Hi everyone! Happy summer! I know I’ve been a pretty absent blogger this school year, but I hope to get some good posts in this summer. I’ve been taking classes to finally finish my reading endorsement and, at the same time, I’m trying to get my dyslexia certification. Soooo…. there goes most of my blogging time! I’ve had a lot of questions lately about how I manage centers during reading workshop. This has been a huge work in progress!
Monthly Literacy Centers
When I started teaching first grade, there was no TPT and very few bloggers (at least I didn’t follow any at this time,) so I was sort of drowning during my reading workshop time. I was constantly looking for new centers and changing them out and I felt like all of my time was spent on centers. I knew I needed to figure something else out that would work for me.
So sometime in the middle of my first year, I started making these monthly literacy menus. I felt more organized and they provided me with a little direction. Now in the beginning, I had little access to clip art and fonts, so they were not cute at all! Ha! Over the last decade, I’ve updated, tweaked, added, modified, “cute-sified,” you name it. These centers have definitely evolved, but the format has stayed the same and it’s the format and easy management that saved me as a first grade teacher. Here is how they work…
Student Menus
- Students keep track of literacy centers completed with this menu.
- Menu sets up organizational system for the monthly centers.
- Categories are consistent from month to month so students are familiar.
- A variety Common Core standards are hit with these centers. Standards are ON the menu, too.
- Spend the first month teaching routines and expectations, then enjoy the next 8 months!
Organizing Literacy Centers
My first criteria: SPACE! I had a tiny classroom so I needed literacy centers that could fit in a small space. Those four “folder holders” fit my entire month’s worth of centers!
Storing Literacy Centers
Like I mentioned, my classroom was tiny and I didn’t have room more huge tubs. Each month’s worth of literacy centers fit back in the magazine holders!
The entire year of centers fit into my closet on one shelf!
Want to learn more about Reading Workshop?
THIS post goes into a little more detail about how I roll out my literacy centers.
In THIS post, you can find a video explanation, too.
Where to Find the Centers
Free Literacy Center Rubrics
One last thing! This freebie is in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I use it to grade my centers. This rubric could work with any centers, not just mine. Enjoy! Click HERE to get these.
