We end almost every day with 15 minutes of learning centers. These centers allow students to take what they have learned in school and apply their knowledge in fun, informal settings. Our centers are the listening center, writing center, computer center, reading center, math center, science center, and star center. Click on any of the centers listed to see their descriptions and pictures, and check back for more pictures coming soon.
First graders love hearing a good story read
aloud to them- whether it's me reading it or a book on tape at the listening center!
It's so fun to put on some headphones and tune out the world as you just enjoy a
story being read to you with a friend at your side!
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Students have fun writing on colored paper,
plain paper, or paper with a neat border or picture at the writing center. Sometimes
students write a story using picture stamps and words, or sometimes they write a
letter to a friend (or me!)
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Students practice their reading, math, and
computer skills on the computers... and learn how to share and take turns! The game
that the students above are playing is called "Memory Master," and it is
a card-matching memory game.
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Students can read or play a reading game at
the reading center. Books in our classroom library are grouped by genre, favorite
characters, favorite authors, classmade books, student stories (published in Writer's
Workshop), and there are even big books... which are just what they sound like! Students
can also play a variety of reading games which help to strengthen their reading skills.
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Students practice a variety of math skills,
such as counting, addition, subtraction, patterns, money, time, place value, measurement,
shapes, and even fractions through math games and math manipulatives. The students
playing with the dominoes above matched equal numbers of domino dots to each other.
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Students practice the science skills they
learned in class by continuing to experiment with the objects and concepts that they
were introduced to. Here, students practiced spinning tops as part of our balance
and motion science unit. Sometimes, a student who did not "get" the science
concept the first time or do the experiment successfully will go to the science center
to continue to practice until they do "get it!"
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The star center is an interactive reading bulletin board (with a star border!) that changes at the beginning of each month. Students practice letter, word, and sentence building skills through fun, hands-on activities. Click on the star center boards below to learn more about them and see the students in action. (Many of the ideas for these bulletin boards are from the book "Interactive Bulletin Boards: Language Arts" by Judy Meagher and Joan Novelli, published by Scholastic.)
September Star Center
October Star Center
November Star Center
December Star Center
January Star Center
February Star Center
March Star Center
April Star Center
