Using Literacy Centers in the Classroom

I can hear it now. Those two words were almost as exciting as recess or lunchtime. It meant that for the next hour or so, my classmates and I were going to explore the activities that the teacher set up around the classroom. Not only that, but we practically got to do it by ourselves. Seeing the words "Center Time" on the schedule that was posted daily on the whiteboard made every student in my classroom smile.

Although my memory of what we did in center time mostly consists of arts and crafts projects and puzzles, the idea of setting up various stations around the classroom for students to work independently at is brilliant. Center time allows for teachers to either observe students working at the stations, or it gives the teacher time to work with a small group of students on skill instruction or guided activities. The grouping of students can be up to the teacher, whether its homogenous or heterogeneous. Certain activities could work better for groups of students on the same level and others when they are not. Center time is especially helpful when working with language arts because there are so many aspects of the subject that students can always benefit from reinforcement. 

Literacy centers are great for providing students with activities to practice a variety of literacy components on a frequent basis. When working with literacy centers, the stations should focus on areas like vocabulary, writing, fluency, comprehension, phonics, and phonemic awareness. All of these important components can be practiced in literacy centers in a variety of ways based the specific literacy concepts that are being worked on in class.

       

  An important aspect of literacy centers is that the students must already have had a lesson on it in the classroom before practicing it on their own. Although it may seem obvious to some, literacy centers should never be used as an alternative to instruction! Students also should be given directions on each station to avoid confusion and wasting any valuable classroom time. Rotating centers in one set direction will help avoid chaos when moving from one station to the next. It is also helpful to have a poster stating the grouping of the students during this activity. I really like the idea of having a “station checklist” at every center for students to refer to as they are working so they can monitor their progress. It is essential to have a system to keep things organized at the stations. This could mean having a “turn-in basket” for students to have a place to put their completed work. It also can be beneficial to have a rule that all stations must be left as they were when they arrived there. Literacy centers will go much smoother if there is structure that is consistent, regardless of the activities that are at the stations. 

When using literacy centers in a classroom with various abilities, it is necessary to provide struggling students with assistance or tools that have been shown to be helpful in the classroom. Students with disabilities in the classroom may benefit from more specific instructions at the stations, verbal instructions, or sometimes an alternative activity. Any students with accommodations should be allowed to use them when working in literacy centers. Some of these helpful accommodations could include a reading tracker, larger print, and fewer questions to answer. Modifications and accommodations can make it possible so everyone can participate and benefit from the literacy centers in the classroom.

In addition to literacy, center time can be used as a fun way to reinforce any subject areas. Not only does is give students some independence and practice with following directions, but it also gives the teacher time to work with a small group of students or observe the students in the stations. Although I will most likely to stick to one subject at a time when designing a routine of center time stations, I definitely plan to use this in my future classroom.

Designing My Perfect Classroom

The classroom environment is very important to the learning and achievement of all students, regardless of age. I believe that without a safe and structured place to learn, students are unable to work and gain knowledge to the best of their ability. When I use the word safe, I do not just mean the protection from danger; I also mean that all students can feel secure with their thoughts and feelings enough to express them to their classmates without fear. When it comes to structure, the classroom should have a predictable schedule so the students know what to expect throughout their day. This schedule should be displayed on the board or in another visual way. I truly think that this type of relaxed, yet organized environment can foster learning to utmost degree.

When I imagine the “perfect classroom”, the first physical feature that comes to mind is the teacher’s desk located on the side or the back of the classroom, rather than the front. I think it is important to step away from the traditional idea that the teacher is the head of the classroom, and instead allow students feel more comfortable. Another reason for this is if a student needs a little help on an assignment or has a question, he or she can walk to the teacher’s desk without the intimidation of going to the front of the class to get there. I would like the students’ desks to be grouped in even numbers, like 2’s or 4’s, with plenty of walk-space between the groups. I also like the idea of there being enough room inside the desks for the students’ books and supplies, like dry-erase boards, so that their desks can become completely cleared when needed.

In order to have a well-managed classroom, I believe that the students need to be involved in creating the rules for the school year. Ideally, this should take place on the first day (or few days) of class and should only include positive statements with clear expectations and observable behaviors. The teacher can hint to the students using questions like “how do you want your classmates to treat you?” to guide the students in creating the types of rules a classroom needs. Involving the students in creating the rules is a great way to communicate expectations, set boundaries to limit disruptions, and encourage self-control of students.

In my classroom, I would like to have several stations for students to participate in a variety of activities. The most important area is the classroom library, which would include many books, organized by reading level or genre. I love the idea of a “reading center”, where students can get comfortable on a rug, couch, or beanbag chairs while reading independently. I believe every classroom should have at least a few computers, maybe 4 or 5, in an area for students to use for learning activities or to visit the classroom website. I would like there to be an area of the classroom where educational games can be played and stored. The classroom should have literacy centers that include activities based on the grade level, involving comprehension, vocabulary, phonemic awareness, writing, and fluency. These stations can be fun but also beneficial to the students’ learning.

Thinking about the overall appearance of the classroom, I definitely believe that organization is extremely important for both the teacher and also for the students to observe. Supplies should be labeled and in a location where students will know where to get them from and return them to. An ideal classroom would have colorful walls with students’ work displayed all over the classroom. An important part about this is for every student to have a piece of work exhibited and for it to be used as a way to celebrate achievement in various areas. Finally, I would like my classroom to have an interactive whiteboard for both the teacher and the students to take advantage of. In my fieldwork experiences, I have found that students like to participate more often if it means that they get to “play” with the interactive board. It can be used as a great resource in the learning environment in a wide variety of ways. Overall, my idea of the “perfect classroom” may not be available for every teacher; however there are definitely ways that a teacher can make the best of the classroom that they are given. I believe that a safe and structured environment, which can be created regardless of the “stuff” within the classroom, is the ideal atmosphere for the learning process.

My Memory of Language Arts

       When I think of my first experiences with language arts, a word that comes to mind is struggle. Whether it was with reading or writing, I always had to put extra effort to produce average work in these areas. Even spelling tests were a nightmare for me as a young student. I can remember being excited to hand in a writing assignment that I spent hours on the night before, only to find out I earned a much lower grade than I expected. After that, I got to the point where I found myself embarrassed to turn in assignments and read out loud to even a teacher. I would consistently get a stomach ache when it was time for language arts. I was placed into special education in fourth grade, where I finally began getting the help that I needed. 
 
       It took a few years, but once my reading and writing skills improved, I went from reading simple picture books to more difficult chapter books. Shortly after I was introduced to the Junie B. Jones series, I developed a love for reading that I didn't think was possible for me. For the first time in my life, I became confident and proud of myself as a student, and especially as a reader. As I spent more time reading the various books in the series, my reading, writing, and spelling skills blossomed. My grades improved and my confidence soared. By the end of eighth grade, I was removed from special education and was ready to begin high school without extra help. I no longer viewed language arts, or English, as a struggle, but rather a challenge that I worked very hard to overcome. 

       Through high school and college, English became my strong subject and I enjoyed reading and writing like never before. I believe my difficult experience with language arts in elementary school led to my appreciation of the subject and the knowledge that I had acquired, especially while receiving extra help in special education. I remember how it felt to not be able to decode a word or to get a writing assignment back with red writing around every other word. It gets very discouraging to be one of the only students in the class that can't get a perfect score on a spelling test and never have my name on the "excellence in spelling wall". These memories are what encouraged me to become a special eduction teacher the most. There are so many students out there with the same issues that I had to face in reading, writing, spelling, and beyond. I want to play a part in these children's lives by helping them to achieve, like my wonderful special education teachers did for me.