Reading Centers and 1 Freebie!

How do you manage your reading centers?

I have a guided reading table, two small group centers that focus on current skills and/or themes, and 5 individual centers that stay up for the whole week.

Students go to one of these individual centers each day. I have them numbered and sometimes change their focus, but they usually include: 1. Library 2. Writing 3. Art 4. Sight Words 5. either Listening Center or Word Work. I really love individual centers because I don't have to buy or make as many center supplies for each theme/topic, and it's a relaxing and calm time for my kiddos.

Here is the chart I use so students know where to go that day. I move the stars on top over one spot every morning.

Although you can't tell, the names are color coded by group. The top row the first group that rotates to individual centers, the next row is the second, etc. I have four groups in my class of 18 students.

Below are some examples of what my students are currently working on at their individual centers:

Rainbow writing and write-the-room sheets for W and V, our letters of the week at the writing center.

One student per rotation gets the classroom library all to themselves! They sit on a small chair or on the pillows and read to Clifford or one of the other stuffed animals you can see off to the right, bursting out of the shelf!

The word work center this week is a consonant blends pocket chart sort. Click on the picture of the worksheet above to get a free copy!

This is our snowman sight word memory match game, which students play on the rug.

Our art center is one page of our "My ABC Book" Our letters of the week are W and V. Students draw what they see out of one of their home windows.

This is my guided reading table. I have small bins to hold books and supplies for each group.

The red bin holds general supplies that I use all the time. The blue bin on the right hand side is my "Friday" bin-what I throw all of my books and copies in for the day. It's part of a set from Lakeshore and usually lives on my desk. I just had it out after school to stock it! The white bins that you can partially see behind my table are A-Z leveled readers that I use for student book bags. I will have to explain those in later post. Dinner time!

Have a FANTASTIC Friday everyone. I am getting observed by my principal tomorrow so wish me luck:) Oh, and be sure to comment back or send me a link to your blog post about your reading center set-up!

Cheers,