I used to have a set number of centers out at one time and have groups of kids rotate through the centers. I'd change them every week. This works really well in a self-contained classroom but I found it wasn't going the way I wanted with our departmentalized 40 minute classes (I actually have the kids for 80 minutes). Now what I do is to have all my vocabulary games in one box and writing in another. During conference times, writing times, silent reading times, while I'm meeting with students or circulating around the room, students who have thier work completed can access any center when they want. Sometimes I refer specific students to a particular activity if I see that they need extra practice. Sometimes I grab a game that's suitable for whole group participation and we take ten minutes to play. Sometimes I designate part of a period as game time, setting out a different activity at each of the six tables in my room; I rotate groups every ten minutes or so.

I used to try and keep track of activities, who did what. Not now. Often the centers have the students writing something so any papers are kept in each individual's writing journal/folder to save as a work in progress. It can be selected to take to publishing or just left there in the collection.

Last updated August 24, 1997