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| Teaching Heart's Learning
Centers Page
Below you will find pictures of centers, various links about centers, and printable centers that you may use in your classroom! Update July 13, 2007 |
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I have three leveled reading groups. I run reading groups from 9:30 - 10:50. On the board I write the students jobs (things they are doing when they are not at reading group). The jobs look like this. Also, I have to note that they work on the jobs in order. After reading group they usually have an independent activity to complete. They must do that before they start back on jobs. That is not on their job list but they know that it takes first priority! Jobs 2. Daily Printing (I use Draw Write Now (see below for more information on these books) - we are on book 8 at the moment. I write the paragraph on the board. They copy it in their best writing and then draw an illustration to match.) 3.) Center (I run centers - see below!) 4.) Unfinished Work - They have two folders at their desk. One is a take home and one is unfinished work - usually art projects we started as a class and they need to finish up. 5.) QUIET Choice - If they get all their reading and jobs done they may do quiet choice (about two of my students get to this regularly). During this time they may write in their journal. Draw a picture. Read a book. Work on Reading Quilt. Do a free time sheet. Free time sheets are just various word searches, mazes, crosswords, or coloring pages related to a theme. At the moment in the free time box you will find Columbus, fall, and Halloween activities. These sheets are found at www.kidsdomain.com. I also copy theme math sheets out of teacher resource books and place them in the box.
I usually have 6 centers going on in the room plus I select three students each day to use a computer. The students at the computer select a free online math game from our class math page or they are sent to a computer that I have loaded with software that meets their needs. Each student has a colored dot on their desk. The dot corresponds with a center on the chart. The dots on the students desk stay the same. The center dots change every day so that a student does a different center each day. When the student gets to center on their jobs list. They get their center folder (I have them place all their center sheets in this folder. Periodically, I remove their finished work and check them. About once every two weeks.) After they finish the center and the center sheet, they place the sheet in their center folder. Next they clean up their center and put their center folder away. lMy centers include and are changed weekly;
I was in a classroom the other day where the teacher was given a grant to purchase IPODS for her listening center. I was amazed at how well the kids were able to use the ipod in the listening center. If you are familiar with an IPOD, the idea is to set-up a playlist for each week. the student listens to the playlist for the week while reading along.
This sheet is found on CDROm # 1 for Back To School and Beyond. Click Here to Learn More!
1.)
Making words with beads - The activities above are found on CDROM # 4 Teaching Reading and Literature. Click Here to Learn more!
The form for this is found on CDROM # 1 for Back To School and Beyond. Click Here to Learn More!
Also, I have had premade sheets in the past that had the letters on them. The students grabbed the sheets, cut the letters, and then made five different words. They had a challenge of guessing what word could be made with all the letters. Then they pick two of the words they made and use it in a center.
You can do so much with the pocket chart center. All of my CDROMS have pocket chart activities on them for various standards and themes. Click Here to See The CDROMS
Hey! I use it all day and everyday. Very effective. My students sit in teams. I have 22 students. There are 4 teams. 3 of the teams have 6 at them and 1 has 4 students. Each team has a group number. Before I start reading groups, I tell them I will be looking for my favorite group (quiet and on task). That groups gets ten points and the second place gets five points. After each group I offer positive verbal feedback (Wow, look at group 2 everyone is working hard and their group is very quiet). There is no more than 4 kids at a center and most of the time all students are not at the center at the same time because some work faster than others. I never have trouble with noise level at the centers. After reading groups, I go to the board and transfer the points under their specified group number. Throughout the day I offer points to groups that are ready to learn. For instance during a math lesson, I tell them I that I am looking for the groups that are participating and on task during the lesson. I just make it up as I go - adding points for positive things the groups do. At the end of the day we count the tally marks and the first place group wins for the day. They get a star on their chart. When a student fills their chart they get to go shopping in our class store for one item and then they get a new chart and the process starts again... The next day starts with a clean slate and any team can win. I love it, it works great and the kids seem to like it. Hope this helps. Colleen
I
now have some them on various CDROMs. You can view the
index at http://www.teachingheart.net/primaryteachertimesaver.html
Posted by Patti/2nd/MS on 6/04/02
No, they are
different. I have used both and the one I talk about on
my site is Draw Write Now. Here is an example from (you see a colored illustration at the top of the page that goes along with the short passage below. The illustration on this one happened to be MT. Vernon The US began in
the East. I write the passage on the board, we read it, & talk about it. The students then, as one of their jobs, while I am in small group, rewrite the passage and add at least one more sentence about the topic. Then, if they finish all their other jobs and centers they must illustrated with a picture. The book comes with a how to draw page after the paragraph. I copy this off for the kids to use. The kids love this and their drawings turn out so good. Sometimes better than mine. Okay more than sometimes :) Tee-hee! This is different from Think, Draw, and Write in that it is a handwriting and illustration activity. Plus the paragraphs in Draw Write Now lead into great chats about history type topics. I try to put a picture or short film clip about the topic on my computer to show the class after we read the paragraph. Now Think, Draw, and Write - I don't use as much but I do like it... It is creative writing where the other isn't. The kids enjoy them and I do model a few examples and we brainstorm ideas of what to write about. I also let the children share their finished product if they wish. To learn more about these books, click the title! Another Teachre Comments: I use Draw Write Now for cursive. I rewrite the message at the bottom in cursive, and do the directed art at the top. It has really shown me who is not able to follow simple instruction, and the children who focus have not only improved their cursive, their listening and drawing skills have improved. I used these books to do a Symbols of America study in April and May, one a week. We took the bald eagle from another book for the cover. I posted the students' writing each week, and then saved the papers. Looked good for Open House. paula
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includes pics! |
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centers |
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Would you like to make lesson planning easy thisyear? Do your want your students to have fun while they learn? Then get our CDROMs & Packets Now!!! Save when you order all four CD's today!
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scroll to center and look for the free sign! |
Click here to learn more about this center Click Here to Download The Printable to Match this Ideas |
Click here to learn more about this center Click Here to Download The Printable to Match this Ideas |
Click here to learn more about this center Click Here to Download The Printable to Match this Ideas |
Click here to learn more about this center Click Here to Download The Printable to Match this Ideas |
Click here to learn more about this center Click Here to Download The Printable to Match this Ideas |
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We run our centers vertically on the sheets....... we have A week and B week in our school due to our block schedule (PE, Media, Art, etc) Children are divided into 4 groups...... each group is assigned a color: red, green, blue, yellow......... Monday = red
group, first column, We
incorporate all areas of the curriculum in the
centers.... |
Here are two free center
sheets from our CDROM.
You
will find 14 center starters on our Back To School and
Beyond CDROM. There
are many Centers Found on all of Our CDROMS! Many more
free samples at the index of each CDROM! |
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Colleen:)/k-3
Colleen:)/k-3
Colleen:)/k-3
Colleen:)/k-3
Colleen:)/k-3
Colleen:)/k-3
1.With a partner collect 1 basket of pattern blocks. Take turns sorting blocks into two different groups and ask your partner to guess your sorting rule? (Some rules could be shapes that stack, roll, slide, or shapes with 3 edges, 4 vertices, 6 faces) 2.Finish these patterns: square triangle circle square triangle circle square ______ ______ circle oval oval circle oval oval circle ________ _________ Make up one more pattern using 2-dimensional shapes. 3.Look around our classroom, draw: 2 things that are rectangles, 3 things that are square, 1 thing that is a triangle, and 4 things that are circles. Remember to color the pictures. (Grade 3 can also try to find a hexagon, an oval and an octagon shape.) 4.Design a robot
using only one shape. Choose a square, circle, rectangle,
diamond, or triangle. Everything in your robot has to be
that shape. Have 5.Use a set of tangrams to create a design. Trace around theoutside of each shape. 6.Choose 2
geometric solids. Write 3 facts about how they are
different and 3 facts about how they are the same. For
example: a ball has 0 corners, 7.Use a geoboard and create a shape with 1 elastic. Copy the shape onto dot paper. Now use 2 elastics to create a shape and copy this design onto dot paper. 8.Use pattern blocks to trace different shapes out of construction paper. Use these shapes, string, straws to design a geometric mobile. I love to use math menus from Marilyn Burns. I divide mine into appetizers, entrees and desserts. Everyone has to do the appetizers, they can choose one or more from the entrees. The desserts are more challenging, so they are for after the students have tried the appetizers and some of the entrees. I try to build learning from one menu item to the other, such as:
How to play: Children play this
game in pairs. Materials: 15 pattern blocks
of each color Posted by jenny/2/oh on 4/24/02
caththorn2@yahoo.com
writes:
While
the students were in centers, I was working with a guided
reading group (ability grouped) at a round table. We
worked on reading skills that the students in that group
needed. It was time for me to spend working with small
groups. ! Although I didn't do it this year, I would like
these small groups to engage in literature circles during
this time next year. I did not start centers until after
Christmas (half way through the school year). I left
shared reading as a time to work on comprehension
(stories out
She calls a guided reading grooup every 20 minutes, so they come from differnt work groups to be in their ability group for guided reading instruction. The |