Principles for K-6 Centers: Organize and Manage Rotational Learning Centers

Centers or stations refer to activities set up within a classroom or group environment. Students or learners circulate around the environment interacting with the materials at each center. Center learning can be used and adapted to a variety of ages, content and environments. Centers can be used for activities outside of the classroom as well, such as scouting, clubs, religious education, Vacation Bible School, catechism, museums, library activities and much more. To effectively use centers in your learning environment, several parameters need to be in place and managed to make an optimal experience for all students.

The main rubric for quality center work is to provide a variety of activities. Going around the room doing a different worksheet at each station is not center theory. You may include one independent worksheet or paper and pencil activity but the rest should be different. Here is a rubric, based upon Montessori and special education thought, that I follow when I set up a center based activity. I would do this for all content with the exception of the more specific centers like the science experiment centers where a set procedure is followed.

EXPLORATORY STATION: TASTE;SMELL;HEAR; TOUCH: Success=involvement with materials; no directions, no set end result. A free exploration activity: blocks, shells, rocks, beading, Lego's, kitchen center, dramatic play, unifix cubes, musical instruments. The goal is to experience.

INVENTION CENTER---APPLY, SYNTHESIZE, ADAPT; Success=try a new venue; directions, no set result. A art or craft with a student made product which follows guidelines but the end result is based upon the child's creativity Success = interacting with material in a prescribed way to achieve individual desired results. Template, Venue, Modem, Paradigm

INTERACTION CENTER: --TEST; TRY, EXPERIMENT; Success=find your won way to complete the task. no directions; set result. An activity with an end product but which allows students to achieve it in their own way: computer games, tetris, dominoes, mazes, puzzles, tangrams, pattern blocks, geoboards,