My Literacy Centers

I was blog hopping and I found Mrs. Albanese's Kindergarten Class blog .  She is having a linky party about Literacy Centers.  I decided I should join the party.  So here goes....


My center time lasts for about an hour.  The students do 3 centers each day (Mon.-Thurs.), that is 12 centers in all.  There are usually 2 or 3 students at each center.  My students rotate centers with the other students at their table.  I have a pocket chart that has pictures (on the left side) that match the ones on the students' tables.  There are 3 cards with pictures of the centers that need to be done that day after the picture that matches the one on the table.  I have my students switch centers at 20 minute increments.  I have tried having my students switch centers whenever they want to, it just doesn't work for me.


Here is a picture of my pocket chart:

My Center Pocket Chart

Here is a list of my 12 centers (I try to make them as hands-on as possible) and a quick explanation of what I have the students do at each of them.

1.  ABC Center - The students do an art project based on the letter we are working on or do a sorting activity with beginning, ending or middle sounds.

2.  Computer Center - The students play a game or listen to a story.  I use the Starfall website or ABC Mouse website for this.

3.  Exploration Center - I have my students do a Write Around the Room activity or sometimes make words with magnetic letters.

4.  Handwriting Center - I have my students do activities to strengthen their fine motor activities or write on dry erase sheets or use the Magnadoodle.

5.  Library Center - The students read books that I have placed into baskets by theme.

6.  Listening Center - The students listen to a book on tape and draw a picture of their favorite part or some other kind of reading response.

7.  Make A Book Center - The students read a big book we have shared together at whole group time or complete a book with the sight words we are studying that week.

8.  Pocket Chart Center - The students follow directions placed in the pocket chart to complete an art project.  Sometimes they sort pictures by beginning or ending sound.  Other times, I have them sort letters by a certain characteristic.

9.  Poetry Center - The students illustrate a nursery rhyme or song or poem for their poetry folders and then match words I have cut apart to the lines of  the poem that I have placed in a mini pocket chart.

10.  Puzzles and Games - This one is just like it sounds.  The students put together puzzles or play a game.

11.  Sequencing - At the beginning of the year, the students do different activities to sequence the alphabet.  Other times they put pictures in order correctly or retell a story we have read together.

12.  Writing - The students put words in order to make sentences and then write the sentence on a piece of paper and illustrate it.  Other weeks, they each make a page for a class book.  Still, other times they may choose to make a card or write a list, etc.

Sorry for the very long post, but I wanted to share my ideas for my center time with you.  If you have any questions please feel free to comment.  Thank you for taking the time to let me share.

Have a great 4th of July!