Beginning of the Year Centers

We spend much of the beginning of the year working on routines and assessments, along with building foundational skills that will help our students become successful throughout the year.

When we think of what we want our students to do academically by the end of the year, our answers may vary, but over all we want them to read and solve simple math facts.  But how do we get them there?  In short, we need to pick apart skills that will help lead them to the end result.  What are these skills, you may ask?

In the area of literacy, we take the reading skill and break it down into smaller skills.  These skills include reading strategies, word knowledge, alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness. So now on to the question of, what to do now with your students that will help with the goal of reading.  Here are some of my favorite centers that I use during this time to build these skills.

Alphabet:





This is created by Bonnie Kathryn Teaching.  Click here to view this product in her TPT store. This is a great center for children during this time of the year.  Children can work on these independently while you pull kids up for assessing.





Other alphabet center that I like to use include Alphabet UNO, Candy Land, Clip games and sorts.  I like to use games as a way to engage students.  They are not only learning and practicing fluency, they are having fun and ask to play it often.

Here are the images to the products.

                       

Phonological Awareness

Other centers that I like to introduce at this time include syllables and segmenting words.  I will often do these activities as a whole group or small group and then add them to our center collection.

My students love these centers.  The more that they can manipulate words and sounds, the more they are able to remember, engage, and use these skills.  Some of our favorite centers include Snap and Count Syllables by the Reading Mama and syllable clips, syllable cards and segmenting cards.

        

Reading Strategies:

I begin to talk about reading strategies during our small group shared reading time (This is a requirement from my district).  When it came time to teach these skills, I wanted it to be fun, engaging, and interactive.  I was searching for something that would help.  I came across this by Deanna Jump.  It had everything that I was looking for, and once I started using it, the kids loved it and therefore were able to recall may strategies when reading books at their level.

Please click this link to check this resource out in her TPT store!

The beginning of the year can be filled with stress, preparation, meetings, assessments, and getting to know your students (not necessarily in the that order).  It is important that we all remember to build on each student's knowledge, and help to build a strong foundation for each.

I hope you are all having a great start to the school year!

What skills do you focus on during this time of the year?  What are your "Must Do" centers or activities?

Beginning of the Year Literacy Centers: Taking it one day at a time...

Hey, friends! 

It's Breanna from A Pinch of Primary and I am sharing how I take it day-by-day during my literacy centers at the beginning of the year! We are 31 days into school and we are rocking it so far!

              

 

My school follows the Daily 5 model, so we do a lot with building stamina, so we literally and figuratively take it day-by-day. I LOVE LOVE building stamina. It is such a great way to show the kids that they are capable of working for longer periods of time the harder they work. We do a lot of charting and graphing of our learning progress with data binders, so this is a GREAT way for them to see their growth and get EXCITED about learning. I am talking CHEERING and CLAPPING when our stamina chart jumps (and not just from me haha)! It's a beautiful thing when we hit 20 minutes on our stamina chart!

Now, at first, literacy stations are very basic. We start with Read to Self and the other parts of our literacy block like phonics and such just become more like mini lessons and guided practice until we really get into the nitty-gritty of Word Work, Listen to Reading, Work on Writing, etc. We do a lot of name activities at the beginning and discussing how we use our materials.

Step 1 of taking it day-by-day:

Introduce EVERY. STEP.

Just like every other procedure we teach, literacy stations should be treated the same way. I am oh so blessed with the only carpeted kindergarten room. Yes, it's nice and cozy for sitting on the floor, but it is not Play-Doh friendly. Play-Doh is my go-to first literacy station and you better believe we practice taking the lids off and how to pick the Play-Doh up like it's a sponge. Play-Doh is a huge hit and works so well for so many activities. I use name mats and then I introduce the placemats for Play-Doh on the floor. The key is in the details. I DO NOT have time for dried up Play-Doh week 1, so we practice it and practice it and practice it again.

Step 2 of taking it day-by-day

Don't give a million options.

Yes, if you're like me, you're remembering your now 1st grade babies and remembering how they could basically find everything and knew exactly how to do each and every station, but these adorable, new faces don't know your classroom like they do. Introduce one station and get them used to it. Then, introduce something else. I am so guilty of trying to introduce multiple things at one time to save time, but I always regret it. Give them a second to feel comfortable with the activity and then introduce something new and exciting. I PROMISE they will be PUMPED when a new activity surfaces in your literacy station area. They WILL spot that new letters game you set out. They might not be able to find their chair in the morning, but they'll usually notice something new (or maybe that's just my kids?!).

Step 3 of taking it day-by-day

Make them confident and independent in their work

Now, I think this is pretty self-explanatory. SHOW them they can be the experts. Let them be the experts. They are brilliant sponges and they can do amazing things. Now, it's not going to happen day 1. We lasted 20 seconds during literacy centers and we had JUST discussed learning to be independent readers of pictures and text. They clearly didn't get it the first time or the first 7 days, but they have now learned how and they are still learning how. Give them the ability to show you they are capable and they can do anything. (And you can get your reading groups in without little ones coming up to you with problems or questions!)

Literacy centers are time consuming, but so rewarding when you can see how how they are working and how engaged they are.

What are your tips for literacy centers at the beginning of the year?

Resources Round-Up - Literacy Centers

Hi guys!  It's Cori from Mrs. B's Beehive, and today I wanted to share with you my very favorite resources for literacy centers.  I've gone through many different centers over the years, and have changed things up what seems like a million times, so these resources that I am about to share with you  have been tried and tested, and really work well for kindergarten!

  I'll start with DeeDee Wills' resources, because I feel like she is always spot on as far as kindergarten skills go.  My favorite is the Writing Work Station.  This center requires little prep, and the students quickly understand how to complete the tasks, and stay engaged.  I use the labeling pages the most.

Just Roll With It is another fun and engaging center.  You have to purchase the dice that go along with it, but my students absolutely love using the dice, and this is another center that is easily explained, and that the students can do independently.

Next up are the center resources by Elizabeth Hall.  I would say that these resources require a bit more attention from the teacher at the beginning of the year, but they address important skills with the kids.  The first is Dictionary Drive, which gives students experience with finding letters, and then words in the dictionary.  I love how the skills build on each other, and once the students get the hang of it, they can complete it independently.  

Words Under Construction gives the students extra practice with sight words, and allows them to use manipulatives to spell the sight words as well.  I like that both this center, and the Dictionary Drive center are editable as well.

Just my type is always at my computer station.  I start with the beginning sounds pack, then move on to the picture labeling, and then end with the sentence writing.  Again, I like how the skills build on each other, and also the fact that my students are learning simple computer skills like how to use the mouse, and where the letters on the keyboard are.

The last three that I use are ones that I have created for Read the Room, Write the Room, and I-Spy.  These are also resources that can be used the entire year with skills that build upon each other.

If I need any extra material, I always look to Annie Moffatt and her monthly NO PREP packets.  These packets are so full of amazing skills review!!!

These are my go to literacy center resources.  What am I missing?  What do I need to add to my list?  Please share in the comments section what your favorite literacy center resources are!

What Worked Well Wednesday: Staying Organized

Hello again, teachers!!! I hope you're having a fantastic week!

I'm Emily, from Carnes Corner, and I'm SO GLAD to be popping in again today, for this week's What Worked Well Wednesday link up.  I've definitely missed you!

I've been known to be a bit OCD, and that tends to overflow in to my classroom and the way I "try" to stay organized.  I wanted to share with you how I keep all of my center materials organized.

I have tubs (from Target, similar to these) for each month/or two months that hold all of the center materials for that time frame. (Of course, they're a teeny bit of an investment, but it's SO worth it!)

 Within each tub, I have the center materials divided by week...in a big ziploc baggie if they'll fit.  So, for example, in my November tub I've got three big ziploc bags with all of the smaller things inside for each of the weekly themes: Community Helpers, Scarecrows, and Thanksgiving.  December is a bit of a different month for me, since it's basically one big theme.  (Plus, I've got some of the center materials for this week already out).  Here's a peek inside December...

As I mentioned previously, when it's time for that center, I just pull out that baggie, make the necessary copies that I need to, and stick the individual centers in my FABULOUS rainbow tubs.  

We call these our "center tubs" in the classroom.  The first four (red and orange) are my literacy centers, and the next four (green and blue) are my math centers.  All of the materials they'll need for that particular center is in the coordinating tub, so the group can just grab and go.

This makes it easy, because I can just say "group one, grab the circle tub and take it to the carpet."

The bottom two drawers (purple) are my Word Work and Work on Writing material tubs for Daily 5 rotations.  

I've found its easier to take my Daily Five materials/centers and keep them in a storage bin all on its own because not all of my Daily Five items follow along with our weekly themes.

So, how do you organize your centers? Have I given you any ideas?? I'd love to hear!!

Oh, and make sure to link up below with what's working well in your room. :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Literacy Centers and Organization

Hi Everyone!

I am Meghan from Meghan's Pad.  I wanted to give you all a sneak peek at what I am doing during my literacy center/guided reading time this year, and how I have it all organized.

This week {tomorrow} I will have a new class of Kinders that will begin their year with me.  Each year, I feel the need to revamp an area of my curriculum.  This year, it's my center time!  

Centers are a great way, as we all know, to engage students in learning by providing them with hands on learning materials and the opportunity to regulate their learning needs.

This year, I am jumping back on the center wagon, and I couldn't be more excited!  The past few years I have struggled with having to use the district mandated curriculum, knowing that Kinders need more hands on, play based learning.  I have struggled with the early finishers, the no matter what I give you to do, you are going to refuse to do it, and the different learning styles and needs.

After much reflection, I have come up with a format that I think I am going to like, and a format that I hope my kinders will like as well.  Here it goes...

Each day I will gather the children on the rug for a small mini-lesson.  These mini-lessons are going to be based on the needs of Kinders.  These lessons can include alphabet, sounds, building words, rhyming, segmenting, strategies, digraphs, consonant blends, vowel blends, and the list goes on.  I will then have a "have to" activity that the children will need to do each day.  During the literacy block it can be an alphabet center, letter writing center, building word center, reading center, phonemic center.  Each day their have to center will switch, so by the end of the week each child has completed all the have tos.  

After the "have to" center is complete they will either turn it in, or will fill out a small exit slip, so I can quickly review their understanding, along with hold them accountable for doing the center.  Then the children will choose a "can do" center.  These centers will be a combination of old "have tos" and other centers that help to support that centers "have to."

Have I lost you??  I know it's confusing!  Here is an example:  A student on Monday will go to the alphabet center and complete the "have to" center.  Once they are done, they fill out and turn in their exit slip.  They then go to the alphabet "can do" drawer and grab a center, take it back to their seat {not assigned, just where they were working} and complete that center.  Once they have completed all the "can dos" that they want, then they can go to the alphabet "now what" drawer to work on those activities.

The "now whats" are going to be more independent activities that can include "worksheets," or reading.

My hope is that children will continue to be engaged, and will find the learning method that they prefer.

So now, the storage!  I love to organize, and love to buy bins.go inside of bins.  So these are PERFECT!  

         

I love to find bins that I found these bins at Joann Fabrics, and have been in love with them.  Each center fits perfectly inside these 4X6 photo cases {materials and all}!  

        

I am currently putting each center into a small container, and then each container into a drawer system.  This picture was taken before I labeled the drawers.  I have the "can do" centers in one of the drawers and the "now whats" in the drawer directly under.  Each is labeled with the center {alphabet, letter writing, word building, etc.}, and a number {either 2 or 3 for "can do" and "now what"}.

        

I am currently working on setting up something similar for math and our phonics time.

I would love to know how you do centers in your room?  What do the children do when you are in a small group?  I can't wait to hear all the great ideas!!

Daily 5 in Kindergarten- The Basics

Hey everyone!  It's Katie from Miss Kate's Desk.  Today I want to give you a little peek of how I do Daily 5 literacy stations in my classroom.

Let's back up to my first year of teaching.  I had 10 stations.  Yes, you saw that correctly...10!  I was overwhelmed.  I was constantly having to change activities in the different stations, find room for all the stations, and nag nag nag at kids not on task.  I always had at least one or two at my table for a break to calm down and try again.

I felt like Arnold some days after stations.  Key word, felt.  I hope I didn't look like that!

After my first year I just knew I couldn't do that again.  I started doing Daily 5.  It is one of the best decisions I have made the past 3 years of teaching.  The only station I have to change activities in is Word Work, and that usually isn't a whole lot.  The others stay the same all year.  I am also not having to nag at kids and it's pretty stinkin' rare to have a student at my table to take a break and try again.

Now, I do not conference with students during this time.  If you read the Daily 5 book, she talks about conferencing.  I just keep doing my normal small groups.  I conference for writing and this year will start in Math.

Here's the 5 main Daily 5 stations:
Read to Self
Read to Someone
Work on Writing
Word Work
Listening to Reading

Now I'll show you some pictures of those areas the students work and also some that shows some activities or how I organize it.

I let my students choose for each of the 3 or 4 rounds we do (depending on our schedule that day) where they want to go.  Daily 5 is big on choice.

Yes, you read correctly up there...they choose!  I have some posters from Kristen Smith (A Day in First Grade...she's now in kinder!) that are a freebie in her store that I use for students to take a clip and clip it to a sticker on the poster.  That means they are working at that station for that round.  If all the stickers are full of clips, that shows the kids that station is full and to find an open one.  When we switch and do another round, the students go back to the carpet with their clips and I call tables to go find a new station to put their clip at.  They can't visit the same area again if they've already been there that day.  Also, they are reminded every day to think about a station they haven't been to in a day or so and try it.  If I notice someone is never going to a certain station I may call them up to chat and encourage, but that's rare.

You can see to the right the poster (it's cut off some) and the green stickers.  That's where the kids would put their clip with their name to show they are working there.  

Don't let choice scare you! It may make you a little nervous at first, but they are SO MOTIVATED BECAUSE THEY CHOSE THAT STATION.  Before Daily 5 I was constantly stopping my groups to give a bunch of warnings, or call kids up to talk about what they were doing.  Now, it's rare.  Maybe once a week...sometimes less.  

Think about us as adults, if someone tells you to do something and doesn't give you choices...you may do it but not well or to the extent if you decided to do it without being told.  You'd be more excited about what you are doing and put in more effort.  It's the same with five and six year olds.

I store the clips on a poster hung up with magnets on a file cabinet. I just made a background and put Daily 5 and that's where the clips live when not in use.  

Alrighty!  Here's the stations!

Read to Self

 Students find a book and read in this big carpet area.  They can read on the bench, on those red back pillows, or sprawl out on the floor.  We practice the week we learn procedures our reading stamina as a class.  I start a timer and when someone isn't reading or starts talking we start over.  They love doing this and trying to get a higher time.  It helps in the long run with practicing reading the pictures, reading words (if we can this early on), or telling a story (in our heads of course).  The beginning of the year our rounds are about 6-8 mins each and gradually work up to about 15 mins each.  This helps build stamina too!

We always talk at the beginning of the year about getting comfy because readers read in all sorts of places and ways.  I tell them I do in the bathtub but that's dangerous if I drop my book in the water.  :/  They get a kick out of that and I'm sure tell their family that I read in the tub.  

Read to Someone (or Read With a Friend)

Students can grab the cushions under my desk and read anywhere in this large area in the front of the room.  We go over EEKK (elbow to elbow knee to knee) with the book in the middle so both can see.  We model and practice a lot how to do this and share the book in the middle.  Both students pick a book.

Pretty decent EEKK.  This year I'm going to have a tub by the cushions of books that I have that are doubles if they choose.

Listening to Reading

I use LeapReader pens.  I've slowly invested in these the last 4 years as well as the books that go with them.  I have tried CDs before but it's always been a huge problem regardless how many times I teach how to use the cd players.  They are much more focused with these pens and books.  If you've never heard of them, go on Leap Frog's website and check them out.  I use headphones so the kids do not hear the pens reading.

Work on Writing

At one of the tables is the writing station.  Students grab paper of their choosing (changes throughout the year and the variety) off that little writing center by the file cabinet, a pencil, and a container of crayons. I let them choose what they want to write about. 

We had a major Fly Guy obsession last school year. 

Word Work

This is just one little snapshot of the area in the back of my classroom.  Students can sit at this counter and play word games (in those drawers), write word lists (on the Boogie Boards), or not pictured I have 2 large pocket chart stands and also a big whiteboard to play word games on or practice writing words on the whiteboard.  This year I've put up sight words (like usual), but added CVC word lists.  I plan to staple up some more words as well.  This is the only station that I put new things in the drawers, maybe once every few weeks.  

If you're one who has 10 stations like I had, bless you.  :)  Haha!  It just didn't work for me and my kids.  This year will be my 3rd year of doing Daily 5 stations and I love it.  It just always amazes me how quick they catch on to how stations work (after a week), how I can easily do my small groups, and how focused the students are at their station.  

Giving students choice is scary at first but it's amazing.  They work so much harder and enjoy it!

Sorry for the LOONG post.  I could go on and on.  Hope this gave you a little bit of insight into what Daily 5 looks like in K.  Feel free to email or comment if you have questions!  I'll be doing a more in depth look at each of the 5 stations soon on my blog.

-Katie : Miss Kate's Desk