Center Time

During center time, children have many opportunities to explore and create. The teacher works with small groups and individual children to provide for individual needs.

Oral language is an important component of literacy.  These children are developing oral language as they create their own dramatizations.  Children also develop social skills  in this center.

Each day, children have job centers that they must complete in our classroom.  The teacher uses this time to work with children in small groups and one-on-one to provide for individual needs.  Some of our job centers include math journal entries, project or fact book entries, and construction projects.  This child is writing her entry in a class-made book.

These children are exploring movement as they create buildings and elaborate models of gears that they can make move.

In block center, children engage their minds in many things.  They explore physics as they build towers and make them stand.  They also have opportunities to role play with one another as they grow socially.

In the discovery center, children engage in observations and active science.  These children are experimenting with prisms.   They are trying to figure out how to make a rainbow using a prism.   As a class, we are keeping a book with our findings in it.  We have class discussions to share our current findings.

In puzzle center, children can choose from many kinds of puzzles.  Working with puzzles is a good way for children to build fine motor muscles for writing.

These children are playing a math game.  As they play, they are counting, using one-to-one correspondence, and negotiating as they work with one another to play by the rules of the game.  Other math games build skills ranging from recognizing more and less to strategizing to multiplication and division.

In listening center, children can choose to listen to books by themselves or with a friend.  The model of fluent, expressive reading they hear helps them build knowledge of what a good reader sounds like.

Children can role play and show their artistic sides in this center.  Play-doh is also very useful in helping children build fine motor skills needed for writing.

These children are reading to their imaginary class!  Children role play as well as practicing important reading skills when they spend time in big book center.

Children who participate in computer center have a spectrum of choices in what they play.  They get to play games that cover subject areas such as reading, math, geography, and technology.  This child is playing a game that reinforces good typing skills.

Art center is a place where children can express themselves through several mediums.  There are a variety of materials in the art center for children to use.

Reading center is a quiet place for children to relax and enjoy a good book. 

Children can create works of art using different types of paint in this center.

Publishing center is an area where the children can create work to be "published".  From cards to letters and books,  they take pride in their drawing and writing as they become authors and illustrators.