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I LOVE Literacy Centres!

Okay, I know, there are soooo many teacher bloggers out there now talking about math centres...and I do love them too, but I just love getting literacy centres ready! (Actually, I am planning to purchase and read Debbie Diller's Math Centers Book next month so math centres is next on my 'to do' list!). I have used so many different Lit. Centre board task cards over the years...some were great, others I needed to make up.  So a few years ago I created these for my class.  They work really well as the students are able to match the small job board icon with the large icon card around the room at the centre itself.  Today I finally got around to printing and mounting some more of these cards. Some centres are stored in bins (like Playdough and Write the Room) and the kids take them out as needed and place on one of our large group tables in the middle of the room.  Others, like Puppets and Sand Search, are housed in one area all year long.  I hope you will be able to use these task cards too (sorry, big books doesn't have an icon, can't get my scanner to work tonight!).  The small ones fit in a standard pocket chart.  Here is what it looks like (I am borrowing this image from my fabulous teaching partner, Mrs. Parisi, since I am off this year). 

Large Literacy Centre Signs

Don't forget to check my newer post (Literacy CentRE or Literacy CentER for an update on the Management Signs!)

I am always interested in hearing what other centres teachers use!

P.S.  My Back to School unit will be ready on TpT soon!  Here's a freebie for you! (There are 2 copies, one with American spelling and one with Canadian spelling!)


Happy teaching!


13 comments
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13 comments

  1. Amy HedtlerJuly 01, 2011 9:48 pm

    Hi Alessia,
    I'm new to kindergarten this fall. Thanks for the Center Signs! I was wondering if you could tell me what you have the kids do in the Sand Search Center?
    Thanks!
    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  2. claireJuly 02, 2011 4:27 am

    Lovely blog with great ideas!
    ...and it is lovely to see I am not the only blog to spell 'centre' :)

    http://www.misstoffeesclass.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alessia AlbaneseJuly 02, 2011 10:11 am

    Hi Amy! For the Sand Search I put a variety of things in my sand box...magnetic letters, small items (such as a very small plastic frog, watermelon, spider, etc.) and the kids have to dig them up and sort them according to beginning sound, etc. I try to change things often. This works well too...save the metal lids from frozen juice cans (or ask parents to send them in). Paste a picture (clipart) on one side and on the other write the letter the word starts with. Have a second set of can lids and write only the letters. Children find the matching picture to letter on the lids. You can also do this for word families, numbers, etc. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions...I would be glad to help!

    Alessia

    ReplyDelete
  4. Michelle BreumJuly 02, 2011 12:15 pm

    How about some free online stories for literacy centers. I've collected some on a page on my blog. http://beginningreadinghelp.blogspot.com/p/favorite-online-stories.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. Toni EckleyJuly 02, 2011 3:49 pm

    Love your website and ideas! Can you explain your Literacy Board? Do you move the student group names each day? Are the student groups allowed to choose any of the 1-4 centers during your literacy center time? How do you know if they are completed?
    Thanks so much!
    Toni E

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alessia AlbaneseJuly 02, 2011 4:45 pm

    Hi Toni,

    The Literacy Centre board is really easy for both the students and myself to use. Everyday I have about 45 min-1 hr for Guided Reading time (which is when my other students follow the lit. centre board). I give them anywhere from 10-20 minutes at each centre (depends how long my GR time is). They start at centre #1 and stay there the entire time I am with my first Guided Reading group (10-20 minutes). All of the activities are open ended, meaning they are free to explore that centre to the best that they can. For example, if they are at Word Work, I may put out a sight word activity where they have to fill in the blank sentence with a sight word. They keep doing this until I ring the bell. Then they tidy up and I call the 2nd reading group to meet with me and students move to the second centre. If, for example, the second centre is Playdough, they know to take the Playdough mats (I have mine available on TpT) and roll out playdough snakes to form letters, words, etc. They just have to stay and work quietly at that centre with the others in their group until I finish my reading lesson and ring the bell. I do this with all 4 reading groups. So each day students will be called for their reading groups once which means that they will miss one centre activity (I change this each day, Monday I may call reading groups 1,2,3,4 and then Tuesday start with 4,3,2,1, etc.) At the end of the day, I simply move the group cards down so that they start a new row of centres for the next day. I don't do lit. centres on "Fun Friday". Hope that helps. If there is a centre sign you would like to use that you don't see, please let me know and I would be happy to create one for you! :)
    Alessia

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJuly 03, 2011 11:08 am

    hi,
    i really like your literacy center cards. I was wondering, as a BIG favor, could you change the spellings on centres...to centers....and the word colouring to coloring?....It would reflect the english spelling for me.
    i understand if you can not do this for me...just a suggestion.
    thanks for sharing all your ideas...i enjoy coming to get ideas often.
    laura
    lhardin@lcisd.org

    ReplyDelete
  8. Alessia AlbaneseJuly 03, 2011 11:31 am

    Hi Laura,

    No problem! I just changed the spelling (to the American way, this is the Canadian way) and e-mailed you the PDF. Thanks for following my blog!

    Alessia

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousJuly 27, 2011 9:16 pm

    Alessia,

    You are too cute! I have spent many hours looking over your blog and getting some great ideas. I have the same favor to ask as Laura... would you mind emailing me the PDF of the English spellings?

    Thank you for all your hard work!
    Mandy

    hilla@cfbisd.edu

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousJanuary 01, 2012 7:52 pm

    I am glad to see that you have 4 groups. I have been told many times by coaches and teachers alike that they do not know how I do it. I rotate the same as you and find that I can be more personl with my small groups! Love your ideas. Thank You!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mrs. MorrowSeptember 03, 2012 4:02 pm

    Hey! I love your literacy center signs and used them last year. I am trying to redo them and now it will not let me download them for some reason. I could download the added ones, but not the small and large ones in this post! PLEASE HELP!!!
    Michelle
    mmorrow@lexington1.net

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2013 5:12 pm

    I love the centre cards and would love a copy - however they don't seem to download for me either -can they be emailed to me also (Canadian spelling please as I'm in Australia)- thanks!! Kris

    terryandkris@ozemail.com.au

    ReplyDelete
  13. SandyMarch 25, 2013 11:58 am

    Hi again,

    I posted a moment ago asking if you wouldn't mind emailing me your centre signs (large and small). Just realized you need an email: havetogetorganized@gmail.com

    Thanks so much!
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete

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