Language Arts Centers

So, I have been so busy creating and researching new center ideas for Language Arts.  I've never done centers, so I was very nervous about starting them this year.  I tried it for a week last year and I decided that whole group instruction was better at that time.  I had all last year to think about centers and this year I am so glad that I started!  I am loving centers and so are the students!  I feel that the students are getting so many more opportunities to practice new skills than any other instructional strategy would allow for.

I will post more pictures in a few but here are two centers that I just love!  The first one is our listening, I wasn't sure how I was going to get this center going since I didn't even have a CD player!  A few of my parents made generous donations which allowed me to make a purchase from Lakeshore.  I bought the CD player and the holder.  Then, on Pinterest I saw this idea to make a bench.  I am in LOVE with how it came out!  The students love it as well!!!

My next center was made from an oil drip pan!  I found this alphabet fabric in Seattle last year and it's just been sitting in my closet.  I had the brilliant idea to cover the drip pan with the fabric and students would use my magnetic letters and match them to the letters on the fabric.  So awesome!!!  

Walking Field Trip

On Friday, we had our walking Field Trip around town!  We look for all the shapes and colors that we have learned during the month of August and this field trip is a great reinforcer and a fun way to end our unit.  We walk a half a mile down to a park and once we get there we cool off with some juice and practice making shapes with our hands and bodies and then walk back up to school.  The students get so excited seeing the shapes, especially when I point out unusual ones to them!

Oscar Octagon and Arron Arrow

Tracey Trapozoid

Squire Square, Danny Diamond and Cera Circle

Ricky Rectangle

Helen Hexagon

Opal Oval

Danny Diamond

Arron Arrow

Chris Cross