The children work in literacy centers every morning. The centers
focus on the language arts skills we are working on during our whole
group lessons. Each child has a clothespin and clips it to the
center sign they are playing in. This time usually lasts 45 minutes
to 1 hour. To see the centers we work in in the afternoon, visit the
developmental centers page. Click on the name of the underlined
centers to print out center signs from www.ABCteach.com or
www.preschoolprintables.com
Writing
Center
The writing center should be filled with a variety of materials for
children to practice writing with. I always have pencils, crayons,
colored pencils, markers, various types and sizes of paper,
envelopes, and pens available but rotate these other items at
different times of the year. Make sure that there are plenty of
picture dictionaries and lots of alphabet posters in your writing
center too.
* chalk and chalkboards
* playdough or clay with ABC cookie cutters
* Wikki Stix (use on a cookie sheet)
* Magna Doodle
* finger paints
* shaving cream on a table top
* paintbrush and water (use on black construction paper)
* pipe cleaners
* wooden letters
* salt (or sand) box (put enough salt to cover the bottom of a box
lid or pie pan, write with finger, shake to erase)
* letter sponges
*letter stamps
* die cut letters, from a variety of materials
*laminated letter tracing sheet
Magnet Center
Use your chalkboard, whiteboard, cookie sheet, or side of a file
cabinet or desk for your magnet center. There are a variety of
different sizes and colors of magnet that you can rotate in and out
of this center. Children can practice writing their friends' names,
sight words, match letters, or put letters in ABC order.
Read & Write
the Room Center
Children use pointer (seasonal pencils with erasers) to point to and
read words on poster, charts, books, and anywhere else in the
classroom. They use a clipboard to write the letters and words they
find. Sometimes I give the children something specific to look for
such as friends' names or words with "d", etc.
Listening Center
I have multiple copies of books with tapes in Ziploc bags. Children
listen to a story using the headsets. Then, they fill out a
"Listening Center Paper". The paper simply provides a space for the
children to copy the title and draw a picture of their favorite
part.
ABC Games
Center
I usually put 3 - 4 games in this center that focus on skills such
as rhyming, letter recognition, and beginning sounds. I often make
games using seasonal notepads and borders.
Computer
Center
The children play educational CD Roms that I purchase from
Scholastic. Our schedule rotates so that each child has their own
time to work on the games. I usually keep one CD in the computer
until all the children have played it. In this center I rotate
computer software CD's that have math and phonics skills.
Poetry Center
There are so many wonderful songs and poems that we learn in
kindergarten! I typed some of them out and added appropriate clip
art. The children use seasonal pointers to read the poems and songs!
Journal Center
In this center the children draw, copy words, and practice writing
letters and words. They use a dated stamp each time they work in
their journal.
Pocket
Chart Center
I write a poem or song on a set of sentence strips. I write another
set which I cut the words apart. The children match the words with
the ones on the chart and then read it with a seasonal pointer.
Morning
Meeting Center
The children play teacher in this center by doing the calendar,
reading the message, and reading to stuffed animals.
Book Center
Like every kindergarten teacher I have collected TONS of children's
books! I try to set up a cozy little area in the room where the
children can read theme related stories and the ones that we just
love to hear over and over again!
File Folder Games Center
I rotate the file folder games based on the theme and skill we are
working on. My favorite books for making quick file folder games are
located below. There is also a great website that has a variety of
seasonal file folder games:
www.preschoolprintables.com
