Differentiating Instructions with Centers EDU222 Dr. Danan Myers

Centers Students work alone or interact with others, using instructional materials to explore and expand knowledge. It is a variety of activities to reinforce, or extend learning without assistance from the teacher. It is a time for children to practice reading, writing, listening, and working with letters and words. It can also be used in math but most commonly used during Language Arts.

Advantages Students choose to work alone or with partners which will decrease the noise level and reduce the number of students working together. Students may work in pairs but this will also allow some students to work alone if they chose to do so. Allows for independent practice Additional enrichment Differentiation All students participate Equal access to engage Improved student behavior Utilizing a variety of materials Use of manipulatives Students internalize more

What can be a center? Classroom library Computers Writing –Journal –Creative writing Drama –Puppetry –Dress-up

More ideas for Centers Listening center Puzzles and Games Buddy Reading Overhead Projector Pocket Chart Science/Social Studies/Math

Reading Workshop Target Grade: Kindergarten Name of Center: The Gingerbread Man Skill: Alphabet Prior Knowledge: Upper and lower case letters Number of Children: 1 or 2 Materials needed to make center: 6 sheets of Gingerbread Man ran off on cardstock, markers and scissors. Directions to make center: Write 1 upper or lower case letter on each Gingerbread man until all letters have been written. Cut out cards. It is best if the cards are cut out in rectangles and then laminated. Related Books: The Gingerbread Man, The Gingerbread Boy, other alphabet books. What children will need to do center: Gingerbread Man alphabet cards, pocket chart. Introducing center: Show the students how to spread the cards out. Show how to put the cards in alphabetical order using only the upper case letters. Then show how to match the lower case letters to the upper case letters. Show how to play “Fish” and “Concentration with the cards. To clean up, show students how to place cards back into zip-lock bag and place back in center tub. Ability levels: HMLHML Put in abc order and match upper to lower case. Play “Fish” or “Concentration”. Match upper to lower case Use only ½ of the cards and match upper to lower case.

Reading Workshop Target Grade: Kindergarten Name of Center: Brown Bear, Brown Bear Skill: Recognition of color words Prior Knowledge: In text and on charts Number of Children: 2-4 Materials needed to make center: 3 by 5 cards, color markers, permanent marker, Brown Bear pictures, sentence strips. Writing paper, scissors and glue. Directions to make center: On 3 by 5 cards, write color words with corresponding color. Make another set of cards with a large dot of each color. Color Brown Bear pictures, cut apart and glue to cards. Laminate all the cards. On sentence strips, write sentence frame from story leaving out the animal name and color. Laminate. On writing paper, write sentence frame as you did on sentence strips. Copy and place in folder. Related Books: Brown Bear, Brown Bear and other color books What children will need to do center: Index cards with color words written in corresponding colors, blank cards, variety of writing tools, 3x3 cards -- one set with color words another set with the colors, pages with the text; colored pictures of animals and corresponding animal word, glue, scissors, color words as a reference, covers for book and stapler. Introducing center: Demonstrate how to write/copy a color word on an index card with a marker. Demonstrate how to play color word concentration. Demonstrate how to complete framed sentence, adding animal picture to text and re-reading sentence. Show how to staple book together and return supplies to center tub. Ability levels: HMLHML Fill in close text with name, color word and animal picture. Color word concentration – match the color word to the color. Copy or write color word on index card with a variety of materials.

Reading Workshop Target Grade: First and Second Name of Center: Cookie’s Week Skill: Sequencing Prior Knowledge: Days of the Week Number of Children: 2 to 4 Materials needed to make center: Sentence strips, permanent marker, pictures from story, scissors, white construction paper, stapler and cutting board. Directions to make center: Write the text on the sentence strips. Write the days of the week on sentence strips and cut apart. Color pictures from book. Laminate. Cut construction paper into 9 by 6. Fold and staple into books. Related Books: Cookie’s Week, and other books including the days of the week. What children will need to do center: Sentence strips with original text, matching pictures, days of the week word cards, text Cookie’s Week, student book making materials. Introducing center: Read Cookie’s Week. Use pocket chart to sequence story with pictures. Use pocket chart to match days of the week with story text. Demonstrate how to make student book. Demonstrate clean up of each activity. Ability levels: HMLHML Students write and illustrate own book for each day of the week. Put story sentence strips in sequential order and match with picture. Sequencing by matching days of the week cards to pocket chart sentence.

Let’s make a center! Topic for centers must be focused on the book “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” Create an activity that students can do independently or with a partner –Describe the type of center –Describe the activity