Centers!

This week in 4th grade we started our first rotation of centers. The students did great and really seemed to enjoy them! We did a simple version this week to start off with. Each week I will add to each center. We have 5 center rotations total.

Station 1: Read to Self - I ordered whisper phones online which are in the mail, but as of next week we will incorporate these into our centers. A whisper phone is used like a telephone. The students choose a book on their reading level and "whisper" into the phone which echos into the other end of the phone. This allows the students to HEAR themselves read! This is a wonderful tool for students to practice fluency and comprehension.  

Station 2: Read to a Friend - This station is important because it helps the students build their confidence with reading aloud. There is an App I use on the iPads that actually calculates words read per minute. The students chart their results and we will repeat the same stories in the second half of the year so they can compare their progress. Then, each student will take turns reading to their partner by choosing a book in our classroom library. At the end of the story, the partner will ask questions from our comprehension cards to help the reader understand and comprehend what they read.

Station 3: Listen to Reading - Each student has their own headphones that are connected to the same iPod or CD player. Our weekly story will be playing into their headphones for them to listen to. This enhances comprehension even more. Since we have a test on our weekly story every Friday, this helps the students hear the story in a different way.

Station 4 - Word Work - As you know, vocabulary and learning how to use words properly are a very important and foundational skill. In the word work station, the students will be on the iPads and laptops working with our weekly spelling words, word skills, and grammar skills.

Station 5- Writer's Workshop - Writer's workshop is when the students get to work one-on-one with me to improve their writing skills. We will always have a weekly writing topic with a different type of writing. Eventually, the students will create a book of all of their best writing!