My Reading Centers
The two skinny pocket charts on the left will house my vocabulary words and other spelling words for the week. The new common core is focusing on asking an essential question and teaching certain vocabulary words each week or unit. I need a place to put my vocabulary words that we are currently focusing on in a separate place other than my word wall.
I am also still debating whether to take these little pocket charts off and put reading anchor charts there instead. Big decisions, I know ;)
My Reading Center Board:
- At the beginning of the school year, I teach what each reading center is and how it is supposed to look like and sound like using T-charts displayed next to that center. We practice one or two centers for an entire week and add one or two more the following weeks.
- The top left card displays the day of the week.
- I like low maintenance work for me. All I do daily is switch the top headers (group 1, 2, and 3) and the day of the week.
- Centers stay the same Monday-Thursday (4th grade reading buddies come on Fridays). I only change ALL centers once a week, each Monday. On Thursday, they do the same centers they did on Monday.
- Each group does 2 center rotations a day. Each center is usually a 10-15 minute rotation.
- Towards the bottom, under the group 1, 2, and 3 headers, I print off the reading groups and insert there (groups based on reading level), so when it is time for their daily guided reading group, they all leave their reading center and meet with me.
- I am at the back table with a guided reading group.
- My little friends know that they are not allowed to interrupt me when I am doing a reading group unless it is an emergency. I start reading groups a few weeks into the school year, after I've completed reading assessments. Hopefully by then, I have taught the centers thoroughly and they are independent to do them on their own. The anchor charts are up for a few weeks for reminding. When the timer rings and I am in the middle of a reading group, they know that it is time to clean up and switch to their next center.
These are what my centers cards look like. I cut and mounted onto colored card stock and laminated them.
Reading center cards
Anyone want them? I can try to attach the document that has all the center cards and pictures...still learning how to do that! If anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it!
Thanks for reading,
Joelle