10 Tips for Managing Kindergarten Centers in Your Classroom

Managing Kindergarten Centers

In order to fit it all in, you’ve gotta have a plan.   Managing centers/stations can be an overwhelming challenge without one.   Let’s see if I can answer some questions that I have had about centers with these 10 tips for managing kindergarten centers. 

Tip #1: Managing how students know where to go

It all starts with this chart.   Naturally, I have real student photos in the pocket chart.

The first few weeks of school, my student come up, touch their photograph with a pointer then slide it over to the right to see their “Blue Station.” The partners go off together to work at that station.  When the 15-20 minutes are up, I have the other partner repeat the process to find their “Yellow Station.”   TIP:  Make sure both students know how to find their station.  I had one student just follow their partner around.  One day [about the 4th week of school] that partner was absent and the remaining student was like Moses roaming the desert for a bit.   Bless!

When the day is over, I move the center cards down one (the students do not move).

I love the pocket chart but is no longer available.  It hangs on the wall.  One side has my literacy stations, the other side has math stations.  I simply flip it over. Here is a colorful option if you are looking for one. It only holds 10 centers, though. I typically have 12. 

Tip #2: Number of Students

Tip #3: Transitions

 

• Stations or Centers Work Board Signs 

Tip #4: Small-Groups

Tip #5: Number of Stations

WOAH!  You have 12 stations? Are you crazy? How do you teach them all? 

Each week I don’t really have to.   I keep my stations super predictable.  We spend the first few weeks of school gradually introducing the activities.  After my students learn about the writing work station, the stamping station, or how to complete the roll and write activities; they are good to go!  I can just replace the activities each week or month and gradually raise the difficulty of the work.

Tip #6: Student Independence

Student independence during center time is crucial because I am working with a small group and do not want to be interrupted. Unless of course, there is blood or fire (or other major emergencies). I definitely don’t need them coming and asking “What do I do at this center?” So, since most activities are predictable, they usually already know.  However, I always provide an “I Can” card at the center.  It is okay to let them struggle a bit to figure out what to do.   We want students who can look at the materials and with confident independence, decipher the task. I do not want to be the person that spoon-feeds their learning.   When they ask me what to do at a station, I just say, “What do you think you do?”  9 times out of 10 they can tell me.  Why would I want to enable dependence?  They can do it if you give them the opportunity to problem solve.  This is an “I Can” card from my Dough Centers for Math and Literacy.

Tip #7: Stamina

Tip #8: Student Accountability

How do I hold students accountable for their center work? This is an old image, but I think it explains it best.  That first image… oy!  When we only have 1 minute to clean up, put their papers in their bin, put their bin away, and sit down… we tend to stuff… ha!

1. When the students complete their station, they put their papers in the black magazine bins.  The shapes on the bins correspond to their table shape.

2/3. Several times a week, I have the students take the bins and sort the papers, so their papers are on their desk.  If there are no names, the papers go in the recycling…THE END!  No Name = No Reward

4. Then I walk around and “grade” their work.  If a solid effort was made, they get a smile on their paper and a punch on their card.   5 punches=Jolly Rancher.   All of the stars punched = treasure box.

Tip #9: Quality Student Work

I want their center work to be quality work. First, we provide a rubric.   Sometimes the most capable student rushes through their work in order to be “done.”  Well, I want students to make smart color choices because it is through illustrations that they make their meaning known.  I want them to color carefully because it helps to strengthen their writing muscles.  So this is our rubric.   Note: One student’s “All Star Work” may not look the same as another students.  I am striving for personal best and we celebrate the approximations!!!!

Tip #10: Adding New Center Activities

How often do I change out the center activities? I used to change it every Monday… years ago… but this is what I noticed.  Some bins still had papers left for students to work on. I was wasting paper.  Here is how I solved the problem.   At the beginning of the month, I made all my station activities and response pages.  I filled the bins, then held the other center activities aside.    I trained my students to bring the bin to me when they took the last 2 response pages out.  They didn’t interrupt my group, they would just put the bin on the floor.  When I was done with my small group, I would fill the bin.  When the station time was up, the students brought me what was left of their materials (sorting cards, I can cards..) and picked up the newly filled bin… EASY!  No more Monday morning crazy time!

I hope you found these tips for managing kindergarten centers helpful!