It can be hard to truly meet every learner where they are in the classroom. But not any more! You can have small group learning success during centers. This practice can supercharge your classroom and revolutionize your small group block! So, if you’re ready to meet every student where they are in their learning, empower them, boost engagement, and skyrocket their success, then keep reading!
What are Classroom Centers?
Classroom centers are areas in your classroom where students can work in small groups. In these small groups, they engage in targeted, hands-on learning activities. Simple right? But there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye! These simple centers have the power to unlock small group learning success because they offer:
- Differentiated Instruction
- Active Learning
- Social-Emotional Development
- Student Ownership and Autonomy
- Continuous Assessment and Feedback
The Power of Differentiated Instruction
One of the biggest benefits of classroom centers is they allow you to have differentiated instruction. Therefore, you can tailor your teaching to meet the needs of each student you have in your class. This is true whether you’re tackling math problems, practicing reading fluency, or being a mad scientist! Classroom centers give you the ability to provide support and practice at each student’s individual level. This creates small group success across the board, so everyone gets a chance to shine!
Unleash Active Learning with Small Group Success
Active learning is a huge benefit of using centers. When you use centers, your students are always going to be up and moving. They will be collaborating with each other and learning by doing! Using centers and small group active learning is the perfect way to go beyond the worksheet! Your students will have small group success because they will be actively engaged in solving problems, creating projects, and mastering new skills. But that’s not the best part! The best part is they’ll be having so much fun, they won’t even realize how much they are learning! Now, that’s what I call engagement!
Develop Social-Emotional Superstars!
So you know centers can create awesome academic superstars, but did you know they can also promote social-emotional development? Because students are working together in small groups, they are learning how to communicate effectively, work together in a positive way, and to empathize with one another when failures and success happen. These are skills that will help them grow in the classroom and in their real-lives. Talk about a win-win!
Create Ownership and Autonomy with Centers and Small Group Success
Small group success doesn’t have to be teacher led. Centers give your students space to take hold of the reins and be the master of their own learning! When you allow students to work independently, they become more engaged, motivated, and invested in their learning. So, you don’t have to see those disinterested faces again! Instead, say hello to a classroom full of independent learners who are eager to know more!
Centers Provide Continuous Assessment and Feedback
Classroom centers offer teachers a chance to assess students as you go! The centers we have available for kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade all have self-checking components to lessen your workload! When you observe and work with small groups, you’ll be able to quickly identify areas where extra support is needed and you’ll be able to give immediate and personalized feedback to students right away. Now, you don’t have to wait for tests and quizzes to see where the holes are. Know right away and keep yourself in the loop with classroom centers.
How To Implement Classroom Centers for Small Group Success
Are you ready to get all the benefits of centers in your classroom and transform it into learner central? If you are, where are a few things you’ll want to make sure you do to get started!
- Plan and organize your centers. For tips on how to organize your centers, check out this blog and make sure you sign up for this freebie!
- Create clear expectations and routines for center time.
- Provide engaging, hands-on activities that go with your curriculum. This can be done with our non-holiday themed centers for kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, and fifth grade.
- Encourage collaboration and positive group dynamics
- Regularly assess and adjust your centers to work perfectly in your classroom.
Classroom centers are perfect for promoting small group success in your classroom. By using these awesome centers, you’ll differentiate instruction, create an active-learning environment, develop social-emotional learning skills, and give students a sense of ownership in their learning. Plus, you’ll constantly be able to assess. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to dive into centers and take your teaching to the next level!
