SCHEDULING YOUR DAY

WE HAVE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY!!!

JANET’S FAVOURED K/1 SCHEDULE

PRACTICE CENTRESJANET’S RECOMMENDATIONSTHE INDEPENDENT, MEANINGFUL, MANAGEABLE, DO-ABLE PRACTICE TIME

WHY IS THIS STRUCTURE ESSENTIAL?

THE CHILDREN NEED:

• Practice practice

and more practice

• Active learning

• Games

• Collaboration

THE TEACHER NEEDS:

• Time for small group work and assessments

• Time for individual work and assessments

• Time to supervise centres

WHEN? TWICE-A-DAY BLOCKS

• 50 MINUTE BLOCKS (MINIMUM) EACH

• FIVE SKILL PRACTICE CENTRES

• ROTATING GROUPS OF FIVE CHILDREN (MIXED ABILITY)

• FIFTEEN MINUTES EACH FOR EACH ROTATING GROUP

WAYS TO SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE ON BEHALF OF VULNERABLE READERS

• Start with three activities at your five simple centres.

• Train your children as to how to use and behave at the centres independently.

• Create very grounded/quiet rules and boundaries during centre time.

• Practice the boundaries until children ‘get it right’.

• Teach ‘alternatives to the teacher’.

• Find external/internal alternatives for tier three children during centre time.

• Organize others to supervise centres during centre time.

• Use cross-classroom goupings to simplify skill instruction – CAREFULLY!!!

…SIMPLIFY…

FIVE Simple and Necessary CENTRES

1. THE ALPHABET CENTRE

2. THE HIGH FREQUENCY WORD CENTRE

3. THE PHONOLOGIC AWARENESS CENTRE

4. THE READING CENTRE

5. THE WRITING CENTRE

THE FIRST Simple and Necessary CENTRECENTRE # 1ALPHABET

PURPOSE ACTIVITIES MATERIALSNEEDED

1. ALPHABETCENTRE

To practice identification, sounds, making letters and words, locating letters

1. Make letters and words with plasticene, play dough, found items.2. Cut out, circle letters from magazines, make collages.3. Copy names and words with scrabble/magnetic/felt letters4. All alphabet games

• Plasticene,playdough, buttons, macaroni• Oldmagazines. books, papers, scissors• A word wall,child names, high frequency words• Alphabet

games

THE SECOND Simple and Necessary CENTRE

CENTRE # 2HIGH FREQUENCY WORDS

PURPOSE ACTIVITIES MATERIALSNEEDED

2. High Frequency Word Centre

To practice identification of the most used words in the english language

1. GamesGames GamesSee Your Binder!

2. Word hunts and collages in books, magazines, and the classroom

3. Words I know envelopes or rings

• Oldmagazines. books, papers, scissors• The wordwall, child names• Storywriting materials – paper strips, felt pens using 3 HF words• Alphabetgames

THE THIRD Simple and Necessary CENTRE

CENTRE # 3PHONOLOGIC AWARENESS

PURPOSE ACTIVITIES MATERIALSNEEDED

3. Phonologic Awareness Centre

To hear the sounds of the language apart from meaning – being consciously aware of the structure of language

1. Rhyming games that match the ending sounds of words

2. Organizing flash cards into word families in pocket charts

3. Blending letters and syllables to form words

• Flash cards• The word wall• Words or

sentences cut into pieces to be put back together

THE FOURTH Simple and Necessary CENTRE

CENTRE # 4READING

PURPOSE ACTIVITIES MATERIALSNEEDED

4. Reading Centre

To encourage enjoyment of independent reading with partners

1. Choose a partner and read to each other.

2. Listen to taped stories and follow words.

3. Draw a picture about the best part of the story.

4. Choose an activity card to complete.

• Many books sorted into ability levels and genre or theme related

• Activity card ideas

• Related writing materials

THE FIFTH Simple and Necessary CENTRECENTRE # 5WRITING

PURPOSE ACTIVITIES MATERIALSNEEDED

5. Writing Centre To practice the standard form of written language and spelling – speech to print correspondence, left to right direction, and sound to print matching

1. Create charts, lists, poems, alphabet, shape and word books, using models set out by the teacher.

2. Blank books3. A mailbox

project

Writing paper, stapler, construction paper, hole punches, ideas cards, models,

…then add or change one activity per centre per week!!!

THIS IS DO-ABLE!

WHAT ABOUT PLAY?PRACTICE CENTRES SHOULD BE PLAYFUL USING GAMES!!!

…BUT YOU CAN ALSO CONSIDER…

• blocks• sand• light• drama/costumes• painting/art• building toys• found object sorts• environmental explorations• collections

AND ADD:

• flash cards• pens• signs• marbles• play figures• tubes• blankets• Pillows• Wheels• Dollar Store wonders – balloons, clothespins etc.