“Are We Doing Centers Today?”

“Are We Doing Centers Today?”
…said every 2nd grader at Oak Hill Academy!

5 Reasons why students and teachers love centers:

1. Students and teachers love choice. During centers, students get to choose the center they will work in. Teachers know that this motivates their students to focus and remain on task.

2. Students and teachers love collaboration. Some activities require students to work together and share thoughts and ideas to complete an activity. Teachers can group students on the same level or different level of abilities to work together.

3. Students and teachers love to move around the classroom. Centers give students the opportunity to move around the classroom from one center to the next which allows them to regroup and be ready to focus on the next activity. Centers give the teacher the opportunity to work with a small group or individual students to review, reinforce, assess, reteach and enrich skills.

4. Students and teachers love variety. Variety also motivates students to be excited about learning and participating. What teacher doesn’t love when their students are excited and motivated about learning?

5. Students love to be in control of their own learning. This gives them a sense of ownership. Ownership is another strong motivator and gives students a new perspective on their learning.

Students and teachers alike benefit by the inclusion of centers in all areas of the curriculum.

Some engaging centers we have in OHA 2nd Grade:

Technology: (ipads, chromebooks, ST Math, Aleks, Reading/Writing A-Z, Wonders);
Teacher Time: (leveled readers, assess, reteach, review, enrich) focusing on the skill of the day and review skills of the week;
Question Box: (write a question/answer a question for the class about a current skill or review skill);
Writing: (the writing process) write and share stories with classmates;
Seat Work: individualized work folders, workbook practice
Research: different topics in curriculum, states, countries, biographies