I think that an important part of student learning is engagement. Â Duh, right?! Â I also think that there’s something to be said for activities that students feel comfortable and confident doing independently. Â This is especially important during center time when your kiddos should be using their time to reinforce previously taught concepts, so that you can effectively manage the 20-some students that aren’t working with you in a differentiated group.
I loved center time as a classroom teacher.  Not only do you get to provide individualized, intentional support to your differentiated groups, but I think everyone (including the teacher!) enjoys the break from whole class instruction.  As I’ve grown as a teacher I’ve really moved to small-group, student-led learning, as opposed to constant whole-group instruction, anyway.
 I’m not complicated when it comes to center set-up.  I like plastic bins and 2-pocket folders.  I want my kids to have everything they need at arms-length so that there’s little commotion while I’m busy working.  Here’s some samples of center organization…
And then there’s the engagement/interest level of the centers. Â I rarely had to force my kids into centers because they love interacting with partners to learn! Â I recently created a set of centers for Parts of Speech {nouns, verbs, & adjectives} and really tried to keep the primary student in my mind as I designed them.
Three of the activities I created to help my kiddos learn the Parts of Speech involved partner work and were based on some of my favorite guessing games: Charades, Pictionary, and Taboo! Â I figure if I love them, kiddos will love them, too! And, what better way to learn nouns and verbs than to act them out, draw them, and talk about them?!
Plus, there’s Silly Sentences – which are sure to make your kiddos giggle!  I even laughed writing My teacher can quack like an octopus! Ha!
Here’s a little preview pic of this pack that is for sale in my TpT shop HEREÂ that includes even more than what’s pictured here to reinforce nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
{PS. Â I should note that it took me an insane amount of time to upload this dang document to TpT. Â Like hours. Â This whole Mac thing is really messin’ up my groove!}
I hope everyone enjoyed their time off today!
Stay in the know!
These FREE resources are an instant download upon a confirmed subscription.
Yay! I'm so excited to connect with you! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. You freebies will download instantly upon confirmation 🙂