Making Centers Work Sharon Walpole Michael C. McKenna University of Delaware University of Virginia.
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Making Centers Work Sharon Walpole Michael C. McKenna University of Delaware University of Virginia Today’s Goals Consider reasons to establish literacy centers Consider several possible centers rotations Consider resources for the design of literacy centers Back in School . . . Create a complete plan for centers for any one grade level Support one struggling teacher and model implementation of your centers rotation What about the Rest of the Class? A balanced diet of whole-group, Tier 1 instruction and small-group, differentiated Tier 2 instruction can only be accomplished in one of two ways: 1. 2. Collaboration (teachers use a push-in model to teach two or more groups at once) or A single classroom teacher develops a rotation of teacher-directed instruction and student-directed practice Literacy Work Stations Work Stations Traditional Centers Reinforce work from Include new materials instruction and activities Remain constant all year Change with themes Used as an integral part of the instructional plan Teacher instruction is a station Used as a supplement or extension Teachers monitor work at all stations Diller, 2003 A First-Grade Study First-graders who began the year with weak decoding skills grew most with more time spent in teacher-managed explicit instruction First-graders who began the year with strong vocabulary skills grew more with more time spent in child-managed implicit instruction Connor, Morrison, & Katch, 2004 A Third-Grade Study Children who began third grade with average or low reading comprehension grew more in classrooms with more time spent in teacher-managed comprehension instruction rather than child-managed comprehension activities Connor, Morrison, & Petrella, 2004 How can we make more time for explicit instruction for some students and more time for childmanaged activities for others? You can increase time for different types of activities by designing centers or by using collaborative systems for co-teaching. Let’s look at some possibilities. Kindergarten Example The teacher has the collaborative support of a paraprofessional After the core lesson, the teacher uses a threegroup format, with each group spending time with the teacher, with the paraprofessional, and in one center activity. She ends her block with a whole-class read aloud. The first and second segments of small-group work last for 15 minutes each; the final one (with the weakest students in the comprehension center) lasts for 10 minutes. Whole-Group Core Lesson Strong Comprehension Center Para Teacher Middle Teacher Phonics Center Para Para Teacher Comp Center Low Whole-Group Read-Aloud First-Grade Example This teacher has a group of strong decoders, a group of adequate decoders, and two distinct groups of struggling decoders. She has grouped the children according to informal assessment data. After her read-aloud, she has a rotation of four 15-minute blocks, with the support of a reading specialist for the second 30 minutes Both groups of struggling readers see the teacher and the reading specialist each day. Whole-Group Read-Aloud Strong Decoders Adequate Decoders Phonics Fluency Comp Teacher Fluency Comp Teacher Phonics Phonics Fluency Fluency Comp Struggling Teacher Decoders Reading Teacher Struggling Reading Teacher Decoders Teacher Whole-Group Core Lesson Second-Grade Example The teacher reviews data and finds 5 distinct groups -- two very strong groups, one group that needs some additional fluency work, and two groups of struggling readers After her read-aloud, the teacher meets with four groups each day, for 15 minutes each The teacher sets up a rotation whereby the two strong groups work together in paired readings and summary writing and meet with her every other day The two groups of struggling readers meet with both the teacher and a special educator. Whole-Group Core Lesson Strong 1 Strong 2 Paired reading Strategic Phonics Summary Listen Teacher (alt days) Comp Struggling Teacher 1 Struggling Special 2 educator Fluency Teacher Comp Special educator Teacher Fluency Comp Comp Fluency Whole-Group Read-Aloud Third-Grade Example The teacher has one group with intensive needs in the area of word recognition and fluency, one group with some needs in fluency, and one group of children who are at or above grade level The teacher has 45 minutes for smallgroup time. The first group constitutes 10 minutes, the second 20, and the final group 15 minutes Whole-Group Core Lesson Strong Paired Reading Written Retelling Teacher Middle Teacher Paired Reading Retelling Weak Assisted Teacher Listening Fluency Comp computer Whole-Group Read-Aloud Some GARF Assumptions Schools vary in the extent to which they use centers rotations and collaborative teaching approaches The most effective centers are simple, repetitive, aligned with core instruction, and differentiated Teachers vary in their comfort with a wholegroup, small-group, centers approach Effective management is necessary for centers to work well Coaches’ Corner Has anyone had an especially positive experience integrating centers into the instructional plan? What were your secrets? Ford, M.P., & Opitz, M. F. (2002). Using centers to engage children during guided reading time: Intensifying learning experiences away from the teacher. The Reading Teacher, 55, 710-717. Read this article. It provides guidance for teachers who are integrating centers into their instructional plan. Let’s Plan . . . You have several sources to consult in the design of effective centers: Your core program The ERRFTAC core-specific manuals The ERRFTAC Centers manuals for K-1 and 2-3 (see fcrr.org if you need to download these). Your read-alouds Now You Try It! Work with the centers planning template to brainstorm repetitive procedures to use in Reading First centers. Can we come up with three simple ideas for each center? Our goal is to use the same procedures, but modify the content. Back in School . . . Create a complete plan for centers for three weeks for any one grade level Support one struggling teacher and model implementation of your centers rotation Prepare a reflection on your work to share at our next meeting References Connor, C. M., Morrison, F. J., & Katch, L. E. (2004). Beyond the reading wars: Exploring the effect of child-instruction interactions on growth in early reading. Scientific Studies of Reading, 8, 305-336. Connor, C. M., Morrison, F. J., & Petrella, J. N. (2004). Effective reading comprehension instruction: Examining child X instruction interactions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96, 682-698. Diller, D. (2003). Literacy work stations: Making centers work. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.