By the age of five, there is already a science achievement gap among young children in the United States. Educators have worked to address this gap between upper elementary and middle school children for many years. However, little attention has been placed on preventing the gap by focusing on the youngest learners. This article describes how to…

This learning center for six- and seven-year olds presents language, math, science, and study skill activities about peanuts. (SJL)

Appropriate curricula for full-time kindergarten children must emphasize creativity in several subject areas, including arts and crafts, science, social studies, mathematics, thinking, and language arts. This article offers practical suggestions for providing kindergarten children with opportunities to be creative in several ways. Arguments…

Each classroom has certain beliefs and values, traditions and rituals, roles, expectations, and materials that contribute to a distinct classroom culture. This paper views and interprets children's experience in centers as socially constructed, dynamic, and situated in multiple, interdependent, cultural, and historical contexts. The paper provides…

Four student minicenters, concerning friendship, good grooming, good housekeeping, and fitness, are described. Reproducible materials to be used in the centers are included as well as instructions and suggestions. (CJ)

Instructions are given for ten learning activities designed to help third graders with telling time and with understanding the concepts of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, seasons, and years. (SJL)

A practicum project was developed to provide self-directed learning opportunities for all 10 members of a kindergarten enrichment group. Specifically, the project was implemented over a period of 10 weeks to help students gain independent work habits, to improve their care of materials, and to raise their reading ability by one grade level. Ten…

Offers some suggestions that can be used to maximize the literacy learning that can and needs to occur during independent learning time. Presents three possible classroom organizational structures, and elaborates on the one that many teachers are (re)discovering: learning centers. Concludes that independent activities must set up children for…

A kindergarten teacher used a classroom learning center approach to design and implement a practicum establishing a child-centered learning environment in her classroom. Several learning centers, including centers for math, language arts, and nutrition, were set up. Twenty-three children received individual assignments through the use of file…

This learning center consists of six stations with progressive activities in various physical skills, such as ball handling, clay modeling, and rope jumping. The intent is to help youngsters to improve their skills in these areas and to realize that individuals vary in their abilities. (SJL)

Considers how to incorporate all the components of early literacy strategies into a daily schedule. Describes what occurs during each component and how routines, centers, a rotation system, and classroom management are incorporated through a balanced schedule. Creates a seamless instructional and thematically based environment where the components…

The Centers Approach allows the teacher to work with small groups of children during the reading activity. (JH)

This activity was created to address a lack of problem-solving activities for elementary children. A "monorail" activity from the Evening Science Program for K-3 Students and Parents program is presented to illustrate the problem-solving format. Designed for performance at stations by groups of two students. (LZ)

Instructions are provided for constructing a classroom learning center, with nine separate games and activities, to teach pupils to locate words in the dictionary through the use of guide words, entry words, and picture clues. (SJL)

With "mice" as a theme, this classroom learning center is designed for independent use by kindergarten and first grade children, whether or not they have yet learned to read. Its activities focus on reading, language, thinking, and writing skills. A bilbiography of children's books about mice is appended. (SJL)