classroom activities will be education centre

A Teacher's Introduction to Learning Centers

The basics of learning centers - how they work, how to create one, and more!

What is a Learning Center?

A  learning center  is a self-contained section of the classroom in which students engage in independent and self-directed learning activities.

Learning centers allow easy access to a variety of learning materials in interesting and productive manners. Learning centers are usually designed to offer a variety of materials, designs, and media through which students can work by themselves or with others to operationalize the information learned in the classroom. Centers are designed to enhance the learning of concepts, skills, themes, or topics.

This learning can take place after a topic is presented to students, during the course of presenting important concepts, or as an initial introduction to the material in the text.

Why are Learning Centers Important?

Learning centers are important classroom strategies for a few reasons.

Not only do they promote active learning and student engagement, but they are a great tool for  differentiated instruction . Differentiated instruction is the means of presenting the same learning materials in various ways, allowing students to access the information in a way that is optimal for their learning. By creating different learning centers, teachers can modify the materials and tasks based on students’ needs and abilities

Learning centers also encourage cooperative learning, as they involve students to engage in group work.

Types of Learning Centers

Most teachers will agree that there are three different types of learning centers: enrichment centers, skill centers, and interest and exploratory centers.

Enrichment Centers

Enrichment centers are designed to offer students a variety of learning alternatives as an adjunct to a common unit of instruction.

These learning centers are typically used after the presentation of important materials or concepts. They are designed to provide students with opportunities to enrich and enhance their understanding of the topics.

For example, after you have presented a lesson on the life cycle of plants, you might assign individual students to a center with the following components:

• Construction of a terrarium using soil, several plants, rocks, etc.
• Observing several plants under the microscope
• Designing an individual observation kit for use in the field
• Preparation of several foods using different types of common plants
• Exploring various news articles on plants in our daily lives
• Creative writing on the uses and misuses of plants in modern society
• Watching a filmstrip on the ecological implications of acid rain on plant life
• Painting a mural on the stages of plant growth

Enrichment learning centers require you to be aware of your students’ learning styles as well as their knowledge about a topic. The enrichment center can provide individual students with varied activities or combinations of activities that differ from those pursued by other students. As such, the center becomes an individualized approach to the promotion of the topic.

Skill Centers

Skill centers are typically used at the elementary level, more so than at the secondary level. Students may work on math facts, phonics elements, or other tasks requiring memorization and/or repetition.

Skill centers are similar to enrichment centers in that they are used after the initial teaching of a concept or skill. Their difference lies in the fact that students are assigned particular areas in the center as opposed to having free choice of the topics they want to pursue. Thus, after introductory instruction on a particular concept has taken place, you can assign students to various parts of the center to help reinforce the information presented. You must be aware of the various skill needs of your students to effectively assign individuals to the areas in the center through which they can strengthen and enhance these skills.

Interest and Exploratory Centers

Interest and exploratory centers differ from enrichment and skill development centers in that they are designed to capitalize on the interests of students.

These learning centers may not necessarily match the content of the textbook or the curriculum. Instead, they provide students with hands-on experience they can pursue at their own pace.

These types of centers can be set up throughout the classroom, with students engaging in their own selection of activities during free time, upon arrival in the morning, as a “free-choice” activity during the day, or just prior to dismissal. These centers allow students to engage in meaningful discoveries that match their individual interests.

The success of this form of learning center depends on your knowledge of your students' interests. You might want to use student interests that will help pinpoint the specific areas you can use in the design of relevant centers. A paper-and-pencil inventory can provide you with important information about their interests.

Setting Up Learning Centers in the Classroom

It’s important to understand that no two learning centers will ever be or look the same. Centers can range from elaborate displays to a card table set in the back of a room. However, there are some basic aspects of setting up learning centers that you may want to consider.

Establish learning centers as formally or informally as you want—the primary criterion is that they match student interests with curricular needs.

Parts of a Learning Center

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Provide an interesting title that identifies the center as separate from other classroom activities.

Arrange necessary furniture pleasingly and productively. Decide how you will set up chairs, tables, storage facilities, and the like.

Keep materials in a safe place where they are easily accessible by students.

Consider the use of space within the center. Where will the activities take place? Is there a need for independent study? Will large- or small-group instruction take place within the center?

Determine how you will obtain materials. You might be able to obtain materials from parents or the school. You may also want to consider other sources such as local businesses, catalog supply houses, or community agencies.

Consider the physical placement and arrangement of centers in your room. Students need to be able to move to and among centers with minimal disruption and time.

Responsibility

An important consideration in the development of any center pertains to the responsibilities of students and teacher to the center. For example, students need to know who is responsible for cleaning up, who will be sure there's an adequate supply of consumable materials (paper, paint, soil, water, etc.), who will be in charge of evaluation, and so on.

Learning Alternatives

Include a variety of learning alternatives within any center. For example, include a variety of tasks ranging from difficult to easy. Also include activities that relate to various students' interests.

Instructions

Post a set of directions in each center. Plan time to share and discuss each set of directions and/or routines with students as part of one or more introductory lessons.

The Sequence of Activities

It may be important to consider how activities within a center will be sequenced. That is, will students need to complete one or more specific activities before moving on to more complex activities later?

Number of Centers

You will need to decide on the number of centers you want to establish in your classroom. Base your decision on your management skills as well as the needs of your students. You might want to start with a single center and, as you and your students gain more competence in designing and using the center, develop additional centers later in the school year.

Consider assigning students to selected centers and offering them opportunities to select centers on their own.

Management System

You can ensure the success of your centers by teaching your students familiar routines (how to move between centers, and how to work cooperatively). Devote several weeks at the beginning of the year to teach these routines.

Talk with students about the amount of time necessary to engage in or complete the activities within a center. It is not critical for students to complete all the activities within a center.

Establish a procedure or routine that will allow students to signal when they are having difficulty with a specific center activity.

Decide on the nature and form of assessment for the center(s). Will assessment be the responsibility of the students or the teacher? How will it be accomplished—informally (discussions, observations) or formally (skills test, chapter exam)?

Suggested Learning Centers 

Elementary school learning center ideas .

• ABC/Spelling Center 
• Pocket Chart Center
• Free Reading Center
• Storytelling Center
• Big Book Center
• Numbers Center
• Puzzles/Blocks Center
• Science Center
• Water Center

Middle School Learning Center Ideas

• Listening Center
• Writing Center
• Readers Theatre Center
• Drama Center
• Poetry Center
• Map and Chart Center 
• Invention Center
• Biography Center
• Weather Center

Featured High School Resources

Related Resources

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How to Set Up Effective Classroom Learning Centers for Elementary Students

Who says learning has to be boring? As an elementary teacher, you have the power to create a fun, interactive, and dynamic learning environment for your students. One way to do this is through classroom learning centers! These designated areas in your classroom offer students the chance to explore, experiment, and collaborate on a variety of hands-on activities, educational games, and other resources. With learning centers in your classroom, you can help your students stay engaged and excited while reinforcing and extending your key learning objectives.

Ready to learn about how to set up your classroom learning center? Let's dive in!

Benefits of Classroom Learning Centers

First and foremost, learning centers promote student independence. By giving students the chance to choose their own activities and work at their own pace, they can develop a sense of ownership over their learning. This also gives you time to focus on group instruction or providing individual feedback, while the rest of the class works independently.

Another advantage of classroom learning centers is that they allow for differentiated instruction. Since centers can be tailored to the different skill levels of your students, you can meet the needs of diverse learners. For example, students who need additional support can work on a specific skill, while another student who has achieved mastery over the same skills can advance to work on another skill that keeps them engaged.

In addition to promoting independence and differentiation, learning centers also foster creativity and critical thinking. By providing hands-on activities and opportunities for exploration, students develop problem-solving skills and learn to think outside the box. These are skills that are essential for students to succeed in their future inside and outside of the classroom.

Types of Classroom Learning Centers

Let’s explore some of the most common types of learning centers that you can set up in your classroom.

Literacy Centers

Celebrating #NationalReadABookDay in the reading center. Thanks to the awesome support of our @GreenwoodPTA , I was able to buy these new scoop rockers for our classroom. They’ve made the reading center a big hit this year. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/r7F39dWhDP — Megan George (@MrsGeorge_GES) September 7, 2018

Reading Center

Provide a variety of leveled books and reading materials, and encourage students to read independently or with a partner. This center promotes reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary development.

If you’re looking for more book fun, check out our guide on literature based STEM activities . 

Love this writing center in a fourth grade classroom! Celebration count down! #Kellerliteracy #TCRWP pic.twitter.com/MzPZ5iO3B0 — Whitney (@WhitneyEpps) October 22, 2018

Writing Center

Offer a variety of writing prompts, journals, and writing tools. This center encourages students to express their ideas through writing, and helps develop their writing skills.

Big kids still like listening to stories! The listening center is a fave destination in our classroom. #murninstrong pic.twitter.com/DcQPBTFRf7 — Lindsay Kent (@LN_Kent) April 6, 2017

Listening Center

Set up a listening station with audio books and headphones. This center promotes listening comprehension and can help struggling readers follow along with the text.

Math Centers

After todays math lesson, we had some time to explore manipulatives before tomorrows center exploration day!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/YXWYIGwk39 — Ms. Downs (@msdowns19) August 31, 2022

Manipulatives Center

Provide a variety of math objects such as counting blocks, pattern blocks, and geometric shapes. This center promotes hands-on learning, and helps students visualize and understand important math concepts.

Measurement Center

Offer measuring tools such as rulers, scales, and measuring cups. This center promotes estimation and measurement skills, and can be used to explore different math concepts such as length, weight, and volume.

Number Center

Provide a variety of games and activities that reinforce number sense, operations, and problem-solving. This center can be tailored to different skill levels, and can be used to address different learning styles.

Science Centers

Exploration center.

Provide materials such as magnifying glasses, rocks, and plants. This center encourages students to explore the natural world and promotes observation and inquiry skills.

Experiment Center

Offer materials for simple science experiments such as test tubes, baking soda, and vinegar. This center promotes hands-on learning and helps students understand scientific concepts such as cause and effect and chemical reactions.

Looking for more science inspiration? Check out our post on interactive STEM activities for elementary students.

Social Studies Centers

Geography center.

Provide maps, globes, and atlases. This center helps students develop their geography skills and learn about different cultures and places around the world or around the country.

History Center

Offer books, pictures, and artifacts related to different historical events or time periods. This center promotes historical thinking skills and helps students understand how the past influences the present. This center could also contain books about historical events or figures to reinforce learnings from your lesson plans.

Art Centers

Drawing center.

Provide drawing paper, pencils, markers, and other art supplies. This center encourages creativity and self-expression, and helps develop fine motor skills.

Painting Center

Offer paint, brushes, and smocks. This center promotes creativity and allows students to explore color and texture in a different way.

Collage Center

Provide different materials such as magazines, paper scraps, and glue. This center promotes creativity and helps students develop their artistic skills.

Sensory Centers

Check out our new art teacher’s amazing calming center in her classroom! Ms. Van Horn is there for her students! @dallasschools @LisaPCurry1 @GreatSoc8 pic.twitter.com/aefOOeftf8 — LibrarianLynn (@ElemBayles) August 20, 2021

Sensory Bin Center

Create a sensory bin filled with materials such as rice, sand, or water beads. This center promotes sensory exploration and helps develop fine motor skills for students.

Calming Center

Create a cozy space with soft lighting, cushions, and calming music. This center promotes self-regulation and helps students manage their emotions.

Technology Centers

Using @kodable to become expert coders! @StIsabelOCSB #ocsbMath pic.twitter.com/Q2VpKXbbPJ — Ashley Ostrom (@ostrom_ms) June 15, 2023

Computer Center

Provide access to age-appropriate educational games and online learning resources. This center promotes digital literacy, keyboarding skills, and can be used to reinforce learning across different subject areas.

Kodable, for example, makes a great addition to any technology center because it’s accessible on Ipads or computers and offers self-paced learning for students. This allows it to easily fit into any classroom lesson plan while also being a fun and engaging way for students to learn the basics of computer programming. Get started with Kodable today by trying our free educator plan .

A specific type of computer center can be a coding center for your students to learn about computer science. Learn how to set up your coding station in our online guide

Robotics Center

Offer programmable robots and building kits such as LEGO Mindstorms or Ozobot . This center promotes coding and problem-solving skills, and can be used to introduce students to engineering and design concepts.

Multimedia Center

Provide a variety of multimedia tools such as cameras, microphones, and video editing software. This center promotes digital storytelling and media literacy, and can be used to create and share multimedia projects related to different subject areas.

By offering a variety of interactive and engaging activities, learning centers provide students with the chance to explore, discover, and learn in a way that caters to their individual needs and interests. When it comes to bringing learning centers into your classroom, there are a range of options available to help you support student learning.

How to Set Up Classroom Learning Centers

When setting up classroom learning centers, it is important to consider the following:

• Selecting Appropriate Locations - Choose locations that are easily accessible and visible to students. Consider the amount of space needed for each center and make sure there is enough room for students to move around comfortably.
• Organizing and Labeling Materials - Organize and label materials to help promote independence and facilitate student use. You can use color-coded bins to identify materials for each center and ensure they are stored in a way that is easy for students to access and put away. 
• Establishing Clear Expectations and Procedures - Establish clear expectations for your learning centers, including rules, routines, and responsibilities. Teach your students how to use the center materials properly and emphasize the importance of respecting the materials and the needs of other students.
• Rotating and Refreshing Materials - Keep learning centers engaging and relevant by refreshing materials on a regular basis. This can include updating the content of centers, adding new materials or activities, or changing the layout or location of the centers. Consider involving students in the process of selecting and updating materials to increase their engagement and ownership of the centers.

Incorporating Technology in Classroom Learning Centers

Integrating technology in classroom learning centers can offer many potential benefits for elementary students, including increased engagement, improved digital literacy skills, and access to a wider range of resources.

Here are some examples of how technology can enhance learning centers:

Educational Apps

Use educational games or apps to supplement or reinforce learning in different subject areas. For example, students can practice math skills, improve their reading skills, or reinforce learnings while playing games!

Online Resources

Provide access to online resources such as digital textbooks, educational websites, and multimedia tools. For example, students can research social studies topics using National Geographic Kids . Check out more innovative teacher resources likes these in our online guide.

Interactive Tools

Use interactive tools such as interactive whiteboards or tablets to facilitate hands-on learning experiences. For example, students can explore the human body using virtual dissection tools.

When using technology in the classroom it’s important to maintain it so that it can be used over and over again. Here are some tips to help your students maintain classroom technology:

• Setting Clear Guidelines - Establish clear guidelines for using technology including rules and procedures for device use, internet access, and app selection.
• Monitoring Student Engagement - Monitor student engagement to ensure they are using them effectively and appropriately. 
• Troubleshoot Issues - Be prepared to troubleshoot technical issues that may arise, and have a plan in place for addressing problems quickly and efficiently. Kodable , for example, gives you the ability to preview and practice lessons beforehand to address issues before they arise.

By integrating technology in classroom learning centers, you can provide students with a range of engaging and interactive learning experiences that support their academic and digital literacy skills.

Differentiated Instruction in Classroom Learning Centers

Classroom learning centers allow you to accommodate diverse learners and provide opportunities for differentiated instruction . Here's how they can be designed to meet the needs of students with different learning styles, abilities, or interests:

Multiple Learning Modalities

Incorporate materials and activities that address different learning types, such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. For example, your literacy center could include books, audio books, and a writing station for students to create their own stories.

Varying Levels of Difficulty

Provide activities that vary in difficulty level, allowing students to work at their own pace and challenge themselves. For example, a math center could include basic addition and subtraction activities, as well as more advanced multiplication and division problems.

Personalized Choice

Offer students a choice of materials or activities based on their interests and preferences. For example, an art center could include a variety of art supplies and materials for students to create their own unique projects.

New to differentiated learning? Check out our full guide on strategies for differentiated instruction to see how to bring this type of learning into your classroom.

Assessment and Evaluation of Classroom Learning Centers

Effective classroom learning centers require continuous assessment and evaluation to ensure that they are meeting the needs of your students and support your learning objectives. To assess student progress and achievement in learning centers, use strategies like observation, informal assessments, and performance-based tasks. These in addition to assessment data can inform your instruction to help you make adjustments to the learning centers as needed. Additionally, collecting feedback from students, colleagues, or parents can help you continuously improve learning centers.

By regularly using assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness of classroom learning centers, you can ensure that they are providing meaningful and engaging learning experiences.

Learning centers are just one example of how classroom management strategies can help you to engage students in their own learning process. But it’s important for you to go into learning centers with a plan to make sure they are adding to your learning objectives and don’t become a classroom distraction. When properly used, learning centers can help you reinforce key learning concepts to your students whether your looking to help improve reading, writing, math or other skills. With plenty of options to choose from now it’s time for you to start your journey with learning centers!

If you’re looking for a great learning center resource try Kodable to help teach students the basics of computer programming. Kodable can be used in small groups or individual students and self-paced lessons make for a great addition to any type of learning center you are trying to create. Get started today with Kodable’s free educator plan !

Kodable Education has everything you need to teach kids to code!

In just a few minutes a day, kids can learn all about the fundamentals of Computer Science - and so much more! With lessons ranging from zero to JavaScript, Kodable's suite of learning apps help prepare children for a digital future.

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6 Important Benefits Of Learning Centers In The Classroom

If you struggle to maintain and manage learning centers in your classroom, you're not alone. Many teachers begin the year with good intentions of keeping up with their learning center rotations but as the year goes on they lose speed and sometimes fizzle out. So let's begin with the basic question…

Page Contents

What is the definition of learning centers in the classroom?

A learning center is a designated area in the classroom where students can practice skills that they've already been taught in class. Learning centers are filled with hands-on activities that get students excited to learn about different areas of your curriculum. When setting up classroom learning centers, many teachers base their centers on math and literacy skills but you can also include other areas like social-emotional, fine motor, art, blocks, and dramatic play.

Why should you have learning centers in your classroom?

There are many reasons learning centers are important in an elementary classroom. Learning centers are often the most treasured time of a child's day. Here are some reasons you should consider adding learning centers to your kindergarten or first-grade classroom:

1. Practice

Students need the opportunity to practice the skills you're teaching in class. They need time to work with other students, use hands-on manipulative materials, and play games without being under the direct instruction from a teacher. When students are given the chance to practice skills on their own they can try out new ways of doing things and truly make the learning their own.

2. Independence

Besides getting a chance to practice, learning centers give students the chance to demonstrate how much they've learned. When students are at math and literacy centers , teachers can monitor children while they work and play. This is the time for you to observe your students' skills. Are they able to complete the tasks without your assistance? You'll be able to tell if your students understand the concepts simply by observing them. If you see that they are struggling you can step in and give a quick intervention.

3. Responsibility

Children also demonstrate responsibility while working at math and literacy centers . Using materials correctly, putting things away, and cleaning up are all important skills for students to develop and will further foster their independence. Learning centers are a time when students are responsible for their own work. They begin and end a task on their own, then clean up after themselves. Students can also be responsible for helping others during math & literacy centers . When the teacher is working with a small group in another area of the room, students may need to rely upon each other for help when needed. All of these things lead to more responsible students in your classroom.

4. Learning feels like play

Children learn through play. The more you can make an activity feel playful, make-believe or game-like the more students will learn. When children feel like they are playing they'll be more excited to do the activity and it will make the skills stick in their brain. They are more likely to remember skills when they are playing with and manipulating materials, than simply doing a paper/pencil task.

5. Opportunities for small group work

As teachers, we know that one of the most important parts of our day is working with students in small groups. When you have just a handful of students you are able to really hone in on the skills that they need. You can offer individual support and encouragement. But often teachers will ask “What do I do with the rest of my class when I'm working in small groups?”

If students are taught how to work at math & literacy centers and have a good management routine in place, teachers can work with small groups of students for 45-60 minutes while the rest of the class is occupied at learning centers and other tasks.

6. Differentiation

Learning centers offer so many ways to differentiate your instruction. You can have multiple activities at each of your math and literacy centers and these activities can be at different levels of difficulty. Students can choose the activity that's right for them or you can assign tasks to students.

One way of doing this is by having 3 different colored trays at each center. The activity in each tray can be a different level of difficulty. For example, at your math center, you might have students working on addition. In your red tray, you might have an activity for struggling students to do simple addition to 5. In a green tray, you may have your on-level students working on addition to 10. And your advanced students might work out of the blue tray where they will do a related facts activity. All your students can attend the same center and work on addition, but they can work at their own speed.

If you worry that students will begin to notice the difference in the work, change it up. One week have the advanced work in the blue tray. The next week have the advanced work in the red tray. That way, every student gets the chance to work out of each color tray without feeling embarrassed that they are working at a higher or lower level than other kids.

What learning centers should you have in your classroom?

When deciding on which learning centers you want in your classroom you need to think about several factors:

Classroom Size

Consider the size of your classroom when choosing how many learning centers you want in your room. Will you have each center at its own desk or table? Do you have room for this? If not, there are other options. Think about the furniture that you already have in place in your room. The shelf where you store your math manipulative materials can become the Math Center. A pocket chart already hanging on your board can become the Pocket Chart Center. Your charging station for your classroom tablets can become the Tablet Center. Your classroom library can become the Library Center. You already have so many areas in your room that can become a center without a lot of extra work for you.

Separate Center Areas

Do you want your students to go to a center or do you want your students to bring the center to their desks? Both are a possibility. I have found that a designated area away from the child's regular seat is ideal. Students need to move around and get out of their seats during the day.

Can you imagine, as an adult, having to sit in the same spot without moving all day? We could never do that. We all need to get up, move around, get a cup of coffee, or chat with a friend. Young children are the same. They need to move around and get a change of scenery to reduce their boredom and keep them engaged in learning. Math & literacy centers are the perfect solutions to fill this need.

Each center area can be designated with something that says “I am a center”. Think of using things like a small desk, a shelf, a basket, a small table, or a rug to designate where students will work at each center. Students can sometimes sit at a desk or table. But they can also sit on the floor on a small rug or carpet square. You can have many math & literacy centers in your room without taking up a lot of space.

Learning Center Tubs

If you come to the conclusion that your classroom simply doesn't have the space for learning centers, think again. You can keep your learning center materials in tubs on a shelf. Designate each tub as a different center – The red tub can be your Math Center, the blue tub can be Word Work, the green tub can be Art, etc. You can put the materials needed for your activities in ziplock bags in each tub and students can just take the center back to their seats.

In my opinion, this isn't the most ideal way of having classroom learning centers but if this is your only option then by all means do it! Your students will still love getting to do the hands-on activities from your learning centers but they will simply do it at their own desk.

You can also have a combination of both separate center areas and tubs. This can help solve the problem of lack of space as well.

Learning Center Possibilities

Many teachers focus on only math and literacy centers in their room but there are many other possibilities to choose from. Children learn in many ways and these are just some of the ideas that you could choose from:

• Social Studies
• Sensory Table
• Dramatic Play
• Pocket Chart

It's not necessary to have all of these centers in your room. Choose what works for you and the size of your classroom. Remember that the more learning centers you have in your room, the more work it will be for you. Remember when just starting out with learning centers, begin with the easiest centers first. Areas that you already have in your classroom like your library or computer area are quick and easy learning centers to start and require very little setup and maintenance on your part!

Ready to get started? This bundle of math and literacy centers has everything you need for the entire year. Cute-themed activities for every month from September to May will keep your students excited to practice math and literacy skills. Every month they'll look forward to seeing the new games and activities, guaranteeing a class that's on task and learning…giving you time to work with small groups or individual students! Click here to take a closer look at everything included.

Want to know more about how to use math and literacy centers in your classroom? Check out these posts.

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What Are Learning Centres? A Teacher Guide to Rotations in the Classroom

Written by Amber Coles

So you’ve been assigned a classroom, chosen a classroom theme, and picked out that cute first-day-of-school outfit. Are classroom learning centres or rotations on your to-do list yet?

You’re in luck! The teacher team at Teach Starter has some great advice for setting them up, not to mention years of tested experience to help you decide if centres are right for your classroom. Read on to learn how to group your students, what supplies you’ll need for successful centres, how long students should spend at each rotation and even a few ideas from our expert teachers on fun centre activities that will engage your class.

What Are Learning Centres?

If this term isn’t on your teaching radar, have no fear. Learning centres — also commonly called rotations — are essentially stations or designated classroom areas to promote independent practise in the skills or subjects you’ve taught in class. As you know, children thrive on exploration and active engagement, which learning centres can help with all year long.

Typically used for all primary grades, you may also hear or read other teachers refer to their learning centres as

• Skill centres
• Interest centres
• Enrichment centres
• Exploratory centres
• Learning stations
• Simply just centres

Before You Begin

There are a few things to consider before setting up your own learning centres:

• Age of Students — Your students’ age will determine what kinds of equipment and supplies you’ll need.
• Your Classroom Size — Your classroom and class size will help determine how many learning centres feel comfortable in your space.
• Seating Arrangements — Will students sit at a table? Bean bag chairs? A carpet?
• Learning Centre Type — Which learning centres make the most sense for your teaching style and expertise?

Feeling overwhelmed so far? We know there’s a lot to think about! Try to remember that once your learning centres are set up and established, the hardest work is over for years to come. Of course, there is always room for improvement and changes depending on your students’ experiences.

Why Are Learning Centres Important in the Classroom?

Learning centres are important for several reasons and can apply to any age. You will always have students who learn differently than their classmates, and rotations can help you ensure all your students are getting the variation they need.

Promote Practise and Play

Students can use centres or learning stations to explore further and practise skills you’ve taught them in class. Children who learn by doing may thrive more in a space that allows them to be independent of traditional classroom instruction.

Differentiated Learning

Rotation-style activities offer the opportunity for you to differentiate learning in your classroom easily. Activities that allow students to learn in their preferred styles lead to a thriving environment, and centres allow kids to work at their own pace.

Improve Your Instruction

In addition to helping your classroom management , classroom learning centres allow you time to observe your students and monitor their progress. Large classroom sizes don’t always allow for careful observation, but learning centres can help hone your attention on students who may struggle more. If a learning centre does not reinforce a topic to your satisfaction, you can always change things up!

Introduce Life Skills

Not only do stations present opportunities for students to work in small groups, but they also help kids learn responsibility . Make sure your stations include a supply list, plus instructions for use and cleanup. For example, if your learning centre has whiteboards or laminated writing materials, students should learn how to properly wipe everything down before returning them to the bin or storage area.

Focused Attention

If you have a student (or multiple students) that need extra assistance in their learning, centres will come in handy for needed one-on-one or teacher time. Struggling students may feel more comfortable in a smaller group setting than feeling behind in a full class setting.

Setting Up Your Learning Centres

Now that we’ve discussed the importance and benefits of learning centres, let’s get them ready for the students! Keep reading for ideas on setting up maths and reading learning centres for inspiration, including tips from members of the team of teachers that create Teach Starter’s popular resources.

While you’re designing and creating your classroom stations, it’s important to keep in mind that centre activities should not include new material. Instead, they should reinforce a topic you’ve covered together as a class. While learning centres are intended to encourage independent study, they should do so with material that students are already familiar with to solidify their understanding.

Gathering Centre Materials

When you’re planning your centres, you’re going to want to keep reuse in mind as you choose supplies! This will cut down on the amount of money you’re spending, as well as reducing classroom waste. Here are some must-haves for your rotations:

• Plastic Sleeves and Dry Erase Markers — Get the most out of your printed materials in your learning centre activities by slipping them into plastic sleeves and having students use dry-erase markers.
• Dice — Little preparation is involved in dice games , and they can help students in various operations. Multiplication War and Race to 5,000 are two favourites for maths centres!
• Playing Cards
• Mini Whiteboards — Whiteboards help save on paper-based activities, and you can even get ruled boards for handwriting practise.
• Task Cards — There are so many types of task cards out there for all operations! These can be used for partner or individual work.
• Zip-Loc Bags   — Enormously versatile, zippered plastic bags can be used for just about anything! One box includes dozens of bags that can be used for storing small items such as flashcards, books and craft supplies. Use hangers with clips to hold your bagged items to save on shelving space.
• Headphones — These are essential for auditory learning activities so students can focus without the distraction of other centres.
• Plastic Baskets or Bins — These are perfect for storing each centre’s items for easy cleanup and storage.
• Writing Materials — Pencils, pens and other writing materials are just as useful in stations as they are in everyday instruction!

Organising Your Materials

Curious about how to keep everything organised? This tip for organising your centre supplies comes from former teacher (and Teach Starter resource-creation team member) Brittany Collins.

She used the horizontal strips on her classroom bulletin board  to identify an activity students needed to complete. The corresponding bucket would be where they grabbed materials beforehand.

For example, her ‘Hands On’ centre might have two activities that require supplies from box C and box D — it’s clever and organised!

Photo courtesy of Teach Starter resource producer Brittany Collins

Dividing Students for Rotations

Dividing your class into groups for learning centres is not something done once. This can be a process that evolves over the school year.

Depending on your students’ learning rate, you may be shuffling groups around on a weekly or monthly basis. Here are some ideas on the division process:

Skill Level

One way to divide your students into groups for learning centres is by skill level. As we already mentioned, groups can be subject to change throughout the year as they progress, but at the beginning of the year, using a different colour code for each group will help keep things organised.

Each day of the week, assign a specific group one station for the day. Have them stay at that station for the entire period and complete the task you’ve picked out.

Mixed-Ability

Dividing students by skill level is a go-to method, but mixing abilities is beneficial as well. More advanced students have an opportunity to assist classmates in their group who may be struggling. This will not only give higher-level students a chance to practise their teaching skills but will also help struggling students look at a topic in a new light.

Other Options

Here are some other ideas on dividing your class into their learning centres:

• Student-Selected
• Alphabetical Order
• Birth Month
• Learning Style
• Random (pulling names from a jar, etc.)

Learning Centre Management Tips

Managing your learning centres may take some time and experimentation, but if you establish expectations from day one, you’ll hopefully have a well-oiled machine throughout the year! Here are some top tips from our teachers:

Establish Centre Rules

Discuss learning centre rules with the entire class, and treat every centre equally. For example, every centre must be cleaned up before rotation. How does that look? Are chairs pushed in? Are writing materials placed back in their tubs or cups? Are papers stacked in the centre of the table? You can provide a visual aid at each centre, so students know how their centre should look at the end of their turn.

A classroom learning centre rules chart is a beneficial addition to your classroom bulletin board or right at the front of the room by the whiteboard. Centre rules might have different expectations than normal classroom rules such as ‘I will use a quiet voice at my centre’ or ‘I will remain at my centre for the entire rotation.’

Limit Group Size

There should be a defined limit to how many students work simultaneously at each centre. For example, if you have a science centre that requires using a microscope, one to two students will eliminate potential arguing and allow more quality time with the instrument. A larger centre, such as independent reading at the classroom library, could allow for more kids (four to six students, for example).

Number of Centres

Your classroom size and number of students may affect how many learning centres you have. Having two to five rotations is a good number to have in mind as you don’t want to go overboard and create chaos.

You could have one learning centre in each corner of the room and one in the centre, or you could just have two in the back of the room. You could also divide the class into two groups where one works with you, and one is divided into your learning centres on the other side of the room.

Wondering how long kids should be at a particular station before they switch?

Keep a time limit of about 15-20 minutes for each group. Make sure you have an established rotation method in place so that everyone switches simultaneously; this could be using an indoor doorbell, tap lights or a classroom timer. Click below to use Teach Starter’s 10-Minute Classroom Activity Timer, or use our 20-Minute Activity Timer . Depending on your rotation limit, you can have the timer run the entire duration of the learning centre, or you can use a 5-Minute Timer for the last five minutes of the session.

General Learning Centre Ideas

Now for activity ideas! Keep reading for recommendations you can implement in your own classroom learning centres:

Maths Centre

• Rainbow Number Bonds — Students add together the two numbers in the cloud to determine the answer that belongs inside the rainbow.
• Digital Maths — Students can practise maths via laptop, tablet or other digital device. Cleanup is easy!
• Maths Manipulatives — Get those hands moving with engaging maths manipulatives.
• Maths Craftivity — Combine mathematics with art using a craftivity . Students will solve various operations in order to complete the activity.
• Problem-Solving Cards — Students can practise both their reading and mathematic skills using problem-solving cards . You can reuse your cards repeatedly by laminating them and having your students write their answers on a separate sheet of paper.
• Role Play Area  — By setting up a role play set up, such as a fruit and veggie shop , students can practise exchanging money, addition and subtraction and communication and literacy.
• Open-Ended Questions  — Ask students open-ended questions, such as ‘How many ways can you make 20?’ to practise problem-solving and counting.

Reading Centre

• Classroom Library — Use your classroom’s library as a pre-made learning centre for the entire school year. This can function as a quiet reading corner where students can choose the books they interact with. If you haven’t already, you can pop bean bags or cushions in your classroom reading nook for students to get comfy.
• Audiobooks — Some students may absorb stories better by listening to them. Include a bin with headphones in your classroom library that pair with a listening device. If you have physical books that match the audio versions, that’s even better for students who like to follow along while listening!
• Alphabetical Order — Younger students will enjoy reviewing the order of the alphabet with connect the dot worksheets  they can colour afterward or using physical items such as magnetic alphabet letters on a sheet pan.
• Reading Games — If your reading centre has at least three to four students, you can have them work together by playing a fun reading game! Use our Out of the Book reading comprehension game or something classic such as Scrabble.

Writing Centre

• Fun Writing Prompts — Get those creative juices flowing with fun writing prompts made by you or using pre-written prompts .
• Handwriting Practise — If your students are learning cursive or need some extra handwriting help, this is a perfect activity to focus on at your writing centre. Add some lined whiteboards to your supplies list to save on printing dozens of sheets.
• Poetry — Working on a poetry unit ? Use your writing centre to solidify poetic practise such as writing haikus or acrostic poems or using figurative language.
• Games — Games such as Mad Libs can be fun and engaging writing centre activities. Another favourite is having one student write the first sentence of a story and pass it to the next person. They will add to the story using one sentence before folding down the first sentence. The story will continue as the paper is passed around in a circle until the end of rotation!

Science Centre

• Microscope Magic — If your classroom has a microscope, have your students observe and draw the objects they see up close. You can use a bin of natural items (sticks, leaves, grass and other items from outside) or even everyday items such as the tip of a pencil or a pen cap.
• Solar System Craft — Use recycled shoeboxes to create a galaxy with planets made of styrofoam balls or create a paper mobile .
• Animal Life Cycles — If you’ve been learning about animal life cycles, such as a butterfly or frog, have your students complete a life cycle flipbook or diagram to reinforce understanding.
• Natural vs. Constructed — Print these worksheets and have your students decide which pictures display objects that are constructed versus natural. You could extend this exercise using objects in your learning centre’s box (e.g. leaves, bottle caps, bark, erasers, etc.).
• Dissect a Flower — Collect flowers from outside and encourage students to carefully pull them apart and identify each segment. You can use this Parts of a Plant worksheet to go with it.

Art and Drama Centre

• Drama Games  — Use drama games and task cards for students to practise different elements of drama with each other, such as role and character.
• Readers’ Theatre  — Print out scripts and encourage students to pick their roles and play different parts to hone comprehension and communication skills.
• Mindfulness Corner  — Create a rotation area with visual arts activities such as origami and colouring sheets for students to have a creative break and practise mindfulness.

All Centres

• Interactive Classroom Bulletin Boards  — Double dip on creating an interactive classroom display with a learning centre activity! Students will fill out their written prompts or drawings and you’ll have all the items you need to create a new display.
• Meet With the Teacher — Smaller groups of students are often easier to interact with, which is why a teacher-specific centre can serve as a time to go over a recent lesson, read aloud to your students, have the students read aloud, discuss a mentor text in further detail … just about anything you need to reinforce or work on.
• Missed Work — If students have been absent or late, why not have them rotate into a missed work centre?
• Take breaks  — Remember to take breaks or pauses between rotations with activities such as stretching or yoga exercises , a free-time session or a joke read-aloud to get kids reinvigorated for the next cycle.

Check out our ready-to-use and printable  Primary Teaching Resources for worksheets, games and other activities that can be implemented into your learning centres.

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How to Set Up 8 Quick Activity Centers in the Classroom

Identify your learning objective.  Take eight sheets of paper and some masking tape that is kind to walls.  Write on each piece of paper a simple group activity that would take 2-3 minutes to complete.  Tie each activity to a different intelligence using Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (and include a symbol of each intelligence on the paper so that it’s visible from a distance). Then post the pieces of paper on the walls around the perimeter of the classroom.

Before you begin the activity, create 2 by 2 inch squares of poster board that have the symbols of the different intelligences (if 32 kids, then 4 squares for each intelligence).  Distribute the squares randomly to the entire class. At the sound of a bell or other cuing device, the students should get up from their seats and use their squares to determine which activity center to start with (e.g. if a student has a ”word smart” square, he’d begin by going to the area of the classroom that has the ”word smart” symbol and activity).

Give students an extra 2-3 minutes to form their group, and then have them begin to do the activity described on each paper affixed to the wall.  After 3-4 minutes, sound the bell (or other cuing device), and give students time to go to the next ”station” (moving clockwise), and so on until all eight cohorts have completed each of the eight activities.

Here’s an example using vocabulary words. Note that students should be working as a group for each activity.

• Word Smart Station :  ”use the word in a sentence’
• Logic Smart Station :  ”look up its etymology” (have a dictionary at hand for doing this)
• Picture Smart Station :  ”draw a picture of the word” (have a chalkboard or paper and markers nearby)
• Music Smart Station :  ”create a chant for the word and definition, and practice rhythmically chanting it”
• Body Smart Station : ”express the meaning of the word using pantomime”
• People Smart Station:   ”have a conversation in the course of which the group uses the word several times”
• Self Smart Station :  ”share a personal story that includes the word”
• Nature Smart Station :  ”establish an association of the word with something found in nature”

Depending on time limitations, you can have students work on one or more vocabulary words  (perhaps stressing those that are more difficult and that students need extra practice with).  Note that each activity center serves to reinforce the vocabulary word and its meaning in a different area of the brain, thus creating memory associations that will make remembering the words virtually effortless.

You can also use this activity center strategy for other instructional goals, including spelling words, reading passages, historical events, science concepts, math formulas, current events, and grammatical rules. This strategy gets students out of their seats and moving around, and is particularly well suited to kids who learn best through physical activity.  Moreover, it is easy to set up and take down for each new class.  Feel free to adapt this method to your own teaching style.  Chances are you’ll be hearing from your students:  ”Can we do the eight activity centers again!”

This page was brought to you by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. and www.institute4learning.com

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Four Keys to Effective Classroom Learning Centers

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I’m pleased to publish this guest post by my colleague Alison Stumacher, who served 10 years as an elementary educator in and around Philadelphia, and now supports schools as a consultant specializing in instructional coaching. You can contact her at [email protected] .

The chime signifying the start of centers was a highlight for me in my third grade classroom. As the sound faded, students dispersed to the guided reading table, computer bank, tables at the front of the room, and the rug. Our center routines had become sacred after rehearsing them for weeks until students knew where to go, how to get there, what to do when they arrived, and who they would be working with.

But centers did not always look this way in my classroom.

As a new teacher, I had a vague notion that I should use learning centers in my classroom. I had heard the term “centers” often and knew other teachers were using them. But I didn’t know what qualified as a center or how often I was supposed to implement them.

I also didn’t know what students were supposed to get out of centers. Practice and review old skills? Learn new skills? Blow off steam and learn through play? If nothing else, I saw centers as a chance to divide my class into small groups, which I believed would be easier to manage. But each week, I scrambled to put together centers activities (usually involving lots of paper), spent lots of time redirecting students, and was unsure what, if anything, students were learning from the experience.

Lacking clarity and purpose, I believed I was “doing centers” as long as students were in small groups or working on different tasks. I used worksheets that weren’t engaging or differentiated. I failed to assess the effectiveness of centers and hold students accountable for the work. I grouped students by convenience (e.g., by table) rather than with intention. I neglected to teach students procedures related to centers including how to get there, what materials to use and how to use them, and what students should do if they need help. And I tried to reinvent the wheel each week, by constantly preparing new centers materials.

Eventually, though--after reflecting critically on my classroom practices, asking colleagues for advice, and attending workshops--I transformed my centers from chaos to order, and from busywork to meaningful learning tasks. Here are four keys to effective learning centers that allowed me to make this transformation:

• Create, communicate, and practice procedures. Centers involve a complex choreography of diverse students, areas, and materials. Teachers must create comprehensive procedures, communicate them to students, and allow adequate time to practice them until they become routine.
• Group with intention: Centers allow students to work in different configurations including independently, in groups they choose based on interest, and in mixed ability or leveled groups. In all cases, grouping decisions must be intentional, based on the nature and purpose of each activity.
• Provide meaningful tasks: Centers tasks in any content area should be interesting, challenging, and when possible, provide students a chance to practice skills in authentic ways--meaning that activities help students connect their learning to the real world or develop real-life habits of mind. For example, having students navigate the classroom library to choose books and read independently, write for a variety of purposes (letters, blogs, scripts, ads, or news articles), or play math games that help develop mental math strategies.
• Assess the impact. Whether by observing students as they’re working, collecting student work to review, or engaging students in reflections on their learning, teachers must monitor student progress. It’s important to know when students need support or scaffolding and when they need to be challenged further.

With these measures in place, I no longer wondered what students were supposed to get out of centers. I could see for myself every time I rang the chime. And now, as an instructional coach, I continue to see the benefits of centers. When implemented well, centers enable students to interact in a relaxed setting, and empower them to navigate the learning environment on their own and in diverse groups. Well-chosen centers activities accommodate different learning styles, and allow students to self-direct as they apply skills and strategies in fun, engaging ways. And finally, centers allow teachers to address the distinct needs of small groups of students.

Image by liquoricelegs, provided by Dreamstime license

The opinions expressed in Coach G’s Teaching Tips are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher

Teachers encourage student-centered learning by allowing students to share in decisions, believing in their capacity to lead, and remembering how it feels to learn.

Have you ever attended a conference session and seen groups of teachers leave in the middle? It's painful to watch, yet completely understandable. Often, they leave because the session was not what they expected. Let's be honest: when teachers and/or administrators attend learning experiences, what is the one non-negotiable expectation -- without which the session is deemed a failure?

Answer: Leaving with skills and strategies that can be used immediately to impact instruction and work-related responsibilities.

Achieving this goal means understanding what the participants value, and engaging them in those areas. Effective professional development caters to what teachers think will help them become more effective. This also applies to their students. The learners may not be allowed to leave the classroom when the instruction doesn't involve them, but there are many other ways that they check out.

Student-centered classrooms include students in planning, implementation, and assessments. Involving the learners in these decisions will place more work on them, which can be a good thing. Teachers must become comfortable with changing their leadership style from directive to consultative -- from "Do as I say" to "Based on your needs, let's co-develop and implement a plan of action."

This first of my three posts on student-centered classrooms starts with the educator. As the authority, teachers decide if they will "share" power by empowering learners.

Allow Students to Share in Decision Making

Placing students at the center of their own learning requires their collaboration. They need a voice in why , what , and how learning experiences take shape.

Why is about relevance. Learners need to understand the value of the subject, vocabulary, and skills before they are willing to invest effort. The answers "It's required curriculum," "You need it for the test," or "Because I say it's important" are intended to save time, but they only result in students giving lip service to the rest of instruction. Showing relevance from students' perspective is similar to teachers experiencing professional development that is job-embedded.

What is learned involves students choosing the focus of content. Let their interests drive the content that teaches skills and concepts. For example, when learning how to write persuasively, some students may want to deconstruct commercials, product reviews, op-eds, and/or social issue points of view. The best strategy is simply asking what students want to explore. Start with a brainstorm of what they like to do, and dialog together to match their interests with the skills and concepts.

How learning will be demonstrated depends on the different ways that students processes understanding. Offer a variety of product options based on what you know about your students. A safe approach is to offer three options. The teacher designs two options based on what most students may like to do. The third choice is a blank check -- students propose their own product or performance. If a proposal meets the academic requirements, perhaps with some negotiation, the student gets a green light. Some examples include using Minecraft to design models and prototypes, presenting through social media tools, or writing in a professional medium.

Believe in Students' Capacity to Lead

Give students the chance to take charge of activities, even when they may not quite have all the content skills. Students are accomplished education consumers. The child in third grade knows three years of teaching and learning, and the high school sophomore has experienced ten years.

While content increases in complexity, the school environment does not change dramatically. Students experience math, science, English, and history, plus other subjects, and interact with education experts (teachers). Veteran students, like experienced teachers, know what types of learning experiences work best for themselves.

Reduce teacher direct instruction by increasing student-led learning activities. Some approaches include:

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Recognize that students are reflections of us as learners.

When educators feel that their professional experiences are respected during workshops and courses, their buy-in and involvement increases. Confidence rises as they understand how their existing expertise fits into the new concepts being taught.

Children and teens have the same need for curriculum to be presented in a context that's meaningful to them. They need to understand how their existing talents fit and how they can confidently apply the skills in a meaningful way to their lives outside of school. Show real-world relationships where possible in lessons. For a deeper experience, have students apply the skills in ways that support or enhance their current "real world." This can be approached in individual lessons or as a unit. For example, Loudoun County (Virginia) teachers, led by Dr. Eric Williams, launched One to World , which provides student-centered learning experiences.

Give Up Need for Control

My fifth-grade son shared these words of wisdom regarding school vs. home activities: "Why do they (teachers) keep talking about the real world out there? This is my real world."

Children and teens produce volumes of content through social media, such as YouTube, podcasts, Minecraft, and Twitch. Some earn money in the process. For their passions, these youths generate a following and join others as they establish and extend social networks. When these same content authors and entrepreneurs enter schools, all that they know and can produce is set aside. Yet when they leave school, they collect skills left outside and reconnect with their real-world networks.

Students bring much to the table that would engage and deepen their learning journey. My next two posts will delve into empowering learners in a student-centered classroom. The difficult challenge -- and first step -- is teacher commitment to reflect on practices that support students taking the lead.

Embrace the possibilities.

25 Student-Centered Learning Examples

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

The term student-centered learning refers to a wide range of instructional approaches that shift the focus of instruction from being teacher-directed, to being student-focused. It attempts to address individual learner needs, interests, cultural backgrounds and learning styles.

Examples of student-centered learning include allowing experiential learning, inquiry-based learning, experimental design , and play in the classroom .

Rather than the teacher being primarily responsible for learning outcomes, student-centered learning tries to instill a sense of autonomy and responsibility for learning in the students themselves.

There is a great deal of variety in how teachers conceptualize and implement student-centered learning. However, the primary objective is for students to become more active in how instruction takes place, rather than being passive recipients of the teacher’s instructional plan.

Scholarly definitions of student-centered learning include:

• “The concept of student-centered learning is to bring the classroom and students to life. The teacher is considered a “guide on the side”, assisting and guiding students to meet the goals that have been made by the students and the teacher” (Overby, 2011, p. 1)
• “Student-centered instruction [SCI] is an instructional approach in which students influence the content, activities, materials, and pace of learning. This learning model places the student (learner) in the center of the learning process. The instructor provides students with opportunities to learn independently and from one another and coaches them in the skills they need to do so effectively.” (Collins & O’Brien, 2003)

Student-Centered Learning Examples

1. classroom debate competition.

In a class brainstorming session , students generate a list of topics they would like to debate. One student writes the suggestions on the board and then guides the formation of pro and con debate teams.

Students choose which topics they want to debate and if they want to be on the pro or con side of the argument.

The students determine how long they need to prepare and also set the basic rules for the competition. Some students may choose to serve on the panel of judges and decide on which team wins their debate.

The students then begin working on their strategy and gathering the relevant material. They may work in small teams or pairs, it’s up to them.

The day of the competition, the student moderator coordinates the debate process and the student panel of judges listen to each team and makes a final determination as to which teams won.

2. Experiential Learning Activities

Experiential learning is learning by doing. Instead of passively receiving information from a teacher describing how to do something, the students take an active role and engage the activity.

David Kolb (1984) has been one of the most prominent advocates of experiential learning theory (ELT), in which:

“learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.”

According to Kolb, experiential learning includes reflective observation , abstract conceptualization .

He continues by emphasizing that ELT is a

“…process of adaptation and learning as opposed to content and outcomes…being continuously created and recreated, not an independent entity to be acquired or transmitted” (p. 38)., and active experimentation.

Students think about their performance in a learning activity and identify their strengths and weaknesses. This well produce a new conceptualization of their existing understanding and facilitate the development of a new mindset. Those new conceptualizations are then put into practice that will either confirm or reject that new understanding and leads to the whole process being repeated.

3. Inquiry-Based Learning Experience

Lee et al. (2004) define inquiry-based learning as an “array of classroom practices that promote student learning through guided and, increasingly, independent investigation of complex questions and problems, often for which there is no single answer” (p. 9).

For example, in a traditional anthropology course, the professor may display a set of artifacts and then proceed to inform students about their cultural relevance and practical purposes.

Students diligently take notes that will be committed to rote memory and then retransmitted on an exam. Learning is passive and often fleeting.

In an inquiry-based lesson, however, the lesson is reversed. The professor displays the artifacts and says very little.  

The students are then tasked with finding out as much about the artifacts as possible. They examine the items and conduct their own research. Later, the students present to the professor and their classmates what they have learned about the culture in which the items belong and other pertinent information they have attained.  

Inquiry-based learning is far more engaging to students than a lecture format. There is a much deeper level of information processing which leads to longer retention.  

4. Reggio Emilia Educational Philosophy

Reggio Emilia is an educational philosophy that is implemented in preschools and primary schools. It is student-centered in that learning is self-guided and based on the individual characteristics and innate interests of the students.  

The core element of this approach is that children have unique biological predispositions that drive their curiosity and natural abilities. Rather than making students all conform to the pedagogical approach of the teacher, the roles are reversed. The students drive their learning experiences.

Allowing children to explore their interests allows them to develop more naturally and as whole human beings. Children are seen as born scientists where they create hypotheses and conduct experiments to discover fundamental principles and relationships between factors in the environment.

Teachers document the students’ progress through pictures and videos that are later displayed to help crystalize the learning experience. 

5. Science-based Solutions to Environmental Problems

Student-centered learning is a very encompassing term that covers a wide range of instructional activities.

For example, students in introductory environmental science courses at Indiana University and Purdue University engage a program that benefits the environment of a nearby community.

The work can involve restoring wetlands and floodplain ecosystems, native plant installation, or decreasing plant species eradication. The students form their own groups, take on different roles, and allocate tasks based on individual abilities and goals.

It also gives students an opportunity to coordinate with local community members, which build several practical skills such as communication and teamwork. As the webpage about this program states, it “… provides the students with an opportunity to directly experience many of the topics discussed in their courses as well as to observe how communities can work together to solve environmental problems.”

6. Problem-Based Learning In Medical School

Problem-based learning (PBL) in medical school is a student-centered learning approach in which the teacher plays a very minimal role.

In fact, they are usually referred to as tutors and they simply offer advice and guidance to students only when necessary.

First, the students are presented with a clinical problem for a real patient case. The tutor does not reveal the diagnosis or recommended treatment regimen. Instead, students discuss the facts of the case, identifying what further information is required, and where gaps exist in their knowledge base.

They then develop a path of study with clear objectives . Because the matter is quite complex, each student is allocated a learning task that will be shared with the group at the next meeting.

The tutor is present at the meetings and may offer advice or make suggestions. The students are responsible for nearly every aspect of the project.

7. Service-Oriented Learning Experience

Service-oriented learning refers to applying academic concepts to practical matters that address the needs of society. Service learning contains elements of student-centered learning, as well as being experiential, collaborative, and project-based.

The Growing Voters framework by Tufts University is just one example of how students can take the initiative and work independently to encourage the next generation of voters to participate in democracy.

The report offers suggestions for how educators and community leaders can “…close voting gaps, expand the electorate, and support a more equitable and representative American democracy” .

Service learning puts the responsibility for action squarely on the shoulders of the students. They are responsible for handling the implementation of initiative and learn many valuable practical

However, service-learning is not just about volunteering: “…service-learning applies equal focus to both learning and the service goals. It requires an academic context and is designed so that that the service and learning goals are mutually reinforcing” (Starting Point, n.d.).

8. Performance-Based Learning Experience

Performance-based learning is all about developing practical skills related to the subject under study. By working through a real-world scenario, students demonstrate their ability to complete various tasks and engage in complex problem-solving.

For example, in the above video, math teachers designed a performance-based project called Mission Relief . The mission is for students to role-play the emergency landing of an airplane. By solving various mathematical problems regarding aeronautics, the students are able to eventually guide the plane to safety

It involves a lot of math, which most students find tedious and sometimes intimidating.

But, as you can see in the video, the students are quite engaged.

Performance-based learning places the students front and center of the learning experience.

They process information more deeply and discover the subtle nuances of a subject that can only be appreciated through experience. This helps them see the connection between abstract academic concepts and the real world.

9. Provoking Deep Learning  

Student-centered learning can be practiced at any grade level. The above video shows how teachers at a primary school in Australia have designed learning “provocations” that inspire children to explore their interests in specially designed learning spaces.

First, learning tasks are written on cards and placed on a large board. Students then select the one that most interests them.  Each learning task card also has a designated space in the classroom where the task is performed. Those spaces contain a variety of materials that will be useful for completing that task.

When finished, the students write about their learning experience, document what they did, and reflect upon what they learned in a Learning Journey book.

The teacher and student then use the Learning Journey book to discuss the student’s experience, identify key concepts, and what might be done differently if there were another go.

In addition to students learning about a new subject, they also learn to see themselves as capable and successful learners. This improves their self-esteem , builds confidence, and drives home the point that ultimately, they are responsible for their learning outcomes.

10. Biology Lab and Frog Dissection

Everyone remembers dissecting a frog in high school biology class. Even though it’s not every student’s favorite memory of school, it does provide students with an enhanced learning experience.

Sure, textbook illustrations can also show students how the systems of the body are interconnected, but seeing them first-hand is far superior. The whole experience is much more immersive. Plus, students also learn how to cope with unpleasant emotions and anxiety.

Instead of using real frogs, many schools use synthetic replicas . They’re remarkably similar to the real thing, complete with internal organs and fake tissue.

As biology teacher Susan Offner believes , “The learning that occurs in a dissection is qualitatively different from the learning that occurs in a lecture or paper-and-pencil setting.”

Other Examples

• Project-based learning
• Self-directed learning
• Peer-led learning
• The Montessori model
• Journaling and reflection
• Role-playing exercises
• Student-led conferences
• Open-ended questioning
• Collaborative learning (see some examples )
• Student presentations
• Student portfolios
• Play-based learning
• Hypothesis testing
• Democratic classroom model
• Use of Assistive Technologies for students in need

Strengths of Student-Centered Learning

1. increases engagement.

When student-centered learning allows students to take control of the learning process, they become more immersed in the learning experience.

By allowing students to choose the subject of study, determine the learning objectives , the path of study, and even the assessment procedures, students become more involved and motivated.

2. Develops Practical Skills

Instead of memorizing definitions for a paper-and-pencil test, student-centered learning helps develop practical skills.

It’s one thing to be able to solve a mathematical equation on an exam, but it is quite another to be able to solve a mathematical equation in a simulation that could help an airliner full of passengers land safely.

In several of the examples described above, the learning experience requires students to solve real-world problems, whether that be restoring an ecosystem or increasing voter turnout. 

3. Acknowledges Learning Styles

Many of the activities that are fit in the category of student-centered allow students to determine what they study, how they study, and how they are assessed. This is just the opposite of traditional instructional approaches that try to fit all students into one form of learning.

While some students are very verbal and will do well on a written exam, other students are more visual and can demonstrate the same level of understanding by creating graphic or video portrayal of academic concepts.

4. Encourages Teamwork and Collaboration

Student-centered learning often involves working with others. Students work in pairs or in small groups to perform a task or create a project. Since the project might be quite complicated, it will require several people to complete.

This complexity gives students an opportunity to decide who does what collectively. Since there may be disagreements, students learn how to negotiate conflicts and work well with others. Teamwork is one of the most valuable skills a student can possess and it will be a skill they can rely on in the future.

Weaknesses of Student-Centered Learning

1. independent students.

Even though learning how to work well with others is an incredibly valuable skill, some personalities function better working independently. By pushing students into group projects that make them feel uncomfortable, it could be argued that we are not respecting them as individuals.

Sure, we respect individualism by allowing students to choose what they study and even how they are assessed, but we still require that they work on a team. This can make some students feel incredibly anxious and uncomfortable.

2. Teacher Preparation

Teachers have very demanding jobs. They often remark that they have no social life from September to July because of the requirements of the job. Unfortunately, a lot of student-centered learning involves a great deal of preparation.

Teachers have to prepare materials, identify resources, sometimes even create props that students will need when engaged in the activity. That is all very time-consuming, not to mention the amount of time teachers need to spend simply thinking about what to do. They often need to have several meetings with other teachers just to do think through the process thoroughly.

3. Classroom Management

A classroom of 25 students, all talking and discussing issues at the same time can get a bit noisy. Students may need to get up from their seats, gather materials, or use resources that are located in different areas of the classroom. That can seem chaotic and out of control.

This presents a challenge for teachers. On the one hand, students need to be able to discuss matters with each other and be free to access what they need. On the other hand, sometimes too much noise and activity can be very distracting and make it difficult for students to work together.

4. Student Preparedness

For a vast majority of student profiles, student-centered learning has a great many benefits. However, some students may not be ready to accept so much responsibility. Some students need more guidance and instruction from an authority figure.

Not only does it help them feel at ease in learning, but they simply have not matured enough to handle the demands of a project. It can seem daunting and make some students feel overwhelmed.

Student-centered learning is a broad term that encompasses many types of learning experiences . From the notion of letting students choose what they study and how they are assessed, to the implementation of complex problem-based learning projects, student-centered learning is varied and wide-ranging.

Although on the surface, it would appear that student-centered learning offers substantial benefits to students, there are some disadvantages as well. Some students can feel overwhelmed by the lack of direction, some may experience anxiety when pressed to work with others, while at the same time, the amount of work involved for teachers can be exhausting.

Ideally, teachers strive to strike a balance between the need for students to develop into autonomous learners and develop practical skills, and the many other factors that can make it a challenging endeavor.

Jones, L. (2007). The Student-Centered Classroom . Cambridge University Press.

Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lee, V. S., Greene, D. B., Odom, J., Schechter, E., & Slatta, R. W. (2004). What is inquiry guided learning? In V. S. Lee (Ed.), Teaching and learning through inquiry: A guidebook for institutions and instructors (pp. 3-15). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Wright, G. B. (2011). Student-centered learning in higher education. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 23(3), 93–94.

Overby, K. (2011). Student-centered learning.  Essai ,  9 (1), 32.

Collins, J. W., 3rd, & O’Brien, N. P. (Eds.). (2003). Greenwood Dictionary of Education. Westport, CT: Greenwood.

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1 thought on “25 Student-Centered Learning Examples”

I learned many things from this article. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and expertise. This can truly guide a teacher like me with less training and mentoring. Thank you so much and more power.

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Setting Up Learning Centers for Your ECE Classroom

As teachers and caregivers, it’s important to create a space that is safe, comfortable, and conducive to learning for our young students. In this podcast, we will delve into the key components of setting up a classroom and creating learning centers that will engage and inspire young learners. From reading areas to science centers and everything in between, we will provide tips and ideas to help you create a classroom that is both functional and fun for your students. So, whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a new teacher just starting out, keep listening on to learn how to create the perfect classroom environment for your young students.

Keeping young preschoolers engaged in learning for prolonged periods of time can be a challenge. Without enough opportunities for exploration, boredom can quickly set in and lead to negative behaviors. To combat this, it is important to proactively create a classroom environment that provides hands-on learning experiences and keeps their minds and hands busy. Setting up designated areas for different activities, such as a reading corner, a writing area, and play and science centers, can help to keep students engaged and motivated in their learning journey. This will foster an environment that sets your students up for success and makes learning an enjoyable experience for all.

Creating a classroom environment that is safe, comfortable, and conducive to learning is crucial for early childhood education. The classroom should be well-organized and have designated areas for different activities such as reading, writing, and play. In this blog post, we will discuss how to set up a classroom and create learning centers that will engage and inspire young learners.

First, let’s talk about classroom set up. In an ECE classroom, it’s important to create a space that is welcoming and inviting for children. One way to do this is by setting up a cozy reading area. This could be a corner of the room with comfortable seating and a variety of age-appropriate books. Make sure the area is well-lit and inviting so that children will want to spend time there.

Another important area to set up is a writing area. Provide a small table and chairs for children to sit and write. Having a variety of writing materials available, such as pencils, crayons, and markers, will encourage children to explore and express themselves through writing.

In addition to a reading and writing area, it’s also important to have a designated play area. This could be a dramatic play area, a building block area, or a sensory table. Make sure the area is well-stocked with age-appropriate materials that will engage and inspire children to play and explore.

A science area is also a great addition to an ECE classroom. Set up a small science corner with materials for children to explore and experiment. This could include magnifying glasses, binoculars, and simple science kits.

Finally, an art area is a must-have for any ECE classroom. Provide a space for children to create and express themselves through art. This could include a table with paints, markers, and other art supplies.

In addition to these designated areas, learning centers are also an important part of an ECE classroom. These centers are designated areas of the classroom where children can engage in self-directed, hands-on activities.

One example of a learning center is an alphabet center. This could include letter manipulatives, letter matching games, and alphabet books. This center will provide children with the opportunity to learn the letters of the alphabet in a fun and interactive way.

Another example of a learning center is a number center. This could include number manipulatives, counting games, and number books. This center will provide children with the opportunity to learn numbers and counting in a hands-on way.

A science center is also a great addition to an ECE classroom. This center could include a microscope, magnifying glasses, and simple science kits. This center will provide children with the opportunity to explore and learn about the world around them.

A dramatic play center is also a must-have for an ECE classroom. This center could include a kitchen, a doctor’s office, or a grocery store. This center will provide children with the opportunity to engage in imaginative play and practice social skills.

Finally, a block center is a great addition to an ECE classroom. This center could include wooden blocks, foam blocks, and cardboard blocks. This center will provide children with the opportunity to build and create with blocks.

Ms. Sue was struggling to keep her young students engaged in class. Despite her best efforts, her students seemed bored and uninterested in learning. One day, she tried setting up designated areas for different activities and creating learning centers in her classroom. Ms. Sue was hesitant at first but decided to give it a try. She set up a cozy reading corner, a writing area, a play area, a science area, and an art area. She also created learning centers such as an alphabet center, a number center, a science center, a dramatic play center, and a block center.

To her surprise, her students were immediately engaged and excited about learning. They loved exploring and discovering the various areas and centers. They were excited to read books in the cozy reading corner and to express themselves through writing and art. They also loved the hands-on activities in the science and math centers. Ms. Sue was amazed at the difference it made in her classroom. Her students were more engaged and more excited about learning. 

Creating a classroom environment that is safe, comfortable, and conducive to learning is crucial for early childhood education. By setting up designated areas for different activities such as reading, writing, and play, and providing learning centers, you are giving children the opportunity to explore and discover in a safe and nurturing environment. This will lead to a more engaged and inspired group of young learners.

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Creating Your Own Classroom Learning Center

Learning centers are designed as specific areas in a classroom that offer activities meant to engage, extend, enhance and/or differentiate students’ learning. Learning center activities are intended to serve as a reinforcement of skills or concepts, and provide problem-solving tasks while developing critical thinking, independence, and cooperative work skills. The best part is that learning centers can be used for all subjects.

Why Use Learning Centers?

When students’ learning activities are aligned to individual ability levels and allow for options and choices, they are highly motivated to participate. Giving students choices about their learning activities not only contributes to motivation, but also increases positive behaviors and attention span. Learning centers also provide students with the opportunity to use their multiple intelligences. Students sense that teachers who use learning centers care about them as individuals and want to make learning fun.

What Do Learning Centers Look Like?

The design of learning centers should consider the following:

• What are my instructional purposes?
• What concepts, skills and/or themes do I want to support?
• How will centers fit into my classroom space, routines, and schedule?
• What student interactions will I expect?
• What activities will provide for the use of multiple intelligences?
• How will I organize accountability for the activities?

When Are Learning Centers Used?

Learning centers are often used during small group instruction to provide a meaningful and engaging way for students to work independently. They can also serve as anchor activities instead of bell work or end-of-the-day activities.

Learning centers can also be embedded into almost any instructional framework to include scripted syllabus, workshop approach, inquiry-based, blocked instruction, constructivist approaches, or the 5E model.

How Are Learning Centers Managed for Effectiveness?

Managing successful learning centers requires planning as many decisions need to be made, including:

• How will the schedule accommodate centers?
• How long will students be in centers?
• How many students will be in each center at one time?
• How will students know which center to go to and when?
• How will students understand the expectations for each center?
• How will students needing assistance be accommodated?
• What methods will students use to record their answers or results?
• What will students do with their completed materials?

A scaffolded approach to introducing learning centers is central to its success. Each time a new center is introduced, expectations should be clearly presented. Teachers should model these expectations and review them over the first few days. A key component is to provide feedback to students after the first few days of a new center. Video recordings of students in the center, role playing by the teacher and a few students, or photographs are effective ways to demonstrate what is going well and what needs improvement.

For over thirty years, Lynn A. Gatto has effectively used learning centers in her elementary classroom. As a teacher her effective instructional strategies were honored with the New York State Teacher of the Year Award, the Presidential of Excellence in Mathematics and Science Award, and as an American Disney Teacher Honoree. Now retired from teaching, Lynn is an assistant professor at the Warner School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester as Director of Elementary Education, where she contributes to preparing the next generation of elementary teachers.

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How to plan effective, engaging and appropriate centers for your ece classroom.

When I was in college, I heard all about centers and how fun they were. I observed in classrooms where centers were placed throughout the environment. Until I got my own classroom, I never really understood the effect that centers had on a classroom setting. I didn’t truly understand how centers help children learn skills that I couldn’t teach them. This article will explain how to effectively plan and implement engaging and developmentally appropriate centers in the early childhood classroom.

1) Planning  is the key to building a successful center area. Make a list of centers that you want to include in your classroom. Decide how large of an area you will need and where in the classroom the center area will be placed.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Is the center developmentally appropriate for the age level of the child I am working with?
• Why do I want this center in my classroom?
• How will children learn in this area?
• What will children learn in this area?
• Will I want to change this center throughout the year?
• Where will I find the funds to buy materials for each center?
• Why am I putting this center here? Should it be located somewhere else? (sometimes, this is trial and error, loud centers vs. quiet centers, messy centers located near a sink, etc.)
• What will your rules and expectations be? (structured/unstructured/free-choice/clean up)

2)   Organization:  you will need to begin collecting/buying materials that each center will have in it. Remember, you may change centers, so you will need to have storage for materials that are not being used. (Storage examples: boxes, plastic tubs, shelves, closets, baskets). Ensure that you always have an abundance of materials in each center so children do not run out. You want children to be able to run the center on their own without needing your assistance.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are the materials developmentally appropriate for the age of the child I am working with?
• Will children understand how to use the materials in the center area? Remember, children, will be working alone, usually, or in small groups.
• Are the materials in the center stored where children can reach them?
• Is it easy for children to clean up the materials in the area?
• How many children will be in this center area at one time? Make sure you have it labeled appropriately with the number, number word, or cutouts of children/stars/hearts (whatever you want to symbolize the number) to show how many students can be in the center at once. 
• Will I have enough materials for this amount of students at one time?
• Can students move from one center to another? Or do they have to stay and play in the same center?
• What will be the procedure for transitioning to a new center if they want to leave the center they are currently in? (will they need to clean up what they are playing with? Clean up their area?).

3) Introduction:  this happens after your centers are all set up and ready for children to engage in them. Introduce two centers at a time in the beginning. Continue to add two or so when you see children understanding what and how to learn and interact at each center.

In your introduction:

• Tell the title of the center and how many children are allowed in the center at once. (show them the symbol or number that represents the number of students allowed to play)
• Go through the rules and expectations (free-choice/structured/non-structured/clean up etc.)
• Show them how to interact with the materials, and show them what the center is about. Keep in mind what you want the students to learn or get out of the center you are introducing.
• Teach the procedure of transition: Play your Clean up song-this should be the same song every day and played when you want them to begin cleaning up their center. 

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE: it may feel strange allowing children to play in a center and then practice cleaning up. But, if you do this in the beginning, your center time will run more smoothly. Then after the first week or so, you will be practicing with several centers until you have them all introduced and incorporated into your daily center time.

Next, after you have introduced the center and how to clean up, teach the transition to the next activity, such as sitting on the carpet crisscross apple sauce, until all of our friends have joined us for reading time.

Some of the important things to think about are:

• Free-Choice/Structured/Un-structured/Teacher Choice
• What curriculum does each center cover?
• What skills are they working on?
• How will you defend your center areas to an administrator or parent that says you are only having children play all day?

Some centers that allow you to teach numerous concepts and allow children to learn through play, role-modeling, and trial and error are:

• Housekeeping
• Gross Motor
• Sand and Water Table/beans, packing materials, dirt, worms
• Miscellaneous

While children are at centers, teachers have several choices. They can monitor the centers, scaffold, question, watch, listen, and assess. Or, you can have small groups of children or one-on-one meetings, where you are working on specific skills and curriculum while assessing and documenting. You can even ask a parent volunteer or if you have a teacher’s aide to come in and have an art center happening where each child is making something special to hang up in the classroom. They can even work on art ideas that go with the curriculum you are teaching.

If you are just throwing around the idea of setting up centers, it is a lot of time and work, but it is totally worth your time and your child’s learning if you incorporate them correctly. Make sure you are planning, you are organized, and you have an idea of the goal you are reaching for. Good luck!

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Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and receive top education news, lesson ideas, teaching tips and more! No thanks, I don't need to stay current on what works in education! COPYRIGHT 1996-2016 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT 1996 - 2024 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. SchoolNotes.com The Educator's Network Organizing and Managing Classroom Centers Classroom Organization Reading Strategies Becoming A Teacher Assessments & Tests Secondary Education Special Education Homeschooling M.S., Education, Buffalo State College B.S., Education, Buffalo State College Classroom Learning centers are a great way for students to work together to accomplish a given task. They provide the opportunity for children to practice hands-on skills with or without social interaction depending upon the teacher's task. Here you will learn tips on how to organize and store center content, along with a few suggestions on how to manage classroom centers. Organize and Store Contents Every teacher knows that an organized classroom is a happy classroom. To ensure your learning centers are neat and tidy and ready for the next student, it is essential to keep learning center contents organized. Here are a variety of ways to organize and store classroom centers for easy access. Place tasks in small plastic bins and label with the word and picture. Place task in gallon size Ziploc bags, label, and place in, or clip to, an accompanying file folder. A great way to keep your Ziploc bag sturdy is to place a piece of cardboard (cut the front off of a cereal box) and place it in the bag. Then on the blank side of the cardboard print the topic of the learning center and the directions. Laminate for easy reuse. Place little components of the learning center into small size Ziploc baggies and label. Place center task in a shoebox labeled with the number that corresponds to the Common Core Standard . Take a coffee container and place the task inside the container. On the outside label with words and pictures. Place center contents in a manilla file folder and have instructions on the front. Laminate if needed. Place contents in color-coordinated baskets. Reading centers are in pink baskets, math centers are in blue, etc. Buy a colored drawer organizing rolling cart and place center task inside. Create a bulletin board, adhere library pockets to the board and place the learning center task inside. Post directions on the bulletin board. Lakeshore Learning has storage bins in a variety of sizes and colors that are great for learning centers. Manage Learning Centers Learning centers can be a lot of fun but they also can get quite chaotic. Here are a few suggestions on how to set up and manage them. First, you must plan the structure of the learning center, are students going to work alone or with a partner? Each learning center can be unique, so if you choose to give students the option to work alone or with a partner for the math center, you do not have to give them an option for the reading center. Next, you must prepare the contents of each learning center. Choose the way you plan on storing and keeping the center organized from the list above. Set up the classroom so that children are visible at all centers. Make sure you create centers around the perimeter of the classroom so children won't bump into one another or get distracted. Place centers that are alike near each other, and make sure if the center is going to use materials that are messy, that is it placed on a hard surface, not a carpet. Introduce how each center works, and model how they must complete each task. Discuss, and model the behavior that is expected of students at each center and hold students responsible for their actions. Use a bell, timer, or hand gesture when it is time to switching centers. Classroom Procedures and Routines How to Set up Your Classroom for the First Day of School How to Have a Safe, Fun, and Successful Field Trip Getting Your Lesson Plans Done More Quickly Classroom Jobs for Elementary Students How to Organize Your Classroom Files How to Create an Effective Classroom Library Dealing with Cleanliness in the Classroom Do's and Don'ts for Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences Elementary Classroom Bulletin Board Ideas Classroom Door Decorations for Teachers Organizational Tips for Messy Student Desks How to Promote Student Growth Last Day of School Activities Reasonable Expectations for Students 10 Ways to Make Learning Fun for Students Effective Teaching Strategies Learner-Centered Teaching: 10 Ideas for Getting Started May 1, 2019 Maryellen Weimer, PhD Looking to incorporate some learner-centered teaching principles into your courses but aren’t sure where to begin? Here are 10 activities for building student engagement and getting students more actively involved in their learning. Strategy One: Creating the Climate for Learning Use the same activity but with a different topic. For example, before the first discussion in a class, you might have students talk about the best and worst class discussions they’ve observed. Have them explain what the teacher did and what the students did. The activity can be used as an icebreaker for group work. Say you’ve put students together in work groups. Have them start to get to know each other by talking about the best and worst group experiences they’ve had and what they need to do individually and collectively to have this group function well. At the end of the best/worst course discussion, ask a student to take a picture of the board (constructive use of cell phone in class) and send it to you. Then you can send a copy to each student. Obviously, you can write down what students said and distribute a paper or electronic copy. Use the description of the best class as an early course feedback mechanism. During the second or third week of the course, have students rate the items they listed. For example, if they said, “The teacher respects students”; ask them to rate on a five-point scale how well that’s happening in class so far. You might rate them on some of the student characteristics. Strategy Two: Let the Students Summarize Give students a few minutes to review their notes, and then on the board or in a PowerPoint presentation share what you consider the three most important points. Have students check to see how many of these points they had in their notes. This is a good way to start involving students in summarizing activities. Don’t use this approach every day, or students will just wait for your list, and chances are that’s all that will end up in their notes. Use the summary to start the next period. Ask a verbally confident student to read and briefly explain the three summary points to another student who wasn’t in class Monday. (“Elyssa, could you summarize for Anthony what we identified as the three most important points from our last class.”) Give students two or three sample questions based on the day’s material and ask them to read (verbatim) what they have in their notes relevant to the question. This is a great strategy for showing students that often they don’t write down enough in their notes. Strategy Three: Lessons Learned from the First Exam Ask students to identify a study strategy they used that they think worked well and would recommend to other students. You could also do the opposite: Ask students to identify something they did or didn’t do that didn’t work well and that they don’t plan to use again and wouldn’t recommend to a fellow student. When returning an exam, have students look at how many times they changed answers and how often the strategy helped or hurt them. If students want another multiple-choice option to count, have them make the case by reading to you what they have in their notes or what appears in the text that supports that option. You can listen respectfully to their opinions, but you most want to hear is evidence. Recommended Resources DiClementi, J. D. and Handelsman, M. M. “Empowering Students: Class-Generated Rules.”  Teaching of Psychology,  2005, 32 (1), 18-21. – gives students a set of categories (late arrival, sleeping in class, use of cell phones) and lets them decide the rule and how rule violations will be managed Litz, R. A. “Red Light, Green Light and Other Ideas for Class Participation-Intensive Courses: Methods and Implications for Business Ethics Education.”  Teaching Business Ethics,  2003, 7 (4), 365-378. – lets students have some control over how they will participate in class Ludy, B. T. “Setting Course Goals: Privileges and Responsibilities in a World of Ideas.”  Teaching of Psychology,  2005, 32 (3), 146-149 – sees a possible role for students in setting course goals or in sharing goals with the instructor Adapted from a Magna Online Seminar by Maryellen Weimer. Stay Updated with Faculty Focus! Get exclusive access to programs, reports, podcast episodes, articles, and more! Opens in a new tab Welcome Back Username or Email Remember Me Already a subscriber? log in here. Skip to primary navigation Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Teaching Expertise Classroom Ideas Teacher’s Life Deals & Shopping Privacy Policy 21 Superb Student-Centered Activities  March 9, 2023 //  by  Keren Dinkin Student-centered learning activities are an excellent way to put your students at the center of the learning process. From encouraging active learning and differentiation to boosting student voice and collaborative learning, these learning strategies bring a new pedagogical approach to teaching, along with numerous benefits to the students! Here are 21 fun and innovative activities that will help you make your lessons more student-centered! 1. Designing a Playground Designing a playground is a fun activity for a project-based learning class. It involves some math and word problems, so consider having a veteran math teacher take charge. You can also introduce it as one of the student center activities that run simultaneously with your lesson plans. Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers 2. Virtual Classroom Breakout Rooms Virtual breakout rooms are a great solution to break the monotony of traditional lectures. You can conduct these online with large groups of students. Choose activities for each group that aren’t teacher dependent and require collaboration between the students. Learn More: Graduate Programs for Educators 3. Visual Thinking Routines Visual thinking helps develop your student’s critical thinking skills,  observation, analysis, and questioning. It’s a useful activity that special education teachers can also try in their classrooms. Learn More: The University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences 4. Creating a Sustainable City Content-expert teachers can introduce problem-based learning into their classrooms. It will encourage students to think critically about community and global-level sustainability issues as well as explore possible solutions. Learn More: PBS Learning Media 5. Building an Escape Room Escape rooms offer a fun and playful break from traditional classrooms while also allowing you to incorporate active learning. You can incorporate a variety of subject areas to create clues and puzzles. 6. Dissection Biology teachers can use lab dissection activities to help the students take on an active role in their science and anatomy lessons. Include a set of questionnaires along with each activity to help guide the students with their observations and inferences. Learn More: Carolina 7. Studying Plant Growth Factors Encourage student learning by letting them explore plant life cycles via observation. Depending on which lesson you’re incorporating the activity into, you can focus on survival, growth, or reproductive cycles only. Learn More: Wisconsin Fast Plants 8. Discuss Online Safety Change the model of content delivery by presenting some online safety facts. Then, let the students discuss and share their experiences along with sharing personal practices to ensure safety. You can later incorporate some teacher-centered instruction by giving the students tips on safe online practices. Learn More: AMAZE Org 9. Self-Directed Learning Sessions Design multiple stations to develop core skills and let individual students choose which subject they’d like to explore. Students can then recall and discuss their learning. This activity helps develop student choice and enables teachers to incorporate an active classroom strategy along with some effective teacher-centered approaches. Learn More: Edutopia 10. Reciprocal Teaching Reciprocal teaching is one of the best empowerment opportunities to build reading comprehension. It shakes up the classroom dynamics by letting students take on various roles of educators. Allow students to take the reigns of the activity and only provide helpful tips to support them when needed. Learn More: Prodigy 11. Round-Robin Discussions A round-robin discussion offers a low-prep, easy way for students to explore a topic in a shorter class period. It provides ample opportunities for every student to engage in class discussions. Make sure to set a time limit and keep the instructions simple. Learn More: Instructional Resources 12. Designing Experiments Assigning your class the task of designing an experiment promotes scientific thinking while allowing them to explore diverse subject matters;  ultimately encouraging content expertise! Not only do students learn what makes a faulty experiment, but they also become better at conducting sound experiments in the lab later on. Learn More: Thirteen Ed Online 13. Creating a Public Service Video Improve your student’s basic understanding of important social, economic, and political topics with this student-centered classroom activity. Let them watch different public service announcements (PSAs) and discuss the content and its format. Then, divide them into groups and guide them through a video-making and editing process. Learn More: Read Write Think 14. Speed Discussions Much like speed dating, these types of discussions are more effective than your 20-minute papers. You can try it when you have limited class time and want to engage everyone. Make sure you plan the rotating desks carefully during prep so that the activity progresses smoothly. Learn More: Creative Teacher’s Classroom 15. Nature Trail Nature trails are one of the best examples of student activities that you can incorporate into any grade level. To make it more student-centered, ask your students for feedback on their experience and how they’d build their next community trail. Learn More: Project Learning Tree 16. Exhibits and Fairs Use an exhibit and performance-based approach to a student-centered style of teaching. It’s a fun way for students to share their learning in creative ways. It enables you to assess their learning and allows students to present the skills they’ve acquired and think about how they can apply them in real life. Learn More: Australian Museum 17. Student-Led Conferences Task your students with organizing a conference on learner-centered approaches. They will get the opportunity to set goals, self-evaluate, and reflect while developing their organization, leadership, and communication skills. You may create a format to add some structure to the conference and clarify the goals you expect them to achieve. Learn More: National Association of Secondary School Principals 18. Spotting Fake News Another lesson in inquiry-based learning is teaching students how to spot fake news and encourage discussion on fake news. You can help the class by giving directions to their discussions with questions on fake news publishers, deceptive content, and how they would want to address it. Learn More: Oakland Literacy Council 19. Investigating the Local Environment This active learning strategy encourages students to observe their surroundings and analyze the safety status of their local environment. You can develop fun, explorative activities that incorporate their core subject areas. You can also continue the activity in the classroom by discussing ways to support local ecosystems. 20. Field Trips Teachers can try introducing inquiry-based field trips to help students better connect with their environment and explain a wide array of science topics at once. A field trip also offers a great opportunity for experiential learning. It’s a fun activity that turns your students into active learning advocates. Learn More: Science in Pre-K 21. Peer Evaluation Peer evaluation is a great way to teach your students social-emotional learning. You can instruct students on the basics of constructive criticism and guide them on the proper way to deliver feedback. Monitor these evaluations and have the students share their learnings. Learn More: Students at the Center Hub Grades 6-12 School Leaders Free printable to elevate your AI game 🤖 7 Easily Built STEM Centers that Foster Creativity Let imaginations (and learning) run wild! Creative classrooms not only look different, they feel different. They provide an environment where children are encouraged to think outside the box, build their problem-solving skills, and learn to collaborate with their classmates. Building STEM centers that foster creativity doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need is a smart layout that provides designated areas stocked with a wide variety of everyday materials, and time for your students to let their imaginations run wild. Here are seven easy STEM centers to include in your classroom layout. 1. Tinker Workbench Kids love to put on their inventor hats and assemble gadgets and gizmos in new and exciting ways. Items to include: Odds and ends, nuts and bolts, hinges, magnets, rubber bands, paper clips, keys and locks, corks, gears, wire, aluminum foil and pans, tin cans, old phone cords, plastic lids, simple tools. STEM center activities to try: Share a few pages from The Way Things Work by David MacCauley, then create your own invention. Create a 3D sculpture of a nature scene made from hardware bits and pieces. Construct a machine that demonstrates the concept of balance. Source:  https://tinkering.exploratorium.edu/2014/02/07/hanoch-pivens-drawing-objects 2. writing nook. Create an enticing space for your little Shakespeares to express their thoughts on STEM topics using the written word. Items to include: Different types of paper (lined, bordered, colored), stationery, colored pens and markers, samples of writing styles, comfy seat, quiet, privacy, alphabet, high-frequency words, book-making supplies like this paper bag book , topic lists. Create a poem about an animal you’re studying. Write your own how to book to describe a simple procedure. Compose a thank you letter to a famous inventor. Write a story about one of the inventions you made at the Tinker station. [contextly_sidebar id=”a7Kv4rkHSXbQ9nDhzhMWpkncxNckh2Vz”] 3. Mini Robotics Lab Your kids can learn to code just by playing and exploring with these adorable robots and Wonder Workshop’s new K-5 Learn to Code curriculum which includes 72 sequenced Challenge Cards. Each card has a story that engages students in creative problem-solving scenarios. Items to include: Dash & Dot robots and Wonder Workshop task cards. Teach Dash how to get down and boogie. Help Dash escape from the Dot monster. Design a game of Duck, Duck, Goose for Dot to play with friends. 4. Building Station Tap into your students’ natural engineering skills with a space for your students to build and create. Items to include: LEGO bricks, tinker toys, wooden blocks, K’NEX, connectagons, magnetix, Brain Flakes, any other type of building materials. Have a challenge to see who can build the highest tower with the fewest pieces. After reading a fairy tale, create your own dream castle. Build a model that demonstrates the concept of pattern. Construct a bridge strong enough to support Dash the robot’s weight as he rolls over it. 5. Nature Table A nature table is a wonderful way to invite children to learn about the natural world as they engage in play-based learning. Items to include: Rocks and pebbles, sticks of all sizes, pine cones, assorted shells, acorns, dried grasses, sand, seeds, pods, moss, bark, raffia, bird seed. Make a model of the planets using natural materials. Create a beautiful design that demonstrates symmetry. Recreate a scene from a story. Source:  http://montessoribeginnings.blogspot.com/2011/10/autumn-nature-table.html 6. sensory area. Sometimes the vibe in classrooms can get pretty chaotic. Create a special area for students who need a place to refuel and reconnect with their creativity. Items to include: Noise-cancelling headphones, fidget items such as soda tab fidget or stress balls , bean bags, squishy balls, stretchy bands, Rubics cube, coloring books, yoga ball. Do stretches with stretchy bands. Put on noise-cancelling headphones and color for five minutes. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly, and occupy your hands with a fidget item. Mellow out with a rain stick made with materials from the Nature Table. 7. Art Corner Ask any young child if they are an artist and they will answer with a resounding YES! Give them space to work with a variety of craft materials to create their masterpieces and incorporate art into STEM. Items to include: Paint, markers, papers, scissors, glue, yarn, cardboard tubes, pom-poms, foam shapes, googly eyes, tin foil, popsicle sticks, empty spools, buttons, tissue paper, clay, pipe cleaners, contact paper, cotton balls Read a biography of a famous artist and scientist (like da Vinci), then try to create a piece in that artist’s style. Make a mini book about shapes. You Might Also Like STEM Shopping List: Basic Supplies You Need for Your School Change the STEM game with smart, creative choices for your classrooms. Continue Reading Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256 Develop Learn Grow Learning centers in the classroom using 25 ot activity ideas. Learning centers in the classroom are important for elementary students to address developmental skills. Check out these OT activity ideas that you can easily add to your center activities for any grade level.    Help your young children improve fine motor skills, perceptual skills and sensory processing during your learning stations! Editor’s note: This post has been modified from it’s original content.  Additional activities have been listed for your convenience. My sister is shocked that I can still visualize this environment from my childhood.  I have many vivid memories from the early 1980’s: ~There’s a large green chalkboard at the front of the room.  Above it, the alphabet strip.  ~My teacher’s desk is in front of the chalkboard facing the room.  Small wooden desks and chairs of various sizes are spaced equally apart, squared up to her. ~One side of the room houses the cubbies for coats and backpacks. (Occasionally, all belongings housed in black garbage bags, per the school nurse’s recommendations… remember this?!) ~There’s a dress up area, and a puppet show area (with a red curtain.)   And ribbons and wands, a kitchen area, and a baby doll section for dramatic play. ~The writing center has such cool ways to practice forming each letter.  I remember using a small chunky crayon to form a letter over a screen.  Then, the excitement of feeling the texture of the letter with my index finger as I traced it after. ~The large room across the hall had the best physical space!  A balance beam, jumping mats, and a slide. A large sensory table with big tools for digging.  Trucks and jump ropes, water play and painting areas.  ~This large room is not our indoor recess room, it’s part of our daily learning. During my HALF day of school! Developmentally Appropriate Play-Based Learning Environment What room from my childhood can I still picture?  My kindergarten classroom!  (Were you thinking a preschool or early childhood classroom?!) My kindergarten room was full of amazing  Play Based Learning Centers .  And a bonus room with additional important developmental sensory and motor opportunities!  My center time covered social, emotional, communication, motor and sensory development. It encouraged creativity, independence and cooperation. No wonder why I became an occupational therapist!  I’m still able to remember the details of the classroom learning centers from my half day kindergarten program.  At five years old, I valued the importance! It might be several decades later.  Times have changed.  But  child development hasn’t changed .  And I still value the importance and understand the benefits of learning centers.   Even much more than before since we are seeing less play in kids and  too much screen time .  I strongly encourage every elementary teacher to add fun and unique activities to each lesson plan whenever possible.  We have sadly become too academic.  It’s important to include developmentally appropriate practices.  And not just in preschool and kindergarten.  Kids in preschool and all elementary grades need hands-on experiences.   My sister teaches third grade.  Her students love and enjoy the OT activities that I share to improve specific skills that they need some work on.   The Negative Impact of Academic Pressures, Over Assessing, and Grade Inflation In early intervention programs, young kids are assessed to make sure there are no delays in  ANY area of development.    The developmental areas we evaluate are cognitive, social and emotional, communication, adaptive, and physical. Brain development for learning relies on development in  all  of these areas.  When students are in kindergarten and elementary school, the focus has shifted to mostly assessing cognition. (Some preschool programs are also too highly academic.) There’s  pressure on admin and teachers  for increased scores on tests.  New programs have been developed to push young kids academically… way too soon! Young developing children are expected to read and to write without proper body and brain nourishment and readiness skills. They’re expected to quickly take in info and spit it back out.  Assess.  Test.  And test again! Some  advanced students and kids that have had appropriate developmental opportunities in the important formative years can handle it. But it’s causing unneeded pressure on many others.  There’s pressure on these kiddos to perform tasks before they’re ready. This results in a lack of success with tasks above their developmental level which then leads to a lack of confidence.  Then finally, a dislike for school and some emotional red flags (stress and anxiousness) and  behavioral challenges .  (Click the link for tips on handling behaviors in kids.) This lack of confidence and unneeded struggle sticks with these children throughout their elementary years.  And they don’t lack intelligence.  They’re just being expected to complete academic tasks when they’re not ready. They lack simple foundational skills.   And this isn’t their fault.  It’s because the expectations have changed around the children.  Grade inflation. Kindergarten now looks like first grade.  And first grade is second… etc.  Some early childhood education programs have even shifted to cognitive learning rather than a more appropriate developmental approach. You see it, right?!  And you see how it is harmful to children. Why is it still happening and what can be done? Why Learning Centers Are Important for Kids Learning centers provide students with hands-on learning experiences that fuel their brains for learning. When the body is actively engaged, the brain is engaged. Societal expectations have changed but development has not!   Children’s developing brains need proper opportunities for learning! Even though these changes have happened around us, you can still support your students’ developmental needs. Offer a center-based classroom.  Set-up your favorite academic learning centers but add new things and fun OT activities to feed your children’s growing bodies and brains!  The ideas shared in this post work for (and can be adapted for) preschool, kindergarten, first and second grade.  Many teachers of older students (third and higher) have also found these helpful for Brain Breaks, project based learning, and to supplement a lesson plan. OT Activities That Are EASY to Add to Your Centers Teachers amaze me . You have so much on your plate, but you handle it all so well.  Especially with the ever-changing demands and challenges.   Your typical center work likely focuses on reading, language arts, and writing. You have your math center, science center, and social studies activities.  Maybe you even have a mindfulness and emotional growth center! If you feel like you need some ideas,  Teacher Vision  explains how learning centers in the classroom work.  The article also gives tips on how to create different types of centers (enrichment centers, skill centers, interest and exploratory centers.)  And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, read these  quotes , take a deep breath and return back to these activities when you’re excited and ready to add some fun new activities to your world! In this post, I’m sharing my favorite  OT Strategies and OT Activities  with you.  These strategies can be added to what you already have for each learning center.  It might take a little prep at the beginning of the school year, but then you will have options to rotate through.  My sister had fun creating these added activities for her centers.  She even offers them for free time or student choice time.  The novelty doesn’t wear off; her students enjoy the activities all year! These supplemental activities are so important for multi-sensory learning and hands-on experiences.   Sensory, motor, and perceptual skills are a significant part of learning and brain development!  The more input you give to your kids’ brains, the more pathways are created and strengthened for learning.  [See the  Pyramid of Learning  for more info.] The following ideas for different centers are divided into three different categories: motor activities, perceptual activities, and sensory activities for the classroom.  You’ll find lots of new ways to help your children learn with more parts of their body and brain. (Click on the links next to each number for more information on the center ideas.) Motor Activities for Your Classroom Centers Sensory and motor activities are the building blocks for a child’s brain and central nervous system.  There are so many different ways to make sure kids get the foundational skills that they need.   Higher parts of the brain work best when lower parts are used and mastered first. Click on each center category for more ideas. 1) Core Exercises for Kids Add quick core exercises to a center before students begin.  A weak core means difficulty sitting upright and difficulty using the hands optimally for school tasks.  These are important to routinely add to your lessons!  A free printable is offered on this post.  2)  Crossing Midline Activities Midline crossing should naturally occur at age two.  However, I see a large majority of young elementary children who do not automatically cross the midline of their body. Crossing midline activities help both sides of the brain work together for learning.   3)  Bilateral Coordination Activities for Kids Kids need bilateral coordination skills to use both sides of the brain and the body to complete school tasks.  These tasks and crossing midline activities are super important and easy to add to any center. 4) Motor Coordination Activities Add fun motor coordination activities to learning tasks.  Pairing movement with learning improves memory and retention. Add coordination tasks during transitions or in between lessons or centers. 5) Handwriting Warm-Up Exercises Getting the body and hands ready is important before writing.  And movement gets the juices flowing in the brain!  Use these quick warm-up exercises for the whole class or before small group time.  6) Best Toys for Fine Motor Skills I’m seeing a rapid decline in young children’s hand skill development.  This is due to decreased play with toys and too much screen time.  Add fun toys and games (93 top OT picks) to your centers to build basic hand skills! 7)  Improve Hand Strength with Easy Exercises    As previously stated, I’m seeing a rapid decline with hand strength in kids. Classroom learning centers are a great place to work on hand strength.  Many of the (107+) hand strengthening activities can be added during a transition activity in between learning centers.  8)  Hand and Finger Dexterity Games & Activities to Improve Fine Motor Skills for Writing Finger dexterity and in-hand manipulation skills are needed for many fine motor tasks and writing tasks for kids.  I see many kids that unfortunately have great difficulty with dexterity!  The exercises, games and activities listed can supplement your learning centers to offer a variety of hands-on activities.    9) Math Manipulatives That Build Fine Motor Skills   This math manipulatives post shares simple everyday classroom objects that you can use for your math center.  It also shares important math manipulatives that work on fine motor skills. 10) Super Simple Fine Motor Creativity Craft I’ve had kids of all ages enjoy this creative fine motor craft activity .  It can be so simple and used for preschool centers, or it can be used for older elementary students during language arts, science or social studies.  Perceptual Activities for Your Classroom Centers Adding a variety of visual motor and visual perceptual activities to your centers is very important.  These skills are additional building blocks to helping a child’s brain learn best.   11) Important OT Visual Skills Activities Improve eye muscle control, visual attention, visual perception, and other visual skills to strengthen skills for reading, writing and math with these 15 basic visual activities . 12) Balance and Movement Activities That Improve Visual Skills The 17 movement ideas listed in this post share ways to pair movement with a learning task.  Moving more parts of the body, activates more parts of the brain.  Additionally, balance activities support the visual system.     13)   An Easy Visual Motor Activity Using Magnets   This is one of my favorite visual motor activities !  It’s so simple to use to supplement language arts, spelling or math.  It works on fine motor skills, hand awareness, visual tracking, visual memory, and bilateral coordination.  And kids love it!  Some think it’s magic! 14)   42 Easy Visual Perceptual Activities That Support Learning    Visual perception is how our brains make sense of what our eyes see.  This skill is needed to support almost every area of academics. The visual perceptual activities shared in this post support several areas of academics.  Many kids need continued activities throughout the early elementary years.   15)   Best Educational Toys and Games for Kids   These educational toys and games focus on improving problem-solving skills (which so many have trouble with) and they address visual perceptual development for learning.   16)   Visual Tracking Activities Using Flashcards and the Infinity Loop   This is a great activity to add to learning centers that works on crossing midline and visual tracking. Rather than having kids just go through flashcards for math skills or for literacy skills, try this!  It strengthens eye muscles and works on visual attention, too.   (And it doesn’t need to be used with just flashcards… there are several other ways to use the infinity loop!) Sensory Activities for Your Learning Centers Kids need movement, muscle input and hands-on experiences during the learning day. Sensory activities that use large parts of the body or specific types of sensory input improve attention and focus in kids. And they make learning fun! 17) Sensory Writing Activities This article is most helpful for the early childhood classroom when teaching kids to draw shapes and for the kindergarten classroom or first grade classroom when kids learn to draw letters and numbers.  It offers 33 important sensory writing activities that improve motor memory and learning. 18)  How to Improve Reading Skills with 50+ Sensory Strategies   This article shares sensory strategies to support reading skills : auditory activities, visual activities, crossing midline activities, and balance activities.  A free printable is available on this post.  19)  Tactile Learning: A Unique Hands on Activity   This is a cool way to add a fun element to any of your learning centers.  This post shares a tactile discrimination activity . It challenges the brain by using only the hands without the eyes helping. 20) Auditory Activities to Improve Learning and Reading Kids need extra help processing sounds and auditory input to help them listen and follow directions and to help them read.  Several of the auditory activities shared here are kid favorites.   21)   30 Movement Activities to Enhance Learning   There are quick and easy to use movement activities listed in this post to easily add to your day.  Use them in between lessons or during transitions to your learning centers.  Additionally, this post shares tips on how to make brain break games with the exercises. 22)   25 Brain Breaks for Kids   Have your kids use the muscles and joints (proprioceptive input) to both calm and alert the nervous system.   These proprioceptive brain break activities are great for all kids!  Again, use in between learning centers, lessons or during transitions.  A free printable is available on this post. 23)   How a Vertical Surface and Floor Activities Improve Core Stability   There are two posts that share simple ways to change the location and position of your center activity. This is a must for child development!   It’s so easy to slightly change up what you’re already doing. Check out Vertical Surface Activities for Kids (30+ Ideas) and 27 Easy Prone Position Activities to Improve Strength in Kids . Another free PDF printable is available with this information.  24)   Sensory Deep Pressure Tools & Activities that Increase Focus   There are many easy tools to add to any learning center that provide kids with extra body input!  These calming tools and activities especially help kids focus during reading centers. 25) Best Flexible Seating Options for Your Learning Centers Get creative with your centers by adding cool flexible seating options .  But make sure you choose items that support good posture for attention and fine motor skills, especially if it’s in a writing center.   Be sure to also check out  Correct Sitting Posture  to see if you have a good set up.   Additional Thoughts & Ideas for Your Learning Centers For younger kids learning to write, please look at  Form Letters Properly with These 9 Helpful Tips .  I can’t stress enough how important it is for kids to use correct letter and number formation! Add an art center if you don’t have one already ( Art Projects & Crafts for Kids .) It’s always important to foster creativity. For preschool and kindergarteners who haven’t had much exposure or practice with scissors, you’ll appreciate the tips in  How to Improve Scissor Skills PLUS Worksheets for Cutting Practice . I hope you enjoy using these activities as much as my co-workers and family members do!  The more our kids have extra practice with building body skills, the more success they will have with learning.   Bookmark or save this post so it’s easy for you to find. Take your time to look through all of the ideas in each category.  Learning centers for your classroom help differentiate student learning.  More importantly, adding fun, developmental OT activities into the centers will stimulate brain learning connections and enhance skills for school tasks. Let’s work together to help children thrive! Share this post on your favorite social media platform using the share buttons. Follow Develop Learn Grow on Teachers Pay Teachers , Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest! Or, sign up for the newsletter to receive the newest posts. Related Posts: Classroom Exercise Program Outdoor Games for Recess that Build Skills Gross Motor Activities for Indoor Recess   Recent Posts Weight Bearing Exercises for Kids, Easy & Fun OT Activities The Sensory Pyramid of Learning – Foundation for Development 27 Easy Prone Position Activities to Improve Strength in Kids Why Teachers Are Amazing – Top 7 Best Qualities 81 Positive and Heart Touching Quotes for Teachers Signup to join thousands of subscribers. Don't miss out on the newest posts, seasonal info, and important tips! You have successfully joined my subscriber list. I look forward to supporting you! Amy Hathaway MOT, OTR/L, CIMI-2 is a licensed and registered occupational therapist.  She is the founder of Develop Learn Grow.  Amy has 22 years of experience as a pediatric occupational therapist.   She enjoys collaborating with teachers, parents, therapists, administrators, and support staff in preschools & schools, as well as coaching and guiding parents of infants and toddlers in their homes. She is married and has three children.  Click to read Amy’s bio.   Pin It on Pinterest Active Learning Techniques for the Classroom Active learning techniques to try. Try a Think-Pair-Share activity to encourage all students to interact with the material. In this activity, the instructor states an open-ended question. Ask students to spend a minute or two thinking about and writing a response. Then ask students to pair with a partner to discuss their responses. Reconvene the class after a few minutes, and call on individual students to share the pair’s responses. Use a One Minute Paper or Muddiest Point Paper in your class as a formative assessment. At the end of class or just before a break, ask either: “What are the two most important points from today’s session?” or “What was the muddiest (least clear) point from today’s session?” Give students 1-2 minutes to write brief responses to turn in anonymously as they leave the classroom. Address student responses either during the next class or online. With Peer Instruction , you pause during class and ask students a conceptual question. Give students a few minutes to think about the question, and then have them provide answers, possibly using clickers. Then, have students spend a few minutes talking about their answers, usually in pairs, and try to convince each other that their answer is correct. Then have students answer again. Asking students to work together in groups is a very effective way to actively engage them with your course. For example, Gallery Walk is a cooperative activity during which groups move between stations to build on solutions or discussions begun by others. The Jigsaw is a structured cooperative learning activity that relies on individual accountability to reach group goals. Student groups can discuss  case studies  to apply course content to solve real world problems. Cases for the sciences can be found at the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.  The Case Consortium at Columbia University  provides a collection of case studies for the fields of journalism, public policy, public health, and other disciplines. Additional Resources Classroom Assessment Techniques –   Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching Information on Classroom Assessment Techniques, which are in-class activities that give useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science – National Science Foundation A collection of case studies for classroom use in the sciences. Case Consortium –  Columbia University A collection of case studies for the fields of journalism, public policy, public health, and other disciplines Confessions of a Converted Lecturer  – Eric Mazur, Harvard University Active learning advocate Eric Mazur, a physics professor at Harvard, shares why and how he decided to change the way he teaches. Armbruster, P., Patel, M., Johnson, E., & Weiss, M. (2009). Active Learning and Student-centered Pedagogy Improve Student Attitudes and Performance in Introductory Biology. CBELife Sciences Education, 8(3), 203–213.  Bransford J., Brown A., & Cocking RR. (Eds.) (1999) How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. Washington (DC): National Academy Press. Cooper, James L., Robinson, Pamela & Ball, David. The Interactive Lecture: Reconciling Group and Active Learning Strategies with Traditional Instructional Formats. Exchanges: The Online Journal of Teaching and Learning in the CSU (PDF). Prince, M. (2004) Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research . Journal of Engineering Education, 93(3), 223-231. How to Apply Piaget's Theory in the Classroom How to Use Observational Learning in the Classroom Jean Piaget was an influential psychologist of the 20th century. Piaget was especially interested in developmental psychology and studied the different ways humans acquire, retain and develop knowledge. Today many teachers still use Piaget's theories to enhance students' educations. Piaget studied knowledge development in people of all ages, including young children, and his theories are relevant for K-12 classrooms. Applying Piaget's theories to your curriculum is simple, effective and beneficial for students and teachers alike. Research Piaget's developmental theory. Piaget believed that children reach distinct stages in cognitive development. Between ages 2 and 7, children are egocentric and have trouble understanding different viewpoints or empathizing with others. They classify objects by a single characteristic, such as color or shape, without acknowledging other qualities. From ages 7 to 11, children are capable of logical thought about objects or events. They classify objects by several different characteristics. Young people over the age of 11 are able to think abstractly and hypothetically. They feel more concern for ideological and moral issues, not just concrete reality. Guide the students. Piaget recommended that teachers take an active, mentoring role toward students. Instead of pushing information at students while they sit and listen passively, share the learning experience and encourage students to be active and engaged. Take your students seriously and respect their ideas, suggestions and opinions. Supplement traditional lectures with relevant, hands-on classroom activities that let students experience the content for themselves. Encourage students to learn from their peers. This is especially relevant for children in the 2 to 7 age range but applies to students of all ages. Learning to listen thoughtfully and sensitively to their peers and respect a variety of different viewpoints will provide lifelong benefits for your students. Since different students excel at different areas of knowledge, learning from peers also provides a thorough education. Allow students to learn from their mistakes. Piaget believed that children develop knowledge about the world through trial and error. Mistakes can be frustrating for the students as well as the teacher, but try to model patience and guide the student toward a different conclusion. Mistakes show that the student is actively interacting with the world around her and trying out new ideas for herself. Focus on the process as well as the result. Instead of focusing on having one right answer, pay attention to the many different steps it takes to reach a finished product. For instance, during an art lesson ask the students to notice the different ways they create a painting. Some may start at the bottom edge of the easel while others begin at the middle. Respect each student's individual interests, abilities and limits. Different children reach developmental stages at different times. Rather than pressuring every child to adapt to one learning style, pay attention to each child's developmental stages and adapt the lessons accordingly. Piaget encouraged independent, hands-on learning and opportunities for discovery. Plan a variety of classroom activities that accommodate different learning styles, such as visual or auditory. Related Articles Teaching Ideas for Slow Learners What Are the Five Ingredients of the HighScope Approach? How to Apply Knowles' Theory in the Classroom Child Vs. Adult Learning Honey & Mumford Learning Style Theory The Top-Down Reading Model Theory Ideas for Micro Teaching How to teach writing to adults. Schutz & Kanomata, ESL: Jean Piaget -- Intellectual Development Sally Murphy began writing professionally in 2000. She has worked as a writing instructor and written for various organizations and publications on topics ranging from history to hairstyles to television shows. Murphy graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and also holds a Master of Fine Arts in writing. International Education Jobs Schools directory Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search Black History Month Research Profile Activity English Classroom Display - KS2 KS3 Subject: English Age range: 11-14 Resource type: Worksheet/Activity Last updated 11 September 2024 Share through email Share through twitter Share through linkedin Share through facebook Share through pinterest Are you looking for English lessons within the theme of Black History Month? This Black History Month research activity will support cultural, historical and academic learning. This resource would make an amazing student-led classroom display! Students need to have access to the internet or books to complete this. They should choose an inspirational person who has impacted society and shown commitment to social justice and equality for the Black Community. There are three variations of these worksheet profiles (see the pictures). Tes paid licence How can I reuse this? Your rating is required to reflect your happiness. It's good to leave some feedback. Something went wrong, please try again later. This resource hasn't been reviewed yet To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch. Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: 472 COMMENTS How to Set Up Learning Centers: A Comprehensive Guide for Teachers Keep reading for ideas on setting up math and reading learning centers for inspiration, including tips from members of the team of teachers that create Teach Starter's popular resources. While you're designing and creating your classroom stations, it's important to keep in mind that center activities should not include new material. Master List of 40 Literacy Centers Ideas and Activities 4. Building Blocks Sight Word Box. This low-prep center has students create the words using Legos. Perfect for your hands-on learners and those who are obsessed with Legos! Learn more: ABCs of Literacy. 5. Compound Word Mini-Puzzles. This activity option has students put together tiny puzzles to join compound words. How to Set Up Classroom Learning Centers Explain Your Expectations. Before you begin, clearly explain (and post somewhere in the classroom) expected behavior during centers and the consequences of not meeting these expectations. Then, introduce centers to your students by modeling the following steps. Use a timer that students can see and hear to keep track of time. A Teacher's Introduction to Learning Centers A learning center is a self-contained section of the classroom in which students engage in independent and self-directed learning activities. Learning centers allow easy access to a variety of learning materials in interesting and productive manners. Learning centers are usually designed to offer a variety of materials, designs, and media ... How to Set Up Effective Classroom Learning Centers for ... When setting up classroom learning centers, it is important to consider the following: Selecting Appropriate Locations - Choose locations that are easily accessible and visible to students. Consider the amount of space needed for each center and make sure there is enough room for students to move around comfortably. 6 Important Benefits Of Learning Centers In The Classroom 4. Learning feels like play. Children learn through play. The more you can make an activity feel playful, make-believe or game-like the more students will learn. When children feel like they are playing they'll be more excited to do the activity and it will make the skills stick in their brain. 11 Ideas for Free Choice Centers in Your Classroom The Importance of Free Play for Children. Develops creativity and imagination during crafts or pretend play. Strengthens motor skills and dexterity. Lets children practice adult roles and expand their empathy, as they put themselves in someone else's shoes. Builds social and emotional skills and teamwork through cooperative play, turn taking ... What Are Learning Centres? A Teacher Guide to Rotations in the Classroom Click below to use Teach Starter's 10-Minute Classroom Activity Timer, or use our 20-Minute Activity Timer. Depending on your rotation limit, you can have the timer run the entire duration of the learning centre, or you can use a 5-Minute Timer for the last five minutes of the session. General Learning Centre Ideas. Now for activity ideas! How to Set Up 8 Quick Activity Centers in the Classroom Here is a simple way to use the activity center model that involves no cost, little prep time, and lots of engagement and learning for students. Identify your learning objective. Take eight sheets of paper and some masking tape that is kind to walls. Write on each piece of paper a simple group activity that would take 2-3 minutes to complete. Four Keys to Effective Classroom Learning Centers Here are four keys to effective learning centers that allowed me to make this transformation: Create, communicate, and practice procedures. Centers involve a complex choreography of diverse ... Student-Centered Learning: It Starts With the Teacher Students experience math, science, English, and history, plus other subjects, and interact with education experts (teachers). Veteran students, like experienced teachers, know what types of learning experiences work best for themselves. Reduce teacher direct instruction by increasing student-led learning activities. Some approaches include: 25 Student-Centered Learning Examples Student-Centered Learning Examples. 1. Classroom Debate Competition. In a class brainstorming session, students generate a list of topics they would like to debate. One student writes the suggestions on the board and then guides the formation of pro and con debate teams. Students choose which topics they want to debate and if they want to be on ... Setting Up Learning Centers for Your ECE Classroom Creating a classroom environment that is safe, comfortable, and conducive to learning is crucial for early childhood education. By setting up designated areas for different activities such as reading, writing, and play, and providing learning centers, you are giving children the opportunity to explore and discover in a safe and nurturing ... Creating Your Own Classroom Learning Center Learning centers are designed as specific areas in a classroom that offer activities meant to engage, extend, enhance and/or differentiate students' learning. Learning center activities are intended to serve as a reinforcement of skills or concepts, and provide problem-solving tasks while developing critical thinking, independence, and cooperative work skills. The best part is that […] Creating Learning Centers to Support Skills Learning centers can support skills in the curriculum--especially math--and can broaden students understanding, or provide practice in reading, math or combinations of those things. Activities found in learning centers could include paper and pencil puzzles, art projects connected to a social studies or science theme, self correcting activities ... How To Plan Effective, Engaging and Appropriate ... This article will explain how to effectively plan and implement engaging and developmentally appropriate centers in the early childhood classroom. 1) Planning is the key to building a successful center area. Make a list of centers that you want to include in your classroom. Decide how large of an area you will need and where in the classroom ... How to Organize and Manage Classroom Learning Centers Place little components of the learning center into small size Ziploc baggies and label. Place center task in a shoebox labeled with the number that corresponds to the Common Core Standard. Take a coffee container and place the task inside the container. On the outside label with words and pictures. Place center contents in a manilla file ... Learner-Centered Teaching: 10 Ideas for Getting Started Here are 10 activities for building student engagement and getting students more actively involved in their learning. Strategy One: Creating the Climate for Learning. Use the same activity but with a different topic. For example, before the first discussion in a class, you might have students talk about the best and worst class discussions they ... 21 Superb Student-Centered Activities Here are 21 fun and innovative activities that will help you make your lessons more student-centered! 1. Designing a Playground. Designing a playground is a fun activity for a project-based learning class. It involves some math and word problems, so consider having a veteran math teacher take charge. You can also introduce it as one of the ... Easy STEM Centers that Build Creativity 1. Tinker Workbench. Kids love to put on their inventor hats and assemble gadgets and gizmos in new and exciting ways. Odds and ends, nuts and bolts, hinges, magnets, rubber bands, paper clips, keys and locks, corks, gears, wire, aluminum foil and pans, tin cans, old phone cords, plastic lids, simple tools. Learning Centers in the Classroom Using 25 OT Activity Ideas 22) 25 Brain Breaks for Kids. Have your kids use the muscles and joints (proprioceptive input) to both calm and alert the nervous system. These proprioceptive brain break activities are great for all kids! Again, use in between learning centers, lessons or during transitions. A free printable is available on this post. Active Learning Techniques for the Classroom Information on Classroom Assessment Techniques, which are in-class activities that give useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is happening. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science - National Science Foundation A collection of case studies for classroom use in the sciences. Case Consortium - Columbia University How to Apply Piaget's Theory in the Classroom Piaget encouraged independent, hands-on learning and opportunities for discovery. Plan a variety of classroom activities that accommodate different learning styles, such as visual or auditory. Jean Piaget was an influential psychologist of the 20th century. Piaget was especially interested in developmental psychology and studied the different ... 10 great ways to use Figma in the classroom 5 Creative Figma Design Activities for Students . Figma is a powerful design tool that's not only great for professional work but also for classroom activities that build both creative and technical skills. Teams across industries use Figma to create user interfaces and user experiences for websites, apps, and digital products. Black History Month Research Profile Activity English Classroom Display Are you looking for English lessons within the theme of Black History Month? This Black History Month research activity will support cultural, historical and academic learning. This resource would make an amazing student-led classroom display! Students need to have access to the internet or books to complete this. assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis