Learning Centers

Learning centers are areas within our classroom which contain a collection of activities for students to use for reinforcing kindergarten skills. Center time is a favorite time of the day for many kindergartners. In centers, children work with a small group of their peers to create, problem solve, and explore through hands-on activities.

	Manipulatives			Mathematics
	Listening			Sand and Water
	Housekeeping			Art
	Writing			Computer
	Discovery/Science			Library
	Blocks/Construction			Special Centers

Manipulatives Center

Filled with puzzles, games, builders, and other exploration tubs (you never know what will appear!), this center provides children with opportunities to develop and/or practice fine motor skills through activities which encourage:

• grasping, releasing, inserting, assembling, or disassembling;
• problem solving and working together;
• eye-hand coordination;
• directed inquiry activities using materials like puzzles, counting cubes, builders, pattern blocks, etc.;
• development of concepts and generalizations through the use of manipulative materials.

Listening Center

Everyone loves to listen to a good story! This center provides children with opportunities to:

• read/listen for pleasure or for information;
• listen to stories read by authors, teachers, or friends;
• see words, phrases, and stories;
• develop an understanding about how books are read and made.

Dramatic Play/Housekeeping Center

Our house center is located in our classroom loft. Equipped with a play refrigerator, table, stove, etc., this center can become a home, a restaurant, a doctor's office, a puppet theater, or any special place that the class creates. This center provides children with opportunities to develop and/or practice:

• role-playing activities;
• creative dramatic skills;
• social interaction skills;
• fine-motor skills;
• problem-solving;
• using language to communicate, convince, and entertain.

Writing Center

Filled with pencils, notepads, paper, and other special writing supplies, this center provides children with opportunities to develop and/or practice writing skills by:

• becoming familiar with letter forms;
• tracing interesting shapes;
• reproducing letters, words, phrases, and sentences;
• using different writing tools to write and create their own words and/or stories;
• writing letters, cards, poems, e-mail, and stories.

Discovery/Science Center

Kindergartners love to learn about the world around them through exciting exploration activities and experiments. This center provides children with opportunities to discuss, observe, and explore their environment by:

• working with plants and animals;
• working with machines;
• making collections;
• categorizing and grouping materials;
• weighing and measuring;
• performing simple experiments.

Blocks/Construction Center

Children in kindergarten engage in many building activities. This center provides children with opportunities to develop and/or practice:

• problem solving;
• fine motor and gross motor skills;
• planning;
• measuring and estimating;
• creative and imaginative play;
• classification and the use of various sizes and shapes;
• acceptable social skills.

Mathematics Center

Math is everywhere! This center provides children with opportunities to develop mathematics concepts and skills through the exploration of math tools including counters, geometric shapes, geoboards, computers and calculators, and story mats. In the math center, children practice:

• categorizing;
• sequencing;
• observing, creating, and completing patterns;
• measuring;
• counting and computing;
• making and matching sets.

Sand and Water Table

Children in kindergarten are developing a concept of quantity. At the Sand and Water Center children develop and/or practice skills in:

• measuring;
• comparing;
• performing simple experiments;
• playing creatively;
• hypothesizing and solving problems;
• fine motor development;
• staying dry (sometimes!)

Art Center

Equipped with all sorts of art materials, this center provides children with the opportunity to:

• experiment with paint, crayons, clay, scissors, paper, and glue;
• express feelings and ideas;
• observe, create, and complete a project;
• learn and practice problem solving skills;
• improve fine motor skills;

Computer Center

Kindergarten children use the computer as a tool for investigation, exploration, and creation! This center provides children with opportunities to develop and/or practice skills in:

• accessing information about the world around them;
• communicating with our principal, special class friends, and keypals;
• learning special skills for each subject area;
• using the computer;
• using drawing tools to create original works;
• writing stories using work processing programs.

Library Center

Books come in all shapes and sizes! Our classroom is full of exciting books written by wonderful children's authors, by individual students, by the class, and even by the teacher! This center provides children with opportunities to develop and/or practice literacy skills by:

• seeing their own words written in class books;
• seeing words, phrases, and stories;
• determining similarities and/or differences in written words;
• becoming familiar with letter forms;
• interpreting signs and symbols;
• "reading" and interpreting pictures in books;
• reading for pleasure.

Special Centers

Each child brings special interests and knowledge to our classroom. We develop many new centers each year. Although the list gets too long to put everything that may come up, here are a few of our yearly favorites:

• Dollhouse: where the children engage in creative play about families
• Creation Station: the art center extraordinaire! Huge rockets have been built here!
• Flannel board: children love to create their own stories and present to the class, etc.
• Who knows what we will add this year????