January Literacy Centers- FREEBIE! :)

Hey all! 

I'm here today to share my January Literacy Centers.  Here's what I've got for you:

Writing prompt:  In the snow, I like to...

 CVC word practice

 Poetry comes with 3 sheets of words to find in the poem.

 Big books- Identify title and known/unknown words.

I hope you can put them to use in your classroom.  I won't have any pics of them in use because I've left it for my sub to do during my maternity leave.   Let me know if you can use them and how they worked.

If you need info on how I use these Literacy Centers in my classroom- check out my blog post here.
Or, if you need literacy center labels- you can grab those here.

To grab your free copy of these January Literacy centers, click HERE from Google Docs.

On a personal note- maternity leave started for me today.  no baby yet, but I'll keep you posted!!  We still don't know if it's a boy or a girl- I'm so anxious and excited to find out!!!!!!!!

Math Stations

Centers Part 2: Math
I have 7 Math Stations.  The kids BEG to do math stations.  I think they love the independence.

Station 1:  Manipulatives.  Here, I put any manipulatives I feel the kids need more exposure to.  Currently, they are working with money... and since money isn't a Common Core Standard- who knows why?!?! they are adding money.  I feel like money is a life skill and I'm not about to let it go by the wayside... so we just double up and do money and addition.  Here-they are using magnetic coins.  I've also put linking cubes, counters, dice, pattern blocks, geoboards, etc.  If you can manipulate it, it's here!

Station 2:  Sensory.  I don't change the sensory tub in between my afternoon learning centers and math stations... I just give the math station a math objective.  Adding, subtracting, comparing, dividing, patterning, etc.  You get the point :)

Station 3: Teacher.  Here is the one I love most because I get to spend small group time with the kids and really individualize instruction.  I got these mats from KindergartenWorks.  (Thanks, Leslie!)  I also have a stack of work mats that I got from F is for First Grade (Thanks, Melissa!) that I keep at the table for the kids to work on in case I have to leave the station to help someone.  I put them in clear page protectors so the kids can write on them with dry erase markers.

Station 4: Computers.  We use Saxon Math, and it came with a Saxon Math game.  I love this game because it goes all the way up to 3rd grade.  So, I can challenge my high level thinkers to the upper grade games.  They love it too!

Station 5: iPads.  I am blessed to have 2 iPads in my classroom.  The kids LOVE them! (obvi)  So, I search the App store for Math related games and they play them :) If I can't find any I like that fit the standard I'm teaching, they use the Chalkboard App to work the skill being taught.

Station 6:  Work Mats.  I have a ton of Math workmats, and the kids get to use them at this station.  Here, specifically, they are subtracting.  (Put 5 birds in the pet store.  Take 2 birds home.  How many birds are left at the pet store.  Use number tiles to write the number sentence.)  I got these from Scholastic.com during their dollar days.  L.O.V.E. dollar days!! :)

Station 7: Teacher Correct.  The kids love this center because they get to grade MY homework.  :)  These new Common Core Standards are all about thinking.  I figure, why not have them grade papers!  Here's my thinking... instead of them adding 2+2 and figuring out it's 4, why not solve it for them, and ask them to critique my work.  Are they still adding 2+2?  YES  Are they still figuring out that it's 4?  YES.  So, why not give them some avenues to think about how I may have gotten my answer, and justify why it's wrong and why they are right.  Now, granted, it's pretty cut and dry with addition and subtraction... but think about dividing, patterning, etc.  There's a lot of room for higher level thinking here.

I even spoil them with markers! stickers! the whole 9 yards.  I always write "I'll try harder next time!" or "Thanks for helping me figure this out!" or something along those lines when I'm checking their work.  They eat.this.up!

So, there you have it- my math stations.
Up next... LITERACY CENTERS.

Don't forget- I love comments and followers! :)

Centers

Centers.  Stations.  Literacy Centers.  Learning Centers.  Math Stations.  Whatever you call them,  I love, love, LOVE them!  I love the independence they can give a child.  I love the small group setting that I get to have with the kiddos during centers.  I love the imagination the kids get to use during centers.  I love it all.  So, I want to do a series of blog posts dedicated to my favorite teaching method:  CENTERS! :)

So, I'll start with my afternoon learning centers.  I store all my center materials in cereal boxes with labels on them.  All the supplies fit nicely inside, and I asked my art teacher (she also helps me for Kinder Resource each morning for an hour) to make some fancy labels, because if you know anything about me... you know that I am NOT an artist.  My students even laugh sometimes at my pathetic attempt to draw things.

I have 8 afternoon learning centers:
1.  LISTENING.  The kids get to listen to the book on CD (or tape).  After reading the story, they get the magnet letters out and spell words in the book.  There is a left over metal shelf from a cabinet unit that I didn't need, and it fits nicely behind my bench.  The kids pull it out, and start sticking the letters on!

2.  ART.  I always put the example on my easel.  This time just so happens to be penguins! :)  All the patterns they might need to trace...glue they need...scissors...construction paper...googly eyes...EVERYTHING their little hears desire, is right at their fingertips.  If they finish early and have spare time (and they hardly EVER have spare time... because I judge my center length based on how the art kids are progressing) they can color in coloring books.  They are in the black milk crates on the side of the table.

3.  WRITING.  I tape the example up (again penguins.. this one says "Penguins are black and white.")  I give the kids writing paper, and they go to town.  As the year progresses, I make the sentence longer, harder, and eventually, give them the writing prompt and they write their own sentence.  Spare time- free write on scrap paper with stencils.

4.  MATH.  This one I still would like to give more attention to- it just needs SOMETHING.  I'm OK with it for now, but it's one that is in my "to-do" list for re-vamping.  Here the kids get to do a variety of things.  Sometimes I have a math game for them to play, or give them manipulatives to work with, but their favorite thing to do is play "teacher" and do the morning routine with each other.

5.  SENSORY.  This is probably one of the kids favorites.  I fill it with sand, water, rice, tire shreds, pattern blocks, linking cubes, easter eggs, jingle bells, pretty much whatever I can find that I think would be FUN! :)

6.  COMPUTERS.  The kids can play on KidPix (with a specific project to work on), Saxon Math, or starfall.com.  Enough said :)

7.  PUZZLES.  No picture- just a table with a puzzle crate on it :)
8.  SURPRISE.  No picture-again :)  This is whatever I think the kids need to work on at that point.  I've used nuts, bolts, and screws to work on fine motor.  I've used playdough, letter tiles, stamps, etc.

How do I keep it all organized?  The chart:

So, let me know how you do YOUR centers (or just tell me what you think of mine... because let's face it, I just love comments!), and stay tuned... next time ...
MATH STATIONS! :)