Learning Centers the Write Way

I began this school year teaching at Brock Elementary School in Slidell, Louisiana which was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Everything that I have purchased, inherited from generous teachers, or created in my five-year career as a teacher was ruined by the floodwaters. My losses were not insured. Thankfully, my job was spared, and I was transferred to another school in the district. I now teach sixteen Transitional First Grade students, all of whom were affected to varying degrees by Hurricane Katrina. These children have been through so much, yet have shown so much resiliency. Transitional First Grade students need a developmental curriculum for a year between Kindergarten and First Grade. The curriculum is based on developmentally appropriate practices, and emphasis is placed on play, the child's natural approach to learning. Part of the guidelines for the T-1 curriculum state that learning activities and materials should be concrete, real, and relevant to the lives of young children. Because I have lost so many materials in the storm, it is difficult to create a classroom environment that these children need. I have been purchasing all of my materials out of my own pocket due to parishwide budget restraints. Centers of learning exist in each T-1 Class. These centers provide interrelated experiences that allow the child to make choices, to move freely, and accept responsibility for learning. A writing center is important for the development of writing skills throughout the year. Currently we have a big table and some paper and pencils. Consequently, the writing center is not usually one of their favorite places to go. There are some wonderful classroom tools which I think will enrich their writing experiences, while at the same time stimulate their interest. Sentence Building Learing center lets students use word cards to create logical or silly sentences on their own. Build a sentence stamp center allows the children to stamp out their sentences without having to pick up a pencil. Making stories sentences mats lets them match up the subject and predicate to make fun sentences. Ready to Write! Prompt box will be perfect for students who are ready to write on a more advanced level. This will give the students an on-level topic and allow them to begin the writing process. The tabletop writing center is an all in one storage center that will hold paper, pencils, and more in a neat and organized way - so the students always know where to look for what they need. Primary Composition Journals are wonderful for students of this age. The journal uses primary lines with a space at the top for a picture. I would also like to have newsprint lined paper for the children to use in creative writing.