Literacy Centers

We have begun to explore reading and writing through literacy centers. Literacy centers give students chance to work independently with familiar stories/activities while the teacher works with reading groups. I will be able to begin guided reading as soon as all students master the procedures of centers and can work independently.
Here are a few pictures of our literacy centers so far...

These pictures are of Word Work center. Right now we are exploring the letters of the alphabet each week with a different book. Last week we focused on Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This week we built letters with sticks and curves like Alphabet Under Construction. Later on we will be focusing more on words instead of letters.

In Poetry center we will add a new poem to our poetry folder each week. This will go home at the end of the year. There are also big poems for us to read in this center. Right now we are practicing on making the pointer match our voice.

In Library Center we are using props or puppets to retell a familiar fairy tale. Last week we compared different versions of The 3 Little Pigs. This week we compared different versions of The 3 Billy Goats Gruff.

Write the Room is a center that focuses on letters as well as words. I hide six words around the room each week that begin with a certain letter. The students use a clipboard to walk around the room and find them to write them down. The friend in this picture discovered she could also find words that begin with the letter B hiding in books!

I could not take pictures of Pocket Chart center this week because we are focusing on reading each other's names and I do not put any names on this blog. At that center the students point to a simple repeating sentence each week that focuses on new word we are adding to the word wall. Then they record their thinking to they can read the sentences to you at home.

Next week we will also be adding Listening Center. In this center they will listen to a story each week and then record a story element. At the beginning of the year students just record their favorite part for several weeks. After they get the hang of it they will be prompted to record other things like characters, setting, beginning, middle, end, make a connection, etc.

As soon as our headphones come in we will also add computer center.