I've mentioned before in one of my posts that I don't do Daily 5. I like the organization and academic focus of the procedure but I started organizing my center method years ago and have stuck with it because it works for me.
Our center time lasts 30 minutes: 5 minutes to get our supplies and get settled/20 minutes of work time/5 minutes to clean up and transition to our next activity.
The number of centers in my room depends on the number of kids in my room. I only have 2 kids in a center at a time. I have found that this keep arguments/disputes down and work time/collaboration up. This last year I had 24 kids in my class so I had 12 centers. I know this sounds like a lot of centers but they way I organize it makes it SUPER easy.
The 12 centers I had this year where:
*listening
*computer
*reading
*game
(Game center could either be a Lakeshore game or something I've made or bought from TPT)
*Magnets
(Magnet center depends on skill I want them to work on.)
*Play dough
(At the beginning of the year they work on letters. At the end of the year they work on word families.)
*Alphabet work/Spelling Work
(Beginning of the year is alphabet, end of the year is spelling.)
*Handwriting/Writing
*Read the Room/Write the Room
*Fine Motor Alphabet Work
*Popcorn Words (sight words)
*Alphabet Art
It would make my post WAY to long to explain it all in this one post so I'm going to take the next few days of posts to highlight each one.
Some of them need little or no explanation like Listening, Computer, and Reading. They don't require any maintenance when it's time to switch centers. Once I set up the center at the beginning of the year they are done.
A few of the centers like Game, Magnets, Play dough and Alphabet Work need a little maintenance when it's time to switch but doesn't take my anymore than 5 minutes to switch the games out.
Tomorrow I'll highlight a few of the activities I use in Game, Magnets, Play dough and Alphabet Work.
The rest of my centers are books and I'll highlight those later this week.
Phew. . .if you survived that rambling I'm impressed!
Can't wait to read more- thanks for sharing this! How many centers {at 30 mins each} do they do per day?
ReplyDeleteAnita
Mrs. Bremer’s Kindergarten
We only do one center a day. I used to do 2 but when we started RtI it took some of my center time away. We do a literacy center in the morning and a math center in the afternoon.
DeleteYes, I have a similar question as Anita. How many centers do you do each day?
ReplyDeleteWe only do 1 a day. Once we started RtI it took some of my center time (which is ok with me!)
DeleteDo you pull small groups back to work with you during this time? I have one hour for centers. I'm trying to figure out how I can do this and still meet with each student each day. Any advice? THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI don't pull "groups" but I do pull individuals for testing or for anything "extra" I think a certain student might need. I will also sit down with kids at certain centers who are working on skills I know are more challenging for them. That way I can work with a group but they are still doing their "center" work. Does that make sense?
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