Play-Based Literacy Centres for Kindergarten Grade 1 Ann George Greater Victoria School District ageorge@sd61.bc.ca Organization of Materials clear tubs, open tubs, clear freezer bags for easy access to materials easy access shelving give children responsibility for the activities and materials whenever possible make the literacy centre materials available for free play as well update as needed e.g. add current spelling list Scheduling various ways to group children academic need (academic peers or a mix of more capable but nurturing students with less able students), social groups, randomly post a schedule so children always know their work group and activity introduce new materials to whole class at first, allow free exploration time the first few activity sessions increase duration of literacy centres over several sessions various approaches to scheduling: o 5 centres set up same 5 activities every day for two weeks, children work at one centre per day, rotate centres daily, the second week allows children to revisit and practise known activities o 3 centres rotate through all 3 centres in the same session, schedule 2 or 3 times per week o same centres twice per day assigned centres in morning, children have free choice of centres in afternoon o 24 centres put children in pairs, one activity per child, do one task in morning, switch tasks in afternoon
Literacy Centre Ideas shaving cream on table tops (if scent is an issue, do this outside on plastic placemats) washable markers on table tops write words, letters, sentences, wash when done finger paint on paper gel bags (a small amount of coloured hair gel and glitter in freezer bags), write letters with finger on outside of bag, can use with a light table letter sort a variety of letters (wood, plastic, paper ) to sort by colour or letter name or attribute (tunnel letters, curved letters, straight letters, zig zag letters ) object sort with a variety of objects and an alphabet match objects to initial letter tactile letters trace over felt, sandpaper, cornmeal, ridged plastic letters cookie sheets with coloured sand, rice, cornmeal, salt print letters, words letter magnets and cookie sheets sort letters, order alphabet, spell words letter match match upper case letters with lower case Alphabet Soup game plastic letters or tiles or magnets in a pot, recording sheet alphabet pasta letter sort, spelling (or use for Alphabet Soup game) stir sticks/popsicle sticks straight letters shoelaces with beads (for weight) curved letters pipe cleaners or Wiki Stix (curved and straight letters) letter beads, shoelaces order alphabet, spell words, create sentences geoboards letters, words pegboards letters, words playdough, cookie cutter letters roll snakes to form letters, stamp letters Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book, tree, Velcro letters
alphabet puzzles (can add sand timers for those needing a challenge) bingo picture, letter, sight word commercial alphabet and word games sight word dominoes, concentration Roll A Letter or Word letter or word dice, recording grids wooden letter blocks order the alphabet, build words horizontally and vertically Lego letter and word building wooden letter train assemble in alphabetical order or link cars to make words body letters can also spell words (in groups) printing practice laminated sheets with dotted letters to trace spaghetti letters draw one continuous spaghetti line (including straight and curved parts) in black, trace over any letters that appear in the spaghetti using a different colour for each letter grid letters trace over letters formed by a grid using a different colour for each letter laminated letter or word puzzles, dry erase markers and erasers alphabet mazes, letter or word searches, words hidden in pictures newspaper, highlighters highlight letters and words letter, word, sentence sort sort cards and place under appropriate headings letter search in illustrations read a book, search for letters in pictures (e.g. Why Can t I Fly?) book with matching puppets retell the story sequencing put picture cards in order, tell the story to another child felt board #1 felt letters in alphabetical order, spell words felt board #2 book with matching felt shapes, retell the story
painted rocks #1 upper and lower case letters on opposite sides of rocks, order alphabet, spell words painted rocks #2 book characters on rocks, retell story (e.g. Grumpy Bird) character match match name cards with pictures of characters from a story story retelling a book with a few simple appropriate props chalkboards letters, words, sentences, illustrations framed glass (white paper, lined paper, themed paper) or whiteboards, dry erase markers and erasers letters, words, sentences, stories, illustrations room or hall search using clipboards and recording sheets, search for letters and words, words with specific initial letters, words containing specific letters pocket chart initial letters matched with pictures, rhyming words, assembling sentences and poems match word cards with pictures, use plastic letters or magnets to spell the words paper chains #1 read pre-made alphabet chains, using both ordered and scrambled alphabets paper chains #2 write known words on paper chain links, or write word families, or write sentences (one word per link) and read to someone else word families laminated cards with word family stems ( _ad _og _in _et.), create lists of words for each stem, read to another child word wall read the classroom word wall to another child sight words on rings, sand timers read words before timer runs out Read-A-Friend clip sight word cards (clear nametag sleeves with clips) to one child s clothing, second child points to words, third child reads words
sentence strips with the same words on individual cards reassemble the cards to form the sentences poem sort reassemble cut up poems, line by line or word by word greeting cards supplies (including vocabulary) to create cards letter stamps #1 (oversized) for poster titles and captions letter stamps #2 (smaller) stamp the alphabet in order, spell words, make sentences words from names make lists of words using the letters in classmates names (Liam a, I, mail) (Isabella I, is, a, as, bell, ball, sell) lists make lists of words beginning with specific letters, ending in silent e, animal names, wish lists alphabetize lists of words sight words, spelling words, colour words, friends names, toys, vocabulary lists. Fill-Ins (cloze) laminated poem, sentence or message cards with words missing, fill in blanks word bags pick a few words out of a bag, use them to write a silly sentence scrambled words reorder letter cards to create words, read to a friend scrambled sentences reorder word cards to create sentences, read to a friend scrambled stories reorder sentence strips to create stories, read to a friend word web print a word in the centre of a web, write related words around it listening centre with a book, draw or write a response to the story ipad centre animated Tumblebooks stories (provide book, too), draw or write a response to the story
Reading Train three to four pairs of kids sitting side by side, one pair in front of the other, each kid reads a simple levelled text to partner, at conductor s signal partners on right side move forward to new partner, continue until are back at original partner reading centre create an unusual space such as a tent, add pillows and stuffed animals, include a wide variety of reading materials levelled books, fiction and informational texts, class made books, poems, oversized books writing centre include a variety of writing papers and writing instruments, a collection of pictures and interesting objects, thematic and seasonal vocabulary lists Outdoor Literacy Centre Ideas sticks, twigs, wood chips build letters sidewalk chalk bucket of water and an old paintbrush write letters, words, lists, sentences quickly on the pavement before the writing evaporates sandbox write in the sand with sticks or stamp letters with sand molds or cookie cutters skipping rope spelling make letters and words with skipping ropes