhyme, a book with the words and pictures of the nursery rhyme to copy for students, sentence strips with phrases from nursery rhyme for students to place in the correct order to make the nursery rhyme and read it (copy it on card stock and laminate), patterns to copy (won’t be color if you do– do it on card stock and laminate), and the same with picture cards of the nursery rhyme. There’s also a worksheet for the kids to do (but I don’t do it because I already use enough paper copying the books each poem- although a few could be copied on card stock and laminiated and the students can use dry erase markers to complete– you could make a few sets if you really wanted to do the worksheets but can’t use a whole lot of paper).
- I also use:
This book has nursery rhyme plays- which may be hard for most kindergarteners, but gifted students benefit from these plays and if you did theme in a reading group, it could then go into a center.

This book has color and black and white copies of the nursery rhymes, gives ideas for activities to do, colored and black and white cut out characters, a phonics type worksheet, and a number type worksheet.

This book has ideas for activities to do, and reproducible items from some of those activities listed.

- I want to also like to get these book to get more nursery rhymes in my file:

6. ABC Center- I do a lot of alphabet work at this center.
-ABC Fishing Students “throw” the line into the “water”-the table, and the magnet on the end of it “catches” a “fish”- a letter. In order to take the letter off, they have to read the letter (for more advanced kids or later on in the year, students say the sound that letter makes along with the letter name). I have capital and lowercase letters with my fishing kit. I have also found out that in order for them to take turns, they have only one pole…that has issues of it’s own, but they have to learn to take turns too. The others are to help if they don’t know the letter or sound.

-ABC Go Fish: ABC cards can be found just about anywhere…Wal-Mart, dollar stores, etc. I also have a Leapfrog set. After teaching the rules of Go Fish, the kids play the game on their own. If they need help with a letter or sound (for more advanced kids or later on in the year- group members can help).
-Capital and lowercase letter match puzzles AND Picture and letter match puzzles

-Plastic ABC letter shape sorts (straight lines, curvy lines, diagonal lines) Students are to sort the plastic letters by straight lines, curvey lines, and diagonal lines, and also by various other ways to sort…the different mats have different sorting rules (there are some blank ones to)

-Leapfrog magnetic ABC letters Students can listen to the machine sing the alphabet, as well as once they press a letter in the machine it will say the word and the sound.

-Ladybug Capital and lowercase letter match puzzles

-ABC Pocketchart Students are to sort the cardboard letters (came with pocket chart) into the matching letter pockets; students sort colored cardboard pictures (came with pocketchart) into the pocket by the initial letter (the initial letter one the back of the picture is colored different than the rest of the word- self correcting)

-ABC Books (various kinds) Students read various ABC books

-ABC Beanbags Students can put the bean bags in ABC order; name word that begin with that particular letter bean bag they chose; and toss a bean bag to partner and say a word that begins with that letter or say that letter (depending on level of student and time of year)…there are many more ways to use these

-ABC beads Students can string the beads on in ABC order and then sing the alphabet making sure they are in the correct order; string the beads in order to make their name, saying the letters after completed

-ABC mats These mats are made to be on the floor. Students can put them in ABC order, and then step on them and say that letter as they go through the alphabet.

-Magnetic ABC letters Students can put in ABC order; match lowercase and capital letters, make their name (say letters afterwards), make color words (say letters afterwards), etc.

-Sandpaper ABC letters Trace letter and say each letter; put in ABC order and do the same as stated before.

-Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom letter tile match: (capial to capital/ lowercase to lowercase/capital to lowercase) I got ideas from

-Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom BINGO:
I got the idea from– http://www.geocities.com/pbottoms2001/CCBB_Bingo_Cards.html

-Chicka, Chicka, Boom, Boom ABC Samp Game: I got it from– http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/CCBBboomBoomGame.htm

-ABC stamps

-ABC Roll and Tally (I got this idea from Tawyna Powers)

The Next 6 items I got off of http://www.childcareland.com/free.html
1-ABC Order Cards: Balloons, flowers, spiders, candy, tulips,
2-Days of the week: pumpkins, christmas bulbs, bunny and egg, bunny, santa, butterflies,
3-Months of the Year: bunny and egg, bunny, santa, butterflies,
4-Printable Alphabet Games: pumpkins patch letter match, letter puzzles, ladybug and leaf alphabet mat, ghost letter match, snowmany alphabet match, scarecrow and crow alphabet match, christmas bulb letter match, christmas bulb letter match mat, santa alphabet match, gingerbread alphabet match mat, hat and mitten alphabet match, mitten alphabet board game, heart alphabet memory game, shamrock alphabet file folder game, fishbowl alphabet matching mat, alphabet puzzles, apple alphabet puzzles, fall corn letter mats, ornament alphabet match mat, alphabet floor dominos,
5-Letter Tracing Cards: Holly, pumpkins, shamrocks, bee,
6-Alphabet books: Raindrop alphabet match book, heart alphabet match book, ghost alphabet book, Pom Pom alphabet book, dinosaur alphabet book, umbrella alphabet match book, teeth alphabet book, penguin alphabet book, spider alphabet match book, flower alphabet match book, alphabet match book, snowman alphabet puzzle book, turkey alphabet book, alphabet word book,

-Clothespin ABC’s: I usually use the ABC cards (see item 1 above) or make my own to match the theme or holiday that is nearest that week of centers

-Throughout the activities (especially putting ABC’s in order, students use the charts)

Things I am going to implement this year:
-Playdough ABC Roll:
-Playdough ABC Cookie Cutters:
-ABC Bottles:
-

-Items I would like to get:

7. Sight Word Center-
-Sandpaper sight words

-Lego block sight words (index card sight words on book ring for assistance)

-Sight Word puzzles

-Letter tile sight words (index card sight words on book ring for assisstance)

-Sight word BINGO (make your own board) I do this so I only have words that we have learned. Each week I have different board with updated words. During reading groups we sometimes use a premade, company sight word BINGO game. (Tawnya Powers-see Resource page for more information)

-Pipe cleaner sight words

-Sight word read flash cards (actually a set of word wall words)

-Read, trace, and write sight word boards/mats

-Word Wall Roll (Tawnya Powers-see Resources page for information)

-Sight Word Bug Whack- I copied the black and white outlines of bugs on colored card stock, wrote sight words on them, and got a little fly swatter from the Crystal Springs company (.97 last time I checked) . I only gave them bugs with the words we have already learned, and added more as each week passed. They lay the bugs out on the floor or table and read the word, then whack it with the fly swatter. If they don’t know the word, they have to ask their neighbor or the assistant in the room. (Tawnya Powers-see Resource page for information)

-I just got this on sale and I want to use it with a small TV with headphones…not sure how it will work,
but I think the students will like it:

-Making Words Leapfrog Word Launch

I am going to introduce these this coming year:
-”Highlight It!” I altered this activity (instead of “I can’t say these words”, “I don’t know what theses words mean”, “I don’t understand theses phrases”) I use “I know this word” and “I don’t know this word”. I got this idea from- More Primary Literacy Centers (see Resource page for more information)

-”Magic Words”- I want to use sight words as my choice for the words to use. On 5″X8″ index cards, write in glue the sight words and when dry attach them in a book ring (I will only put the words we have studied on this ring and add as we learn them). Students have a notebook 100 sheets, binder (I am going to try to do this- they are .25 ea at Staples this week) with 100 pieces of paper, 100 pieces of paper stapled or bound together, and they look for a word they haven’t done yet, and put the index card behind the piece of paper and run a crayon over the piece of paper (crayon rubbing). Then they either write the word a few times on that same page, or as the year progresses, they can write a sentence using that word they rubbed. I guess what I will want them to do is to begin this center doing all the new words for that week. Then they can do the other sight word activities they chose to do- good way to hold accountability. (I got this idea from More Primary Literacy Centers)

-”Make Me See” this activity uses newspapers or flyers (cereal or food boxes-flattened). Students will look at the file folder for that week and read the words to find. Once they see the words (I will only do 3 or 4–3-4 sight words for that week and in addition maybe a word the class hasn’t gotten yet), they will look in the article, newpaper page, food box, etc. and highlight those words they were to look for. They need to turn their paper in with their name in at the end. They can read those words to the teacher at a later time (I will probably do it on Friday). (I got this idea from More Primary Literacy Centers)

8. Library Center-
-The sheet I have them tally the sight words on is called “Word Detective Tally” (Tawnya Powers-see Resource page for information)

What I want to do this year:
-”Book Buddies”- this is a list of manners for everyone, readers, and listeners. After they do the “Word Decective Tally” activity, they can read with a buddy or by themselves. (I got this idea- list of manners from More Primary Literacy Centers)

-”Find The Feature”: once a certain non-fiction text feature is introduced (probably mainly in shared reading-that way everyone will have knowledge of it), there is a recording sheet that they need to find a book with that text feature and write the title of the book and the page number (I may have a few books in a bin for easier access…books with and without text features–that way they don’t have to go through 1,000 books). I got this idea and the recording sheet from Primary Literacy Centers. There is also mini sentence strips labels in this book to copy and you can make a little poster to remind students of what that text feature is…I am going to copy a section out of a book and highlight that text feature and place it on a poster under the label from the book.

9. Listening Center-
-Shared Reading Books
-Other books
-Sheet students fill out

10. Computer Center- www.starfall.com