Teachers, we all know how very important and valuable center time is! It gives the students a chance for independent practice on newly learned skills, as well as spiraling previous learned content. The students are engaged in meaningful activities, while YOU, the teacher, can pull small groups. I have spent a lot of time and energy researching the best practice to incorporate centers into my daily curriculum. I've taken directions that didn't work for my classroom, so I didn't stop until I got it right. One of the most challenging tasks about centers is the planning and rotation schedule.
I have a system for ALL students to visit each center before I change out the activities for the next time. My students work in pairs (2 to a center is more manageable and no confusion when it comes to taking turns!) I also pair my students together based on their levels. This is important because there are a few times a week when center time is with the teacher. Students at a similar level allows me to focus and meet their small group instructional needs.
Here is an example of what my daily center chart looks like:
First, let me explain how I display this. I print out and laminate student name cards (I've actually used the children's photos rather than names) and center cards (with visuals). I attach a small round magnet to the back of each name and center. (You could set this up in a pocket chart, too. I just prefer the magnets because its easy to manipulate and slide the name cards down, as I will explain shortly.) I set this up exactly the way it looks on a section of my white board, leaving a significant space between the first 4 pairs of students and 2nd 4 pairs of students.
Notice the spacing between the first 4 pairs of students and the second 4 pairs. I will refer to this as the top half and bottom half of the center rotation chart. That is intentional and gives me a visual as I rotate. You will have to pair your students and divide that number in half to create a top and bottom schedule for your class. Each day, the students visit 2 centers, for about 10-15 minutes each. At the start of center time, I tell each pair the centers they are going to, and if they forget, they can glance up at the chart. Now, notice where I placed my 'Meet the Teacher' center cards...on this particular day, Travis, Jayla, Mark, and Robert are meeting me in small group for Center 1. I've arranged their names on the center chart because they are on a similar level for small group instruction. The same is true for the students who will visit me for the second center time period.
Now, notice where I placed 'Big Book' center...it is on the top half of my chart for Center 2, and placed in the bottom half of the chart for Center 1. You want to make sure that a particular center is placed once in Center 1 for one half, and once in Center 2 for the other half. This is so you only have a single pair visiting that center during that time. I did this for all other centers in this example (Math, Pocket Chart, ABC, Games).
Okay! Center time is over, and you carry on with the rest of your curriculum for the day. Class is dismissed and it's time to prepare for tomorrow. Let me explain how to rotate your center schedule for the next day. Please note: you will only rotate the students' names, NOT the centers! Here is Day 2 with an explanation below:
You will be moving each pair of students DOWN for each half. Start with the top half of your chart first (the first 4 pairs of students in my example). The easiest way to do this is to move the last pair on this half (Brielle & Brooklyn) off to the side. Then, push Krysten & Taylor's names down to where Brielle & Brooklyn used to be. Push Ethan & Justin down to where Krysten & Taylor used to be. Push Travis & Jayla down to where Ethan & Justin used to be. Now put Brielle and Brooklyn at the top. Repeat this same exact procedure for the bottom half of your chart. Ta-da! All students will be visiting new centers the next day.
Continue to do this each day until all students have completed all centers that you had planned for the week (more or less depending on your class size). You will know this has been accomplished when your students who were originally at the tops of each chart, are now at the bottom. (For example, once Travis & Jayla and Chay & Destin are at the bottoms of their charts, I know it's time to switch out my center activities for the next day.)
This center rotation works because each of your students will visit all the centers you have planned for the week (the number of days your centers will be in rotation before you change out activities will vary based on how many kids are in your class).
I must say...having your 'Read with Teacher' dispersed throughout your top and bottom halves can get tricky so that you are meeting with groups based on differentiated needs for small group instruction. You may have to really put some time into how you can make that work for YOUR students. There is always the option to not have 'Read the Teacher' an assigned center, and just pull groups randomly. However, that would mean those students will miss out on not completing that center for this particular rotation.
This center could also become confusing if you have an uneven number of students in your class, or if you have more pairs of students in your top half of your chart than your bottom. With an uneven number of students, I have always had one trio in my center rotation. As for an uneven number of pairs of students (example: 5 pairs of students in top half of the center rotation chart and 4 in the bottom), I create blank name cards. So, if I had 5 pairs of students in the top half, I would have 5 pairs of students in the bottom half (2 of those name cards would just be blank). This keeps the center rotation running smoothly and in order.
I hope my center rotation schedule was easy to follow!! Once I put this system into place, my center time of day became BEAUTIFUL! My students have always looked forward to this part of the day and enjoy visiting each center. Of course, it takes lots of instruction, modeling, and practice to perfect center procedures. But once that is established, you have the opportunity to work with your small groups while the rest of your class is engaged and learning with their center buddies.
If you are interested in the center signs you saw in my examples, you can find them in my TPT store. I have full size, 2 to a page, 4 to a page, or 6 to a page so you can choose the size you need.
Centers include: Magnets, ABC, Blocks, Computer, Listening, Library, Big Book, Pocket Chart, Math, Read the Room, Writing, Buddy Reading, Smartboard, Art, Games, Write the Room, Read with Teacher, Follow the Directions, Grammar, Phonics, Poetry, Social Studies, Tablet, Play-dough
My center signs are great to label the centers in your room, label baskets that contain center materials, and for your center rotation display chart. These 24 center signs are also available in black and white for all sizes!
This label is 1/4 size.
This label is 1/2 size.
This size is perfect for your center rotation display.
Perfect fit to your pocket chart!
The Center Signs can be found at: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Center-Signs-2292858
