This post shares 3rd grade literacy center ideas that work with any Language Arts curriculum and last the entire school year + FREE printable

Literacy centers in the classroom should be simple, easy, and fun! Using no-prep or low-prep ideas helps with time management, lesson planning, and easy weekly setup. Throughout the years, I have tried a plethora of ideas for my literacy centers. Some worked okay, and some did not work at all. Finally, I realized I was overthinking and making center time WAY more complicated than it should be for both myself and the students. Once I realized that the simplicity of the centers was what made them work, everything else clicked into place. Using five weekly centers in your classroom each week makes things easy. Having a group of 4-5 students in each group rotate through only one center each day keeps it simple for the students. The no-prep or low-prep activities keep it fun and SUPER easy for you! Five Literacy Centers for All Year Set up these five literacy centers at the beginning of your school year, and use them all year long! Center #1: Technology: Use any activity that you have on hand. This can be computers, Chromebooks, iPads, etc. Students can play online games or you can assign a digital activity via Google Classroom to your students for this center. Using digital task cards or interactive digital games for practice are great choices. Center #2: Writing: The activities change in this center weekly, but the supplies remain the same. Any activity that you want your students to use for a focus on writing can be used. Add a word bank, thesaurus, dictionary, writing tools, paper, etc and give your students a weekly writing prompt. You can also use one of the writing activities from my No Prep Literacy Centers units. Print the center directions on color copy paper to grab the students’ attention and place it in the same place in the center from week to week because students need that routine and dependability of knowing where to find the directions. Copy the other pages for the activity on regular copy paper to add to the center. These activities are sometimes longer in length, and students might need two weeks to complete. On those weeks, do not change out the materials. Center #3: Reading: It is especially important to give students multiple opportunities throughout the school day to read independently from books of their choice. For some, school might be the only time they are exposed to books. During this center, give students comfortable seating choices throughout the room so that they are not in a group and disturbing other students or being disturbed. Students can have individual book bins that contain books they have chosen to read. By having their book bins already stocked, students are not constantly moving around the room to visit the classroom library during this time. Use these Digital Reading Responses for students at some time during the week to add a writing component. Center #4: Word Work: This center can look vastly different weekly. I always use an activity from my No Prep Literacy Centers. Students might be manipulating letters to create words one week, and the next week, they might be playing a word game from the same unit. Another week, they might complete the monthly “Put It in Order” alphabetical order activity included in each monthly unit. For the last week, they might do a part of speech word sort from the unit. Adding some of these activities normally used for Morning Tubs can add a lot of fun to your literacy centers as well. Center #5: Miscellaneous: This center can include anything related to what you are currently studying in reading or grammar or a review of previous learning. One week students can move around the room on a scavenger hunt, while the next week has students reading an informational passage and answering questions. This center allows for flexibility and might include task cards, sightwords, or even an activity from my early finishers unit. Adding any kind of game that you already have in your classroom is a simple and fun activity for this center also. (Click here for a list of ten easy activities to add to your centers using items already in your classroom.) Using these five simple, easy, and fun literacy centers all year will help you keep your sanity. The prep time is 15-30 minutes on a Friday afternoon, helping me get out the door and home to my family. Grab FREE Math and Literacy Centers when you sign up for my emails. Keeping literacy centers simple, easy, and fun is just... My Kind of Teaching

Whether you call them literacy centers or literacy stations, big kids at the upper elementary level love center time and get so much out of it! How do literacy centers benefit kids? They add variety to learning and to the routine. They allow teachers to easily differentiate learning. They are a great way to help cover and reinforce all of the standards. They give students a place to practice important social skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. So how do you set up literacy centers and run them successfully? Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Plan Centers and Center Spaces Plan Centers: Since I've been teaching for quite a few years, I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be teaching and when. Of course, I make small changes as needed with each class, but generally, my pacing is pretty set. This information helps me make a skeleton plan for the major concepts, games, and activities I'll plan for the year. If you aren't sure of your yearly schedule, maybe you could schedule them a month ahead of time as you go. Another idea is to meet with your grade level team to talk about your reading themes for the year and to plan together. Plan Center Spaces in Your Classroom: Classrooms never seem big enough, so this can be a challenge. I like to have 4 - 5 kids at each center (the smaller number the better) but it depends on the class size. If I have 28 kids, that means about six center areas. Since my classroom is pretty small, when kids do the independent reading center, they stay at their desk/seat. That leaves me with 5 center areas to plan. 2. Types of Centers One of the questions teachers often ask is what kind of centers to include. Here are some suggestions that I've used in my classroom. I don't use all of the centers suggested at the same time but do mix up some of the centers every now and then for a bit of variety. Each center lasts 20 minutes long and the total center time is one hour, which means students should visit 3 centers each day. A. Independent Reading - This is one that ALL students do every day! It's important to me that students self-select books based on motivation and not reading level. One of the rules is that kids need to have a book ready before reading time. I don't want them to waste time searching the classroom library during this time. B. Teacher Time - This could be guided reading in a very structured setting or it could be reader's workshop style, where students meet with me to read a bit and to discuss concepts. C. Word Work - At this center, students work on spelling, grammar, context clues, and vocabulary. They may have a worksheet but more often they play a game. Since I couldn't find any games already made, I created a bundle of 30 Grammar Games, one for third grade and one for fourth grade to cover all language standards. They target grade-level skills and really make grammar fun. A huge time saver for sure! D. Magazine Center/Informational Text - This center is filled with children's news magazines (some from last year) like Scholastic News. I also include kid's magazines, like National Geographic Kids. I have graphic organizers I use for a bit of accountability. Students read an article, fill out the template, and then are free to continue reading whatever they'd like at this center. E. Technology Center - Every school is a bit different but whether you are blessed with tons of technology or are scraping by with a few older computers, there are still lots of great websites students can access with your direction at this center. Here are some you might want to check out: Freckle Education (formerly Front Row) Edcite Newsela MobyMax.com ABCYA.com Edmodo National Geographic Young Explorers Big Universe Spelling City I've also created standards-aligned reading units for 3rd - 5th grades. They give lots of focused, paperless practice. CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO LEARN MORE. F. Genius Hour - If you've never done Genius Hour with your students, you'll want to definitely look into it. I used to call these independent projects. Students are able to research and read about topics of interest and then prepare some type of presentation to share what they've learned with the class. Genius Hour projects are ongoing projects which students complete on their own time table, although you can set guidelines for how many they need to complete a semester for example. I tend to let it be more open-ended, as long as I see them engaged and focused. I know that some projects may take a number of weeks, while others may take two center rotation times. G. Reading Skills - At this center, I tie in worksheets that match our current reading strategy. Reading is my very favorite subject so I have lots of reading units already prepared which are no-prep, print and go. Click here if you need some fresh reading units for this center. H. Writing - Students may create poetry, write a letter to the principal, or create a personal narrative in their writer's workshop notebook. This is NOT our main writing time, however. It's more of a chance to let students experience low-pressure writing which is not specifically connected to a writing lesson. I. Reading Games - I love this center because it is rigorous while masquerading as fun! Kids at this center play games which are connected to the topic we are highlighting, like main idea, cause and effect, theme, or character traits. I actually created a whole series of reading games, just because I really needed them for my classroom and thought others might too. There is a game for each standard and they provide so much focused practice. I really love these! There's a set of 20 Reading Centers for 3rd Grade and 20 Reading Centers for 4th/5th. Each bundle of reading games has 10 Fiction Games and 10 Nonfiction Games. I also have digital reading units too. J. Read to a Friend - In this center, I have a variety of materials like poetry books and mini-plays to read together, to practice fluency. I also like to place high-interest picture books in this center! Even for 5th graders, you might be surprised at the complexity level of many picture books! Kids love them and they really are beneficial for them. Sometimes I have students bring their own independent books to share with each other. Other times, I have a book sampling basket at the center filled with book underdogs! These are some lesser-known books that I want kids to try. Their job is to read the book summary on the cover and to take turns reading either a paragraph or a page at a time. 3. Prepare Centers Once you've tentatively planned out your centers, the next step is to make or purchase the centers you'll need. I really do like to get the majority done in the summertime or at the beginning of the year because it's great to just pull out the center I need and it's ready to go. You can store the centers a number of ways. I really like the gallon size plastic baggies because I can put game boards, task cards, and anything else I might need (game markers or spinners...) in that bag. I just label the bag with a sharpie but you could make cute labels on the computer too if you want. You'll also want to have plenty of baskets and trays to organize center materials as you use them each week. The Dollar Store always has a great selection of these! 4. Decide How to Structure the Centers You can either have students do a rotation schedule that you create, or allow them to self-select within your parameters. Either works well, so you just need to decide which one works best for you. If students self-select, kids need to know expectations. For example, how many students can be at a single center at a time? How many centers do students need to complete each day or each week? I actually prefer a rotation schedule. I make some simple cards with center titles on them and create the schedule in a pocket chart with the days on the left side (vertically) and the center titles across the top (horizontally). 5. Set Expectations for Center Time Just like anything in the classroom, rules and procedures have to be explicitly taught and reviewed or chaos is bound to occur. First, I think through all of the possibilities of what could happen, and then I prepare for that by making up my list of rules on an anchor chart for all to see. We do some modeling of good and bad examples of behavior and discuss them together. If centers are going to work, this piece is crucial!!! There is no way for you to have quality teacher time if you are interrupted every few minutes to put out fires, answer questions, and give more directions. Take the time to set up centers well and you'll find it to be worth it. 6. Teach Each Center to the Whole Class Before Kids Use It Getting kids ready for centers is truly a process. To make it successful, you'll want to introduce the center to the whole class before expecting them to participate on their own. This is a great time for thumbs up and down questions to check for understanding, as well as modeling when appropriate. Once you've tried centers and have them operating smoothly, I think you'll really enjoy them. Want more information about why literacy centers are beneficial for kids in grades 3rd - 5th? Click here to read Why You Should be Using Reading Centers in Upper Elementary. If you like this post, I would love for you to pin it or to share it with a teacher friend. For more ideas and strategies focused on upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter! Bonus, you'll also gain access to my FREE Resource Library which contains exclusive upper elementary freebies that you won't find anywhere else! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read it! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Facebook Pinterest Instagram TpT Store

Make planning and assigning reading centers easy with these simple organization tips. Literacy centers are essential for students and should be easy for teachers!

Learn how to plan and manage literacy centers through differentiated instruction activities, rotations, & behavior management strategies.

Check out Narrative Writing Prompts & Worksheets for kindergarten-4th grade! There is a variety of prompts & worksheets to use in your room!

Whether you call them literacy centers or literacy stations, big kids at the upper elementary level love center time and get so much out of it! How do literacy centers benefit kids? They add variety to learning and to the routine. They allow teachers to easily differentiate learning. They are a great way to help cover and reinforce all of the standards. They give students a place to practice important social skills, like collaboration, problem-solving, and communication. So how do you set up literacy centers and run them successfully? Here are a few things to keep in mind: 1. Plan Centers and Center Spaces Plan Centers: Since I've been teaching for quite a few years, I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be teaching and when. Of course, I make small changes as needed with each class, but generally, my pacing is pretty set. This information helps me make a skeleton plan for the major concepts, games, and activities I'll plan for the year. If you aren't sure of your yearly schedule, maybe you could schedule them a month ahead of time as you go. Another idea is to meet with your grade level team to talk about your reading themes for the year and to plan together. Plan Center Spaces in Your Classroom: Classrooms never seem big enough, so this can be a challenge. I like to have 4 - 5 kids at each center (the smaller number the better) but it depends on the class size. If I have 28 kids, that means about six center areas. Since my classroom is pretty small, when kids do the independent reading center, they stay at their desk/seat. That leaves me with 5 center areas to plan. 2. Types of Centers One of the questions teachers often ask is what kind of centers to include. Here are some suggestions that I've used in my classroom. I don't use all of the centers suggested at the same time but do mix up some of the centers every now and then for a bit of variety. Each center lasts 20 minutes long and the total center time is one hour, which means students should visit 3 centers each day. A. Independent Reading - This is one that ALL students do every day! It's important to me that students self-select books based on motivation and not reading level. One of the rules is that kids need to have a book ready before reading time. I don't want them to waste time searching the classroom library during this time. B. Teacher Time - This could be guided reading in a very structured setting or it could be reader's workshop style, where students meet with me to read a bit and to discuss concepts. C. Word Work - At this center, students work on spelling, grammar, context clues, and vocabulary. They may have a worksheet but more often they play a game. Since I couldn't find any games already made, I created a bundle of 30 Grammar Games, one for third grade and one for fourth grade to cover all language standards. They target grade-level skills and really make grammar fun. A huge time saver for sure! D. Magazine Center/Informational Text - This center is filled with children's news magazines (some from last year) like Scholastic News. I also include kid's magazines, like National Geographic Kids. I have graphic organizers I use for a bit of accountability. Students read an article, fill out the template, and then are free to continue reading whatever they'd like at this center. E. Technology Center - Every school is a bit different but whether you are blessed with tons of technology or are scraping by with a few older computers, there are still lots of great websites students can access with your direction at this center. Here are some you might want to check out: Freckle Education (formerly Front Row) Edcite Newsela MobyMax.com ABCYA.com Edmodo National Geographic Young Explorers Big Universe Spelling City I've also created standards-aligned reading units for 3rd - 5th grades. They give lots of focused, paperless practice. CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO LEARN MORE. F. Genius Hour - If you've never done Genius Hour with your students, you'll want to definitely look into it. I used to call these independent projects. Students are able to research and read about topics of interest and then prepare some type of presentation to share what they've learned with the class. Genius Hour projects are ongoing projects which students complete on their own time table, although you can set guidelines for how many they need to complete a semester for example. I tend to let it be more open-ended, as long as I see them engaged and focused. I know that some projects may take a number of weeks, while others may take two center rotation times. G. Reading Skills - At this center, I tie in worksheets that match our current reading strategy. Reading is my very favorite subject so I have lots of reading units already prepared which are no-prep, print and go. Click here if you need some fresh reading units for this center. H. Writing - Students may create poetry, write a letter to the principal, or create a personal narrative in their writer's workshop notebook. This is NOT our main writing time, however. It's more of a chance to let students experience low-pressure writing which is not specifically connected to a writing lesson. I. Reading Games - I love this center because it is rigorous while masquerading as fun! Kids at this center play games which are connected to the topic we are highlighting, like main idea, cause and effect, theme, or character traits. I actually created a whole series of reading games, just because I really needed them for my classroom and thought others might too. There is a game for each standard and they provide so much focused practice. I really love these! There's a set of 20 Reading Centers for 3rd Grade and 20 Reading Centers for 4th/5th. Each bundle of reading games has 10 Fiction Games and 10 Nonfiction Games. I also have digital reading units too. J. Read to a Friend - In this center, I have a variety of materials like poetry books and mini-plays to read together, to practice fluency. I also like to place high-interest picture books in this center! Even for 5th graders, you might be surprised at the complexity level of many picture books! Kids love them and they really are beneficial for them. Sometimes I have students bring their own independent books to share with each other. Other times, I have a book sampling basket at the center filled with book underdogs! These are some lesser-known books that I want kids to try. Their job is to read the book summary on the cover and to take turns reading either a paragraph or a page at a time. 3. Prepare Centers Once you've tentatively planned out your centers, the next step is to make or purchase the centers you'll need. I really do like to get the majority done in the summertime or at the beginning of the year because it's great to just pull out the center I need and it's ready to go. You can store the centers a number of ways. I really like the gallon size plastic baggies because I can put game boards, task cards, and anything else I might need (game markers or spinners...) in that bag. I just label the bag with a sharpie but you could make cute labels on the computer too if you want. You'll also want to have plenty of baskets and trays to organize center materials as you use them each week. The Dollar Store always has a great selection of these! 4. Decide How to Structure the Centers You can either have students do a rotation schedule that you create, or allow them to self-select within your parameters. Either works well, so you just need to decide which one works best for you. If students self-select, kids need to know expectations. For example, how many students can be at a single center at a time? How many centers do students need to complete each day or each week? I actually prefer a rotation schedule. I make some simple cards with center titles on them and create the schedule in a pocket chart with the days on the left side (vertically) and the center titles across the top (horizontally). 5. Set Expectations for Center Time Just like anything in the classroom, rules and procedures have to be explicitly taught and reviewed or chaos is bound to occur. First, I think through all of the possibilities of what could happen, and then I prepare for that by making up my list of rules on an anchor chart for all to see. We do some modeling of good and bad examples of behavior and discuss them together. If centers are going to work, this piece is crucial!!! There is no way for you to have quality teacher time if you are interrupted every few minutes to put out fires, answer questions, and give more directions. Take the time to set up centers well and you'll find it to be worth it. 6. Teach Each Center to the Whole Class Before Kids Use It Getting kids ready for centers is truly a process. To make it successful, you'll want to introduce the center to the whole class before expecting them to participate on their own. This is a great time for thumbs up and down questions to check for understanding, as well as modeling when appropriate. Once you've tried centers and have them operating smoothly, I think you'll really enjoy them. Want more information about why literacy centers are beneficial for kids in grades 3rd - 5th? Click here to read Why You Should be Using Reading Centers in Upper Elementary. If you like this post, I would love for you to pin it or to share it with a teacher friend. For more ideas and strategies focused on upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter! Bonus, you'll also gain access to my FREE Resource Library which contains exclusive upper elementary freebies that you won't find anywhere else! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read it! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Facebook Pinterest Instagram TpT Store

GRAMMAR UNIT 7: CONTRACTIONS It is time to teach contractions ! My students have come so far with their grammar skills in units 1-6. Our language has improved so much as we have been learning about nouns , adjectives , verbs , adverbs , capitalization , and punctuation .

Activities that boost fluency all year long…and that you only have to prep once!

Congratulations third grade teacher! Teaching third grade is such a fun experience. The kids are still excited about school and easily impressed by things like crayons. Yet, they can be quite independent, especially by mid year. Now that you know you will be teaching third grade, you are probably starting to wonder what resources you

Do you think reading centers are only for the littles? Think again! Learn why you should be using upper elementary reading centers.

Discover grammar games that are engaging, rigorous, and fun! These I CAN Grammar Games are perfect for grammar review, practice, and literacy centers!

Jenga game cards are easily my favorite way to teach and reinforce basic math fact, phonics, or grammar practice.

This post shares 3rd grade literacy center ideas that work with any Language Arts curriculum and last the entire school year + FREE printable

Need some graphic organizers for students K-3rd grade? Grab my free writing rraphic organizers to help students get started writing!

When I started at my new school last year, I came into a new reading program. I was used to doing almost all of my reading instruction WHOLE CLASS, but my school uses a guided reading model all the way up to 5th grade. I definitely had to rethink my reading block! I had done centers in the past, but wanted a really clear way to maximize the time and make the transitions clear for the students. Here's how I do my guided reading block! ROTATIONS We have Guided Reading/Centers Monday-Thursday from about 1:10-2:00 and I rotate through four groups. This means each center is 12 minutes long, with about 30 seconds for a transition. 12 minutes can fly by, so the students have to work on getting those transitions DOWN. I found a FANTASTIC resource by my friend Kristen of Chalk & Apples, and it has made centers SO easy. There are tons of different icons that can be easily swapped out on different days or weeks. I change mine up all the time! In a typical week, I do guided reading with leveled passages on Monday and Wednesday, and we do literature circles on Tuesdays and Thursdays. GROUPS My students are grouped according to DRA levels, because that is what my school uses. You might use AR, Lexile, or another measure. I have four groups: Low, Low-Mid, High-Mid, and High. Each group has a number, but I assign the number randomly so it doesn't match up to skill level in any way. I have 24 students in my class this year, so there will be 6 kids in each group. If you have a larger class, you can still make it work by having your higher groups work on their own while you work with a lower group and just check in! GUIDED READING I LOVE this close reading resource from Fifth in the Middle. I bought the entire bundle so I have TONS of options. Each reading comes in four reading levels, but they are on the same topic and look the same so students don't notice. There is also a paired text that I try to use for morning work toward the end of the week. There are several pages of activities for each passage, and I often have the students start these at the table with me after we've read the passage out loud. When it is their turn for guided reading, the students come to me at our back table with a pencil and a highlighter. I give them their sheets for that day and discuss what we will be looking for while we read (unfamiliar words usually) and we begin reading. I like to make sure each child reads, so however I have to break it up to make that happen. After reading through, I ask them to scan through again to find specific information. This changes week to week, so one time it might be looking for transition phrases, and another it might be looking for dates to create a timeline. Then, we talk about what everyone found and work on putting together the information on the worksheet. I, of course, provide a lot more scaffolding and support to my lower readers, while my high readers are able to do the activity on their own. LIT CIRCLES On the days that we have literature circles, the students still come to the back table with me, but this time they bring their lit circle book (which varies) and their lit circle binder. In their binder, they keep all of their jobs and their reading schedule. I have used about a GAZILLION resources for lit circles (including online blogs), but this one from Pocketful of Primary is my absolute FAVORITE: It is SOO easy to adapt to groups of different sizes and I found it very user-friendly for both the kiddos and for myself! I organize the jobs using a hanging file I found on Amazon. You can find it here: THE OTHER CENTERS So what do the kiddos do during their other blocks of time? Here's some options I cycle through: STAPLES: Partner Reading Each student has a partner from their reading group that they meet up with for this activity. I typically use "I Survived" books or similar short chapter books. I stock up through Scholastic! I have 6 shared books for the entire class, and I place a sheet inside the front cover so the students can write their names and where they ended each day they read. I always have new books ready to go for the students who finish. I do this strictly for fluency, so I don't do quizzes or worksheets. Silent Reading (KBAR) In my class, we call silent reading KBAR- Kick Back and Read. When we do a whole class KBAR, I sometimes take it outside. Spelling (Spelling City) I typically use Spelling City for centers, but sometimes do a worksheet instead. Vocabulary (Quizlet)Quizlet is AMAZING. I love using this for vocabulary! The students really enjoy it as well. Keyboarding (KWT) This is a tough one since monitoring the students' finger placement is so important. I don't do this OFTEN as a center, but throw it in now and again. Writing If we are working on a longer project (such as the state report), I have the students use this chunk of time for that. Otherwise, I sometimes provide a prompt or allow them to free write. Here's one of the resources I use: NoRedInk If you've never used this site, CHECK IT OUT! It's one of the best ways to get some extra grammar practice into your day! Be aware that the initial set up takes a bit of time because the students have to select a bunch of their favorites from different categories: books, tv shows, movies. What's neat is the site uses their preferences and their name + their friends' names when building the practice sentences. The kids get a kick out of it! Task Cards (small group) Students work with their reading group and record their answers on individual answer sheets. I have a huge selection of task cards that I keep in one of these bad boys from Michael's: Cursive (Can Do) I love that my school teaches cursive, but in fifth grade, we don't have a lot of specific time for it. To keep the kid's practicing, I assign pages from our cursive book during centers. Reading Comprehension (Reading Plus) We use Reading Plus, but there are many online reading comprehension sites. Use whatever your district provides or what works for your class! Games I will occasionally throw in a review game for the kids to play with their small group. The key is they have to be short and not too loud! Comment below if you have other questions or want to add some advice on running smooth ELA centers with Guided Reading!

This post features literacy center ideas and printables for 4th-grade classrooms. It includes reading centers for fourth grade.

Time, the one thing every teacher needs more of. My district guidelines said the literacy block in third grade should be 120 minutes. That sounds great until you realize that includes reading, writing, grammar, phonics, vocabulary, handwriting, whole-group, small-group, and independent reading! You’re never going to have more time. What you need to do is make sure the time you have is used effectively and this includes your literacy centers. I've used dozens of different types of literacy centers throughout my teaching career. These are my favorite centers because they are the most effective. By that I mean they keep kids focused on what's important --- reading and writing. #1 Independent Reading I truly believe you need to give kids time to read if you want them to become better readers. Worksheets and games have a place in your reading instruction, but they shouldn't replace independent reading time. My goal is to give kids at least 30 minutes of independent reading every day. That means 30 minutes with a text at their independent reading level. Some kids will need help to choose a book at their independent level. When kids have a book in their hands that they can read and want to read, keeping them focused on reading will not be an issue. #2 Read with a Partner I love this center because it's so versatile. Partners can help each other with vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency, as well as communication skills. You can let students choose their own partners, but I usually choose the partnerships. First I decide on the focus of the center that week. If the focus is fluency I may pair students with similar reading levels. If the focus is vocabulary or comprehension, I may pair a stronger reader with a weaker reader. Of course, one thing to always keep in mind is how they will work together. The trickiest part of this center is choosing partners. I've found that partner readers can either help each other stay focused or distract each other from the task. So, choose partners wisely! #3 Respond to Reading This is one of my favorite centers because it combines reading and writing. When kids write about their reading, you're getting an insight into their understanding of the text. You'll also get an informal look at their written communication skills. For this center, I always give the kids a focus. The focus ties in with our current reading comprehension strategy. I want to see if they are able to take the strategy lessons and apply them to their own reading. To keep the readers focused on the strategy, I use reading thinkmarks. These are bookmarks, with a specific reading focus. The thinkmark usually has reminders or tips about the strategy. It can also have response stems or questions. They're easy to give out to students after a whole-class or small group lesson. One thing to keep in mind with this center---You must read the student responses at least once a week. I always enjoyed reading their responses, but sometimes found it to be a challenge to get them all read. (Another time issue.) If you'd like to give thinkmarks a try, follow this link to download a few freebies! #4 Write with a Partner The reason I love this center so much is that the kids love it. And, anything that gets them to write more is good for me! Like reading with a partner, writing with a partner can have different purposes. The kids can help each other with revising, editing, or can work on a joint writing piece. All writing genres work in this center. Like all the other centers, the kids must have a focus. This isn't a free write time. I also choose the writing partnerships very carefully. I want students who can help each other with the task and help each other stay focused. #5 Word Skills This is the center where I put my games and task card activities. The most important thing to keep in mind is the kids should be practicing skills that have already been introduced and practiced in a whole-class lesson. This isn't the place to introduce something new. It's the place to give kids more practice so they can master those important decoding and encoding skills. To keep students accountable I always have some type of recording sheet. Even in a game, I find a way for kids to have some type of meaningful written response. No matter what centers you decide to have in your classroom, make sure they are effective. You don't have time for busy work. The centers need to focus on your state or district standards and keep students focused on the task. If you can do that, then your centers will be an effective use of time.

Literacy centers in the classroom should be simple, easy, and fun! Using no-prep or low-prep ideas helps with time management, lesson planning, and easy weekly setup. Throughout the years, I have tried a plethora of ideas for my literacy centers. Some worked okay, and some did not work at all. Finally, I realized I was overthinking and making center time WAY more complicated than it should be for both myself and the students. Once I realized that the simplicity of the centers was what made them work, everything else clicked into place. Using five weekly centers in your classroom each week makes things easy. Having a group of 4-5 students in each group rotate through only one center each day keeps it simple for the students. The no-prep or low-prep activities keep it fun and SUPER easy for you! Five Literacy Centers for All Year Set up these five literacy centers at the beginning of your school year, and use them all year long! Center #1: Technology: Use any activity that you have on hand. This can be computers, Chromebooks, iPads, etc. Students can play online games or you can assign a digital activity via Google Classroom to your students for this center. Using digital task cards or interactive digital games for practice are great choices. Center #2: Writing: The activities change in this center weekly, but the supplies remain the same. Any activity that you want your students to use for a focus on writing can be used. Add a word bank, thesaurus, dictionary, writing tools, paper, etc and give your students a weekly writing prompt. You can also use one of the writing activities from my No Prep Literacy Centers units. Print the center directions on color copy paper to grab the students’ attention and place it in the same place in the center from week to week because students need that routine and dependability of knowing where to find the directions. Copy the other pages for the activity on regular copy paper to add to the center. These activities are sometimes longer in length, and students might need two weeks to complete. On those weeks, do not change out the materials. Center #3: Reading: It is especially important to give students multiple opportunities throughout the school day to read independently from books of their choice. For some, school might be the only time they are exposed to books. During this center, give students comfortable seating choices throughout the room so that they are not in a group and disturbing other students or being disturbed. Students can have individual book bins that contain books they have chosen to read. By having their book bins already stocked, students are not constantly moving around the room to visit the classroom library during this time. Use these Digital Reading Responses for students at some time during the week to add a writing component. Center #4: Word Work: This center can look vastly different weekly. I always use an activity from my No Prep Literacy Centers. Students might be manipulating letters to create words one week, and the next week, they might be playing a word game from the same unit. Another week, they might complete the monthly “Put It in Order” alphabetical order activity included in each monthly unit. For the last week, they might do a part of speech word sort from the unit. Adding some of these activities normally used for Morning Tubs can add a lot of fun to your literacy centers as well. Center #5: Miscellaneous: This center can include anything related to what you are currently studying in reading or grammar or a review of previous learning. One week students can move around the room on a scavenger hunt, while the next week has students reading an informational passage and answering questions. This center allows for flexibility and might include task cards, sightwords, or even an activity from my early finishers unit. Adding any kind of game that you already have in your classroom is a simple and fun activity for this center also. (Click here for a list of ten easy activities to add to your centers using items already in your classroom.) Using these five simple, easy, and fun literacy centers all year will help you keep your sanity. The prep time is 15-30 minutes on a Friday afternoon, helping me get out the door and home to my family. Grab FREE Math and Literacy Centers when you sign up for my emails. Keeping literacy centers simple, easy, and fun is just... My Kind of Teaching

The first few weeks of school are all about setting the foundation. We're establishing routines and procedures, encouraging a growth mindset culture, building classroom community, etc. I also like to spend some time laying the foundation for what students will need to be successful writers throughout the year, especially since writing is a focus that threads through all subject areas. In second grade especially, sentence structure is a great place to start. We review the 4 parts that every sentence has to have in order to be a complete sentence:

Here are some fun, engaging High-Frequency Words Partner Games that help students practice reading various sight words. Games include word-reading and

Discover grammar games that are engaging, rigorous, and fun! These I CAN Grammar Games are perfect for grammar review, practice, and literacy centers!

Are you looking for narrative writing activities? Stuck for ideas or in need of no prep narrative writing worksheets for your writing lessons? This is the perfect story writing resource for second grade writing centers or third grade literacy centers. It includes 36: - Worksheets - Graphic Organizers - Posters - Writing Prompts - Checklists *NOTE - This activity has the digital overlay tool option. Text boxes have been added to the relevant pages! Here are just a few reasons that you'll love it: it's common core aligned it's NO PREP, simply print and go. it's easy for your students it's suitable for 1st-3rd grade students depending on their abilities! Assess the quality of this product by checking out the following freebie: Roll a Story (Free Sample from Narrative Packet) Here's what is included - 'What is a narrative?' poster (x2 color and b&w) Planning graphic organizers x4 Characters and settings worksheets Problem and solution worksheets x5 Introductions, paragraphs, and show, don't tell worksheets My birthday graphic organizer 'If I were a superhero' and 'If I were the teacher for a day' prompts Stretch a sentence and small moments graphic organizers Roll a story writing prompt (x2 color and b&w) Story prompts (x2 color and b&w) Character traits (x2 color and b&w) Narrative checklist (x2 color and b&w) Enjoy this resource! Don't forget to follow my store for more awesome products and rate this product for your TPT credits :) Let's Connect! Pinterest Instagram Facebook Want an introduction to narrative writing? Check out my: Narrative Writing PowerPoint

I receive a lot of questions about how I run my literacy block. At my school, our schedule is blocked out, but I have freedom to arrange my own blocks (if that makes sense). So my literacy block is 9:40 – 11:15, and this is what I’ve decided to do with it: We start right ... Read More about My Literacy Block

Yesterday I posted about how my team makes departmentalizing work in 3rd grade. Today, I'm back with 10 tips that help everything run smoothly. Let's get to it! Tip 1: Label Everything! Printing student names on address labels ahead of time has been my saving grace these past few years. I print an entire sheet

This post shares 3rd grade literacy center ideas that work with any Language Arts curriculum and last the entire school year + FREE printable

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Ideas and resources for independent word work centers in grades 2-4.

For the past five years, I’ve been using the same “menu” format for Literacy Centers and have modified it as I’ve taught first, second, and third grade. Prior to that, I’d tried every system in the book…stations in the classroom, mobile tubs, wheels, rotated charts, assigned centers…all of which “worked” for the most part, BUT...

Thinking about implementing a Daily Three reading structure for reading rotations? Check out this post for details and example activities for each roation.

Do you ever have trouble with students getting their work done during center time? This post gives you ideas for holding student accountability during this time so that you know they are making the most of their time. Using games and fun activities will help and this post includes free recording sheets.

This Must Do May Do System is the HACK to your rotating reading centers! Have smooth-running groups and effective independent work time.

Are your students struggling with theme? No worries - here are 3 games/centers specifically designed to give students the theme practice they need without boring them with long passages.

This post features literacy center ideas and printables for 4th-grade classrooms. It includes reading centers for fourth grade.

Character traits is an important skill to help students understand characters. This post shares strategies and free character trait activities.

Use station activities to improve reading comprehension! Get your students

Do you hate to teach poetry? Do you want your students to learn and enjoy poetry? Try these simple ways to learn how to teach poetry...