Let's face it, no matter what their cognitive level is, it is important to have age appropriate tasks. The big thing for my classroom is INDEPENDENCE, INDEPENDENCE, INDEPENDENCE!! If students do not leave my classroom being independent in all aspects of the school day I have not done my job. They do still need a lot of help academically but...they are able to move from center to center, get out the needed materials and get started on the task.
The big thing I do that makes it more age appropriate is how students get from center to center. Instead of a giant center rotation chart I created these individual rotation charts. I have students that come in at different times. That is why you see the cards starting at different numbers.
Here are a few center activities I do in my classroom. These activities focus on the basic/primary skills my students need but have been adapted to fit my upper elementary classroom. I apologize for the lack of pictures :(.
READING
-Independent reading with individual self selected book boxes
-Technology Reading (Raz-Kids, Lexia)
WRITING
- Sentence fill ins
-Typing
-Daily Leveled Work
-Writing using Expanding Expression Tool Companion
-Daily writing journal (this is not complete....coming soon :))
MATH
-For this center I don't really have activities. What I have the students do is a worksheet that goes along with the lesson I taught that day.
IEP Tubs
-These hold activities that match students individual IEP goals and objectives. I print off a snap shot of their goals and a data sheet to make it easy. I change them out as needed.
What centers do you do?
