Learning Centers 101
I mentored a new teacher who asked me, “What exactly are learning centers? People keep telling me I have to get my learning centers going and I need to set up my centers, but no one has explained the concept of learning centers to me.” Based on this conversation, I realized discussing learning centers with my mentees is something I need to invest time in at the beginning of the school year. My goal for this post is to answer some “getting started questions” about learning centers.
While educators may know what a learning center is, they may struggle with possible answers about locating appropriate resources for learning centers, identifying developmentally appropriate materials for learning centers, and deciding which (or all) content areas to offer within the learning centers. Grading assignments students complete at learning centers can be challenging.
Learning centers are areas in the classroom where students reinforce learning, refine a skill, or extend an idea by working independently, in pairs, or in small groups of 3 - 7 students. The number of students in your group will be determined by their instructional levels and/or the number of students in your classroom. These learning centers can be located throughout the classroom or in baskets that students can move around the room. At learning centers, students can complete the same tasks simultaneously or work on individual assignments that reinforce learning.
What learning centers should I have in my classroom? The centers in your classroom should support the learning objectives of your classroom. If you teach all subjects, you might have the big four: Reading, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. I did not include a computer center because many students have access to individual computers. If that is not the case and you have limited computers in your classroom, consider having a Digital Literacy center or Computer center for interventions. The other independent learning area I had in my classroom was the library. My library did not function the way my centers functioned, so I considered my library to be a learning zone or reading space.
The number of learning centers in your classroom should be based on the instructional needs of your students. For example, if your students need to reinforce a Math skill, you will want to have an independent math learning center with that skill. If your students need to practice a handwriting, phonics, or comprehension skill, those centers may be necessary. You will also have to consider space and resources as you develop learning centers. You can find ideas for learning centers in your teachers’ editions or curriculum resources provided by your school system. These documents usually provide objectives, a list of materials, center activities and follow-up questions making them a good starting point.
Once you have identified the learning centers you need or want in your classroom you will need to decide if your centers will be stationary or movable. For example, a science center might be on a table in the back of the room. For stationary centers, you will change the materials, themes, learning outcomes, etc. however, the center's location may not change. If the center is mobile, students could retrieve materials to take back to their seats or a designated area to complete assignments.
Your learning centers should have a label, and instructional materials, i.e., journals, books, computers, pens, crayons, etc. The label can be handmade or purchased. Picture books that support learning, students' journals or folders for students' work, and/or clearly defined tasks could be a part of the Science center. Written directions telling students what they need to do are a must. Young, emergent readers, will benefit from having pictures that show them what to do. If you would like students to watch learning videos, consider including a computer or iPad to support learning.
Here is a picture of a Science center from my classroom circa 2008. It is an older picture; however, it demonstrates the point I want to get across. The learning centers in my class included objectives, standards, students' work, picture books, pencils, and other writing supplies and work baskets. In this case, the work basket included directions for the activity, various magnets and materials students used to see if the magnets would attract or repel objects such as paper, smaller magnets, paperclips, cans, markers, etc. Students recorded their findings in their science journals. I had five numbered work baskets in this center. My students worked in pairs on a rug in front of this learning center to complete the task. After practice, my students understood that they needed to complete the task, and when I signaled (a special clap which they echoed), they needed to return all materials to the basket before moving on.
If you have limited space in your classroom, you could place center activities in large envelopes or baskets, like the ones pictured. During center time, students can bring the learning materials to their desks to complete assignments. If I did not have space in front of my Science center, my students could have taken those yellow baskets to their seats to complete the assigned task.
After you have the materials ready, it’s time to get your students to those centers. For some, this is the hardest part of implementing center rotation. Do not take anything for granted. Even if your students have used learning centers in the past, teach them to use each center in your classroom. Teaching students to use centers is a multiple-step process. I suggest introducing one center at a time to the entire class. Introduce the center by telling the students what they will do in that center. For example, if your first center is a math center, tell students, “This week we will be reading and writing whole numbers and decimals. First, you will come to this table. You will watch the two-minute video by clicking play on the computer. After watching the video, you will work in pairs to solve three problems on a whiteboard. Check the answers to your problems by looking at the answers in the red folder. You should not open the red folder until you have answered all three problems. If you get your answers correct you can complete three more problems with your partner or you can take turns giving each other problems to solve. If you don’t have the correct answers, watch the video again and try to complete three different problems.” These directions should also be in writing so that students can self-manage; if they forget the directions, they don’t have to ask you for the next steps.
Repeat center introductions for each center. Model your expectations and answer questions. The first center rotation should be a walk-through. Have students report to their first center, review the expectation for work and clean up. Identify where they will go next, then signal (ring tone or clap or whatever works for you) and have students move to their second center. Practice center rotations a few times until your students understand the expectations.
