1. Selecting, Supervising, and Surviving Centers: Ideas that Work!
Heather Bailey, Kindergarten Teacher, Chesapeake Public Schools
Cathy Collier, Kindergarten Teacher, Chesapeake Public Schools
Virginia State Reading Association Conference
Roanoke, Virginia
March 17, 2011

2. Why do I need centers/work stations in my classroom?
According to Eric Jensen: “A change in location is the easiest way to get the brain’s attention.”

3. Traditional Centers “Centers” versus Balanced Literacy
Materials and expectations are differentiated based upon need.
Based on classroom routines and activities that have been taught in a meaningful context.
The routines do not change, just the curriculum/materials within the routine.
Students move to different areas within the classroom at their own pace.
Activities change daily.
Students rotate through different activities on a timer.
All activities are for all children.
Materials have not been used before.
Worksheets are generated and used as centers.

4. Essential Understandings
Literacy Work Stations cannot “teach” students.
Literacy Work Stations are for practice and extension of skills.
Skills and procedures are taught in whole group and small group prior to being placed in a work station.
The instruction is ongoing and is meaningful in the context of Balanced Literacy.

5. Your Role as the Teacher
Model
Not just right before the center, but in a meaningful context!
Differentiate
Based on strengths and weaknesses of students.
Communicate Clear Expectations
At first, with your example…then with theirs.
Accountability
Make sure they know what you want.

6. Classroom Environment
Materials are located in stations
No designated students assigned seats
Items are clearly labeled
Directions are available, if applicable.
Established places/locations do not
change
Work Board for independent student
management

7. Getting Started Week 1 Use work board from Day 1!!!!! 20 minutes a day
Easy, open ended activities
Teach routines such as Staying in the center, Getting help, Meeting personal needs
Initial random grouping – unless you have information on students

8. Getting Started Week 2 Add 2 new centers
Keep same centers from last week
Change groups to make them heterogeneous
These groups stay the same for the remainder of the 9 weeks unless a problem arises
Continue to teach routines and procedures
Teach checking/stamping/filing routines

9. Getting Started Week 3 and beyond:
Continue adding new centers/routines as they are taught in the Balanced Literacy framework
Change groups at the end of each nine weeks
Monitor appropriateness of centers
Eliminate centers/stations if needed
Evaluate the effectiveness of a routine/center and make (small) changes, if needed

10. Grouping: Centers vs. Guided Reading
Students chosen
randomly
Same reading behaviors
4-6 students
Established routines and expectations
Varied group of children
Flexible grouping
Homogenous
Established accountability
Heterogeneous
Weekly assessments to determine progress
Based on grade level specific SOLs

11. Selecting: Center Weekly Options
5 Day Center Week
stationary center
(ABC)
(123)
(Listening)
(Art)
stationary
Center
(Social Studies/Science)
flex or stationary
(writing)
(squiggle)
(poetry)
(Fab 5)
(Vocabulary)
open ended
(stencils)
(pattern blocks)
(dramatic play)
(flannel boards)
(puzzles)

12. Selecting: Center Weekly Options
4 Day Center Week With Flex Day
stationary center
(ABC)
(123)
(Listening)
(Art)
Flex Day
flex or stationary
(writing)
(squiggle)
(poetry)
(Fab 5)
open ended
(flannel board)
(magnets)
(dramatic play)
(pattern blocks)
Flex Day is for make-up and extra, optional, and/or special centers.

13. Supervising: Use checklists for teacher and student use
Share and display examples of student work
At center, in hallway
Clothespins
The Work Box for Materials
Trash disposal
Use timers for individual
students, if needed, but use
sparingly

14. Supervising: Differentiate expectations/tasks
based on the needs of the students
Flex time as incentive
Stamping table *******
Drying spots
Hanging Folders
Mailboxes

15. Surviving: Routines Expectations Appropriate Directions How they move
Product vs. Process
What’s next?
Expectations
Behavior
Product
Consequences
Appropriate
Centers
Skills
Differentiation
Directions
Clear
Examples
Repetition

16. Ideas:
Stationary Centers: Centers that a.) are most important and b.) should be started as a whole group.
ABC Center – group sort, then individual response
Listening Center – group listens first, then individual response
Art – multiple pieces take up table space
Math
Social Studies
Flex: Centers that a.) are routine and b.) have a purpose.
Materials are located in a specific spot, but center can be movable
Open-Ended: If they don’t get there…it doesn’t matter.
Needs a specific location designated by an icon

17. ABC Center:
Complete activities based upon routines taught during word study lessons.
Flip Books
Word Family Flips
Word Family Sheets
Picture sorts (b/m/e sounds, rhyme, etc.)
Rhyming Puzzles

18. 123 (Math) Center:
To be used with previously taught math SOLs

19. Listening Center:
Listen to a pre-selected story (that has already been read aloud in class) over the course of 4 full center weeks.
Complete Listening Book-
Week 1- Front Cover Design and write author/illustrator information.
Week 2- Characters List and draw or choose favorite
Week 3- Setting List and draw or choose favorite
Week 4- Favorite Part Draw and write a sentence

20. Listening Center: Ta-da: Week 1 Cover Week 2 Characters Week 3 Setting
Favorite Part
Ta-da:

21. Science/Social Studies Center:
To be used with previously taught science/social studies SOLs

22. Art Center: Not typically a seasonal art project
Jack be quick.
Jack be nimble.
Jack Be Nimble
Jack jumped over the candlestick.
Not typically a seasonal art project
Always corresponds to Shared Reading/Rhyme-A-Week
Can be more than one choice (groundhog, presidents)

23. Poetry Center:
Take the poem that was read daily during Shared Reading and copy.
This poem is then put into a poetry book.
Students read the poem, do selected word work, circle/color word wall words, illustrate, respond, rectangle around rhyming words, etc.
As the year progresses, this can be a cloze activity for word wall words.

24. Pocket Chart Center: Read, Mix, Fix poems from shared reading lessons.
Put poems in correct order.
Illustrate.
Read.

25. Write the Room/Fab 5 Center:
Students write words found in the room on class writings, class made charts,
shared reading poems, or word wall.
Use clip boards as a good writing surface.
Beginning – names, colors, shapes, numbers, Fall words…
Limit the number of words the student will find for easier management.
At mid-year, students are required to choose 1 word from the list and write sentences about it.
If noise is an issue, finding words in ABC themed books can be an option.
Could be designed to spell a specific vocabulary word.

26. Writing Center: A good Writing Center includes:
Choice mats…choose from predetermined lists.
Shaped books
Sentence Starters (sentence strips) prompt cards
Rebus pictures and sound chart.

27. Rhyme A Week Center:
Review word family rimes and create extension activities
Mid-year, writing sentences is added.

28. Squiggle Center: Read Aloud…The Squiggle, Not A Line, or Not A Box
Create whole class squiggles
Make books for each 9 weeks
Choose a squiggle, but not one that their neighbor is doing.
Date stamp for writing samples to show student progress.

29. Vocabulary Center: To be used with a vocabulary focus (Frayer)
Vocabulary introduced to the whole class one week (on poster board), is in the vocabulary center the following (either in booklets or individual sheets).

30. Browsing Box Center:
Read self selected text from browsing bag/box (on level books read with teacher during Guided Reading).
Respond in Browsing Box Journal.
Student or teacher chooses the response by highlighting:
Something the student liked
Something the student didn’t like
Text-to-Self Connection
Text-to-World Connection
Text-to-Text Connection

31. More Ideas Center:
Wipe-Off Boards Dramatic Play (Housekeeping, Mr. Potato Head, Barbies, Rescue Heroes…) Computer Fine Motor (Play-dough, stencils) Word Wall Word (Magnetic Letters, Magazine cut-outs) Blocks (Pattern Blocks, Legos, Wooden)

32. If better is possible…
good is not enough!
-Ben Franklin

33. Thank you for coming! Cathy Collier collicel@cps.k12.va.us
Heather Bailey