LEARNING CENTERS
A learning center is an area in the
classroom which contains a
collection of activities and materials
to teach, reinforce, and/or enrich a
skill or concept.
TYPES OF LEARNING
CENTERS
• Enrichment
Centers
• Skill
Development
Centers
• Exploratory &
Interest
Centers
Managing Center Rotations
Layer the activities within each tub
Computers
Listening
Matching Words
Pocket Chart
Centers
Storytelling Center
Using a great
storytelling board from
Lakeshore. The
students love to retell
stories using the
characters and the
storyboard. You can
use a flannel board with
Humpty Dumpty
many pieces. Masks
and puppets are good
Jack and Jill
for retelling.
Peter Pumpkin Eater
Magnets Centers- making
words or sentences
Site Words and Word Families
Alphabet Order Center-
Students put flash cards of
the alphabet in order. This
can be done on the floor or
on a pocket chart. Alphabet
strips are put in this station
for a visual check. Letter
arcs are used for putting
the alphabet in order. The
students can string letter
blocks in order. Alpha-
bears can be placed in ABC
order.
Overhead Center-
The students love
the overhead
station. Overhead
letter tiles,
overhead sight
words, overhead
word family tiles,
letter dot-to-dot
transparencies,
overhead pictures
with the correct
spaces for the
letter tiles,
D'Nealian
handwriting
transparencies are
just some of the
things that
students can
choose from.
Guided Reading
ABC
Centers-
Lengthening
Centers
ABC Center Tubs
Literacy Centers-Lengthening Centers
The students work in
Literacy Centers
independently for
forty-five minutes
each day. During this
time, I pull students
for small group
reading
instruction. My
instructional aide
monitors the students
during Literacy
Centers. For the first
four weeks of school,
I introduce all of the
centers and explain
the rotation. After
this, each group is
given a choice of three
centers to work in
each day.
Rules
1. Students must start working on the tub activity
they are assigned to first on the chart.
2. Once students complete one activity and have an
adult check it, they may bring the second ABC
tub to their table if they desire to.
3. Students must work the entire time.
4. Students may not choose an ABC tub or other
activity that is not assigned to them for that
day.
Checklist for Creating
Centers
Decide on Type of Center Where
(Standards or Task do I
Analysis)
start?
Specify Outcomes
Design the Center
Secure Materials
Design Learning
Alternatives and
Extensions
Determine the Directions
Timeline for Rotations and
Procedure for Getting
Your Attention
Make Sure your CENTERS
Include…
• Title / Picture
• Instructions /
Illustrated
• Necessary Materials
• Learning Alternatives
• Procedures for
Assessment/
Accountability
Explaining and Modeling for
Students
• Write and Share
Instructions for
Students
• Devise and Explain
Management System
• Set up the Center
• Orient Students to
the Center
Motivate Students to Use
Centers By:
adding new activities and materials,
letting students create their own activities at the
centers,
having teacher directed lessons in small groups at the
center,
providing opportunities to share products they have
produced as a result of working at the center,
providing a means of record keeping and evaluating so
that both student and the teacher can account for time
spent and learnings accomplished at the learning center.