The children in my class are randomly divided into four color coded "teams". Each team is assigned one of four reading workshop centers to visit each day. During the course of the week every child visits each center one time. I have chosen to go with four centers, so that on four day weeks, the schedule is not disrupted. On Fridays we have different activities. Center assignments are kept on a bulletin board. Each team has an icon with a hole punched in it and the icons are moved under the label for the center each day. As the icons are moved I read off which team goes to each center, but if a student chooses not to listen, he/she is responsible for checking the bulletin board and going to the correct center. Only stating directions one time is a good way to help children improve their listening skills. The four centers are as follows:
The Listening Center
Our listening center is a free standing center with 7 tape recorders and headphones at a table, so that each child in the group has his/her own equipment. A standing blue pegboard serves both as a room divider and display for our books and tapes which are stored in hefty one zip freezer bags. Our collection of books and tapes is built weekly as the small copy and word-for-word tape of our big book is added to the center. Sometimes we read supplemental big books as a part of our theme and these books and tapes are also added to our center. Once a book is added to the center it remains for the rest of the year, providing the children with lots of choices in reading material. Before the children are allowed to use the center they are carefully trained on the use of the tape recorders and books. They are taught how to operate the equipment and how to clean up the center when time is up. The consequence for using materials inappropriately is being "grounded" from the center for the rest of the day or sometimes for a week for repeat offenders. The children enjoy the listening center and develop towards conventional literacy with the correct reading model the cassette tapes provide and develop appreciation of literature as they self select the title to listen to.
Free Reading:
Children are provided with the opportunity to read/pretend read from literally 100's of books in the classroom. Multiple copies of most titles are available to allow the children to read in partners or small groups if they choose. Books that are small copies of previously read big books are kept on a blue book rack, so that the children will know that they are familiar titles. Other books are kept on open shelving in the room. A set of science readers are kept in a separate rack as are "Hello Reader" books. Books that can be used for Accelerated Reader tests are kept in a separate area. Many children's and nature magazines are available to browse through.
Read Around the Room
Children use pointers and read the poems, bulletin boards, and charts of their choice all over the class. They can read any hanging print they choose. Sometimes the kids read together, sometimes on their own. Since using the pointers could be hazardous, rules for their use are established early in the year and consistently enforced.
"Bag-It Books
The group of children in this center meet with the teacher to read/retell a book from the Sunshine at Home set that they checked out the previous week. The kids are supposed to have practiced the books at home with parents or siblings. I observe the children for growth in concepts of print and record findings on checklists for each child.
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