1. C ENTERS …S IMPLIFIED FOR K-2 Kathryn Gillenwater, Literacy Specialist K-5 Instructional Coach Sullivan County Department of Education kathryn.gillenwater@sullivank12.net 423-354-1566

2. W HY ARE WE DOING THIS ? _____________________________________

3. M OTIVATION Choices We respond to options Recognition Sense of accomplishment

4. I KNOW THE “ WHY ” BUT HOW?!!

5. P URPOSE

6. E LEMENTS OF A P RINT / INFORMATION RICH ENVIRONMENT Classroom Libraries with Leveled Text Word Walls/ Word Charts/ Bulletin Boards Graphic Organizers Reading/ Resource Stations Student Generated Work Technology

7. A PRINT - RICH ENVIRONMENT DOESN ’ T CONTAIN : Coloring sheets Unrelated math/reading worksheets Puzzles and games that do not relate to the curriculum Words on every object in the room Stale word walls

8. D ESIGNING Step 1 Define organizational pattern & grouping plan Step 2Map in your direct instruction area Step 3Design room arrangement to include 4 permanent centers. Literacy stations will be incorporated gradually into these.

9. G ROUPING D ECISIONS FOR C ENTERS Homogeneous groups at centers Based on reading group Few groups Fewer stations More students at each station Rigid time frames Heterogeneous groups at centers Individual, small group, partner pairings possible Many groups More stations More students choice Sustained activity Rotations “Center, Seat, Circle” Teacher removed from rotations

10. D IRECT INSTRUCTION Technology Core Program Materials Leveled readers Practice pages Word cards Transparencies White boards and dry erase markers Individual mirrors Timers Graphic organizers

11. R EADING C ENTER Technology Big Books Read the Room with pointers, word hunt sticks, “specs” Fiction and nonfiction book boxes Theme related book tubs Magazines and newspapers Poetry box Reference books Flannel board and magnetic board with props for retellings Pocket charts with sentence/word strips

12. W ORD WORK C ENTER Technology Magnetic letters and magnetic boards Pom-poms or plastic chips for phoneme counting Versa Tiles Station Cookie tins for portable word work Cookie sheets Reading Rods Phonics phones Spinners Clipboards Sight word cards Pocket charts Story of the Week Reconstruct (5) Important Sentences

13. W RITING & ILLUSTRATING C ENTER Technology Paper (all kinds, colors, sizes– lined and unlined) Clipboards Greeting cards, stationery, envelopes Stencils Die-cuts Blank shape books All kinds of markers, pens, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, chalk Letter stamps and stamp pad Typewriter Computer station

14. D ISCOVERY C ENTER S.T.E.M. Activities Collections Baskets (shells, insects, leaves, rocks, etc.) Magnets, magnetic items, sorting trays Sponges, scales, measuring materials, thermometers Containers (jars, cups, paper plates) Microscope & slides Tweezers, eye droppers, tongs, magnifying glasses Tubs with sink/float items Related books, magazines, songs, and poems Science learning logs Models, Construction Sets

15. L AUNCHING Step 4De-clutter to free up space Step 5 Set up purposeful centers that reinforce/extend previously taught skills Step 6Discuss & model appropriate learning behaviors

16. DOSDOS Select a manageable number to begin. Begin with materials familiar to the student. Provide a work board or visual display for assigning students to stations. Use icons for emergent/beginning readers. Have “must do” and “choose to” activities each day. Try to anticipate everything that can go wrong and have a troubleshooting plan. Have consequences for students not working appropriately. Motivate students by recognizing literacy efforts.

17. D ON ’ T S Don’t consider center time as free time. Don’t feel you have to assess every activity. Don’t allow students to interrupt your small group instruction. Don’t find different locations for worksheets and delude yourself into thinking you have created real learning centers. Allow groupings to remain static once the need for movement across groups becomes necessary.

18. M ANAGING Step 7Teach routines! Step 8Have a system for dealing with noise. Step 9Provide clear, explicit expectations.

19. E NCOURAGE INDEPENDENCE Choose activities for practice that students CAN do independently or with just the support of another student. Know your students. Take pictures of what clean looks like Label shelves, boxes, bins, etc. Gather all materials needed for that station to minimize kids running across the room to find supplies. Teach students what to do if they need the teacher during small group time. Post-it notes Parking lot Ask 3 Before Me

20. M INI -L ESSONS T HAT A DDRESS M ANAGEMENT I SSUES How to share materials and/or take turns. How to use a quiet voice at work stations. How to read the management board. How to clean up. How to use materials. How to choose “good fit” books. Development of “I Can Lists.” Development of the “Instead Box” to use when equipment doesn’t work.

21. S USTAINING Step 10 Keep centers engaging

22. C ONTINUE TO … Introduce new materials Link stations to current events or student interests Continually build connections between the curriculum and stations

23. W HY ARE WE DOING THIS ? Students learn better in small groups. Students learn better and retain more when they are provided choices. Helps the teacher to differentiate instruction. Provides practice and application of skills. Provides authentic literacy experiences. “… change in location is one of the easiest ways to get the brain’s attention.” E. Jenson, 1998