Actionable tips on setting up student groups, choosing literacy centers, and effectively organizing materials and classroom space!
In this blog post: Thinking about setting up a writing center in your classroom? Find the best Kindergarten writing center ideas and activities for here. The writing center has long been one of my favorite literacy centers for Kindergarten. It’s easy to set up, easy(ish) to manage, and students absolutely LOVE going there! If you […]
Literacy Center Ideas - hands-on literacy center activities perfect for 5-8 years | you clever monkey
Forty ideas to inspire you!
Actionable tips on setting up student groups, choosing literacy centers, and effectively organizing materials and classroom space!
I really like the beginning of the school year. It brings a new group of kiddos, fresh school supplies, and a clean slate! I actually enjoy teaching behavior, routines, and procedures…maybe that’s weird. 🙂 The one thing I do find a little overwhelming, however, is getting centers up and running. There’s so much to teach and […]
Forty ideas to inspire you!
Literacy Center Ideas - hands-on literacy center activities perfect for 5-8 years | you clever monkey
Forty ideas to inspire you!
Engaging sentence building activity to teach your students about sentences and their parts. This color-coded resource is perfect for K-1 literacy centers.
Find 10 sight word activities and games for Kindergarten or 1st grade. These sight word activities can be played whole group, small group, or in centers.
Learn how literacy centers are set up in an elementary classroom and what activities students are working on at each center.
Do you want a Shark Week FREE FILE? FREEBIES Shark style is here! Compare informational text with narrative text in this blog post. Free ideas & activities
Play has always seemed synonymous with children because it’s what they do. When students come to school now, it seems as if the decision-makers want to limit
Are you concerned that your students are not getting the most out of your phonics instruction? It's easy to become frustrated and feel like we're not doing
Make mastering beginning sounds engaging and effective for your students with these beginning sounds activities and assessments for kindergarten.
Play has always seemed synonymous with children because it’s what they do. When students come to school now, it seems as if the decision-makers want to limit
Why is phonics so important? It's the foundational skill of decoding letters into their corresponding sounds, which is essential for students to independently read unknown words. Research shows that it's the best way to teach students to read words. While we do provide systematic phonics instruction during whole group and small groups, students also need time to practice these newly learned skills. It's also vital that they get some spiral review within their day. The best way I have found to do this is through our Word Work Station. In this post, I want to share how I set up my word work center, what our favorite tools and activities are, and how I manage it from week to week in a way that's not overwhelming or time consuming. Teachers cannot afford to add anything else to their plates. (This post may contain affiliate links.) This is my most recent word work center. I like to have it in front of a bulletin board so that I can hang posters and anchor charts. The pocket chart is for words that they can practice with that week's spelling pattern. That's an early finisher activity in which they can use whiteboards to quiz each other, rainbow spell, or make words with play-doh. I like to put fabric around the table so that I can use underneath for storage. I post this list of to-dos that's laminated, so that I can write on it with a dry erase marker. I always list two activities that they can do, so that we don't run into the problem of them finishing one and then not knowing what to do next. I don't have to worry about them interrupting my small group to ask what to do next or for them to be off task doing nothing. Each group also has a leader, so if they forget to look to the board for what to do, the group leader can show them. I change what it says every two days. That sounds like a lot but it only takes a minute, and I usually do it while I'm explaining centers to them. The activities that go in there are already prepped from years before or I got them ready the week before. I have four groups, two rotations per day, so that allows each group to go there every other day. (Find these Back to School Anchor Charts HERE) We create anchor charts together during our whole group phonics. I then can move these to the word work center for reference. I print them in poster size, but you don't have to do that if you don't have room. Sometimes I don't have room for all that I want to hang, so I print them out letter size and laminate them for the following years. We then write on them with dry erase markers. I usually let the students write on these so that we can practice stretching out words with our puppets. I also always print these posters for the spelling pattern of the week. I can then move them over to the word work center for reference. I spend the first month of school teaching lots of procedures. One of those is where to find classroom tools. They may need dice, spinners, counters, linking cubes, or game pieces for our word work games, so I make sure they know where to find them. These Ikea shelves were the best investment for our tools and manipulatives. They know what pieces they need for each game, so they can grab them themselves. I don't have to worry about putting tools at the word work center each week. I do not put dry erase markers or erasers at the center. They just know to bring their pencil pouches with them to the word work station that contains those needed supplies. I store my games and activities in two different places. These organizers from Amazon are great to store posters and activities by spelling pattern. They don't take up a lot of space either. I just labeled them according to my pacing guide. This is an example of printing the anchor charts smaller, so that I can store them in here for next year. If you print larger, you can roll them up. I store those in a cute hamper. I try to just stick to similar activities from week to week. I don't have time to teach new games and activities each week, so I want station activities to be familiar. If it is something new, we will play it in small group first and then it moves to the station the following week. These activities are some of my Word Work Activities and Games. It's important to have my students do word sorts, so I usually have them complete one of those. I just laminate them and print them on cardstock and store in these plastic bags. I throw them in the file folder storage. They are always obsessed with these spelling pattern board games. I thought they would get tired of them, but nope! This is usually activity two in the station. You can find them in each of my Word Work packs here. I also love Susan Jones's Print, Play, and Learn Games! I bought her bundle so that I would have these for all of the spelling patterns. I just print and laminate them and store in these folders. We will usually play these in small groups to learn how to play, and then they go in the station the following week. They're very easy to prep. I store these and the Roll and Reads from Sparkling in Second in these clear tubs. They're also very easy to prep, and we use those for small groups and stations. They are great for decoding and fluency practice. The tubs easily slide underneath the word work table. I pull out the box I need and put it at my table and then at the word work station. My word work station is pretty basic, but that's what I like about it. Once you make these games and get organized, you are ready to go for years. Not to say that I don't add new things here and there, but consistency is key with centers or stations. I hope this post helps you or gives you some ideas on how to create a simple, but engaging and effective word work center. It's definitely one of my students' favorite spots to visit multiple times each week. If you need some ideas for phonics instruction, whether you're teaching in-person or virtually, you can CLICK HERE.
Are you still resisting the idea of using hands-on centers in your classroom? I get it! I was pretty nervous to implement centers. I had so many questions:
Kindergartners begin school with a wide range of literacy backgrounds. This can make it difficult to know where to start with writing. Some children are just
Here we are, at the end of the school year, and my kiddos have gotten lazy! They are writing fast and messy, with letters flying all over the page. It is time to slow down and remember how to form letters correctly and how to get them to use the lines appropriately. How can we do this with only 2 weeks left? Practice, Practice, Practice! You could even bribe them! I will be telling my kiddos that they will get a special prize if they can show me their best handwriting. And to do this I will keep track of it in their end of the year handwriting packet. Check it out: Click here to get your handwriting freebie!
Engaging sentence building activity to teach your students about sentences and their parts. This color-coded resource is perfect for K-1 literacy centers.
Say It, Make It, Write It Free Printable Mats - How to Use Them Six Different Ways. Find out how to use this one free printable resource in your classroom 6 ways! Perfect for literacy centers, literacy work stations, sight word practice or even your maths centers | you clever monkey
This is my first time in a LONG time I can say I am not ready to go back to school after a break. Normally I am good and bored at the end of a week off of school and I am itching to get back. This break I spent visiting my daughter in Norfolk, VA and while it was AMAZING to see her and do A LOT of sight seeing I am tired!! I am not refreshed at all! Here are a few pics from our trip before I get started... Air and Space Museum Walked the entire National Mall, our feet were killing us! Virginia Beach and King Neptune. So cool! Exploring Jamestown. I learned so much! It was 6 days of excitement and fun (we landed in VA the night Matthew decided to hit Norfolk...scary stuff!) and I feel like I need a couple of days to get ready for my kiddos. No rest for the weary...a girls got to do what a girls got to do! Here is a peek at what we have going on this week! Morning Work: We are on week 4 of unit 2 and we are focusing on the letter C, the sight words my, like, and we, and introducing numbers and words that describe size as adjectives. Here is a preview of our morning work. Centers: SO MANY new centers! We are using our regular centers for the week for write the room, our ABC centers, cut and glue, and the listening station from BEAR SNORES ON centers. I've added in a BIG BOOK center that you can grab for free HERE. I am also still using quite a few centers from my ABC CENTERS unit and a couple of new ones I just created. You can get these HERE First one is an ABC clip activity: And the second is a "rainbow" letter recognition activity: I still have some tweeks to make to these but I want my students to try them first. Another fun center I made from the Dollar Tree this week are these fun eyeball activities. I'm sure you have seen them on Pinterest. They are so fun! I watched this VLOG from Adam at Teachers Learn Too with Kim Adsit. I had to run out to Dollar Tree and get the materials to make these. They have jumbo tweezers that fit these ping pong ball eyeballs just perfectly. I think my kiddos are going to go crazy over these! I also made a couple more of the centers they suggested from the Dollar Tree, you have to check it out! Reading: We are working HARD on LETTER NAMING FLUENCY and that is our focus right now during our fluency time. Our comprehension focus is fantasy vs. reality and our accuracy focus is stretching the sounds in words. SO MUCH happening in reading this week! Writing: Hand in hand with stretching and blending sounds in reading we are doing the same thing in writing. This is the magical week when we start adding words to our stories. We prepared for this before break by adding labels to our stories (and everything in our classroom). We have built our confidence in writing (no more...."I can't spell that" or "I don't know how to write that") and we are ready to say the words and write down the sounds we know. It's my favorite week in Writer's Workshop!! I introduce this week by reading ABC books and our writing focus is words are made up of letters. Math: We are on Unit 3 of Guiding Kinders (which I just realized I left off of my plans) and this week we really dive into composing and decomposing numbers. I am not going to sugar coat this....this is a really difficult week to teach. Not the hands on stuff, it's really fun to create numbers in different ways with blocks but the recording on paper was HARD last year. I am going to come at it from a different angle this year. Ok....that was a bit of a rant.....I am all set now. Math Journals: We are also into our math journals now. We started them out right before break and they were so excited to get started. I have my lessons in detail HERE and blogged about them HERE That's our week. See why I am already tired? Lots going on!! I haven't even touched on the kick off of our pumpkin week but I will be back later in the week to talk about that! Have a great week friends! Want to pin these to an idea board? Here you go!
You might already know the many different options in which you can run your literacy centers. You can have students work in rotating groups. You could give them a folder and they can self-direct their learning. You could also have them work in pairs, interdependently. You could have your students working on their centers with peers from their guided reading groups, or you could mix abilities. There are so many different ways to run your centers, and you have to choose what's right for you and your students. It may change from year to year. In this article, I will be sharing the way I do Literacy Centers so you can see how I implement, manage, and hold my students accountable. I hope you are able to find some golden nuggets and pick and choose what works for you and your classroom!
In this post, I’ll explain how to differentiate literacy centers effectively - and in a manageable way!
Do you want your students to love writing? Get tips on how to create a classroom writing center that your students will WANT to go to!
Make mastering beginning sounds engaging and effective for your students with these beginning sounds activities and assessments for kindergarten.
The Ultimate List of Literacy Center Activities - plenty of literacy work station and Daily 5 Word Work ideas and inspiration for the classroom for developing phonological awareness, rhyme, syllables, initial sound knowledge and word work. Perfect for young children aged 5-8 years | you clever monkey
One way that I incorporate play into literacy instruction is through a dramatic play literacy center. In this post, I’ll share ideas to help you set up a productive, fun dramatic play literacy center in your own classroom!
Literacy Center Ideas - hands-on literacy center activities perfect for 5-8 years | you clever monkey
Discover 5 literacy centers aligned to the Science of Reading. These low-prep, engaging activities are ideal for K-2 students and classrooms.
The preschool writing center is an important area of the classroom for exploring writing tools while also working on fine motor and literacy skills.
Literacy Center Ideas - hands-on literacy center activities perfect for 5-8 years | you clever monkey
Practice blending onsets and rimes with this free printable roll and write phonics activity for kindergarten and first grade.
Make mastering beginning sounds engaging and effective for your students with these beginning sounds activities and assessments for kindergarten.
Learn how I set up my writing center for my preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students. Plus get a writing center FREEBIE!
These low prep centers for May are a great way to end the school year. Your students will love these spring kindergarten centers!
Play has always seemed synonymous with children because it’s what they do. When students come to school now, it seems as if the decision-makers want to limit
Combining sight words and word families is the perfect way to start a child's reading journey. Download free printable worksheets and centers!
I Spy a Sound are fun and engaging phonics activities that you can use to work on letter sounds with your kindergarten students.
Make mastering beginning sounds engaging and effective for your students with these beginning sounds activities and assessments for kindergarten.
Since sight words are so critical to reading success because they are used so often and can not easily be sounded out by young readers, it is important to practice them often in order for young students to be able to recognize them on sight. In this post I’m sharing some fun ideas for “revving […]
