Literacy Centers

[Jessica]

I am teaching first grade for the first time and we do guided reading. While I work with my small group, I have the other children do literacy centers. So far, I have used ABC magnets, letter tiles, letter writing practice strips, etc. Does anyone have any ideas for new and exciting centers? Thanks!

 

[Sheila]

literacy centers

Hi, how about a listening center? If your school doesn't provide them to you, you can create your own fairly inexpensively. I went to Wal-Mart and bought individual cassette players for $5 each. I bought 4 of them. Using bonus points from book clubs I have built up my listening library. Parents donate batteries (we put this on our wish list/giving tree). You could also record yourself or parents reading different stories to give yourself a larger selection until you build up your listening library. I also have lots of file folder games that relate to specific skills and I pull the ones we are targeting each week. You could do word sorts, word families. Last year I got alphabet stampers and stamp pads and I have the kids stamp sight words, spelling words, rhyming words. Good luck!

 

[istoleahalo]

centers

*Sentence/story starters - I cut out interesting pictures from magazines, glued themon construction paper (so they wouldn't get confused with front and back) and laminated them. The students had to either write 1-2 interesting DESCRIPTIVE sentences about it or use it to write a story.

*Silly Sentences - I had index cards with diffrent "parts" of a sentence, suck as who or what, did what, when, and where. ( I had them colored coded so that in the future it was easier for them to understand subject/ pred. etc --I teach ESE and tend to loop). They took one card from each bag (or coffee can), made a silly sentence such as Yesterday, my pencil danced under the couch. They loved it and as long as they were behaving, they could illustrate.

*Making Words - give them alphabet tiles for a long word (HALLOWEEN) and see how many words they can make. I gave them the tiles so they can manipulate them.

*Boggle

*Rainbow write their spelling words

*Illustrate vocabulary words

*"Remember Me?" - I put old guided reading books and other books we have read as a class into a basket that they can re-read.

 

[TeAcHeRinFL]

centers

If you don't mind spending money, you could buy a LeapPad to have in your listening center.

My kids also enjoy doing reading activities on the computers. Starfall.com and FunBrain.com have some games the kids enjoy playing.

 

[JennT]

Hey, I'm not sure if anyone will be reading this far down the board but I just wanted to add that there's a FANTASTIC book called , "what are the other kids doing while i'm teaching small groups?" It's such an easy read and every activity is like, spelled out for you with the worksheets included. I literally took all of my center ideas from this book. it's awesome!

 

[Neen]

author

Jenn T who is/are the author/s of the book you mentioned?

 

[Nico]

reading and writing around the room!!

I have a center called reading and writing around the room. All they need is a pencil, clipboard and a paper. They go around the room and copy down any word that they see. It is a great activity because it is very independent.

 

[msharkey]

Welcome to First Grade!

Some of my regular centers are:

• magnet letters
• letter tiles
• stamping center (Really Good Stuff has some really good ones that are worth the investment)
• Pocket Chart Center (which has multiple purposes - use for interactive writing and response kind of thing, and could be used for a sorting center (letter sounds/rhyming), or a poetry center
• Read and Write the Room ( a must in my book - the kids LOVE hunting)
• Word Wall Center (I keep the center name generic but alternate rainbow practice, stamping, tiles, magnetic letters, hunting for our 5 word wall words)
• Word Study center (another generic center name for all my phonics games and activities)
• Computer Center (sometimes they play games, other times they practice making words and sorting words from our mystery word which I have on Kidspiration) - this year I'm going to try to incorportate Listening Center in here as well)
• Writing Center (usually responses to stories we have done - write a letter to the main character, create a new ending, tell about a time that happened to you, kind of thing)

Hope these help. If you need something, PM me or post and I'd be happy to share. First grade can be a little overwheming but in the 20 years I've been teaching first grade, I wouldn't have changed anything! I'm sure you will love it. Welcome to our first grade adventure!

Shark