LC’s are Locations for Storing Stuff  – Here are the Traditional Ones:

Literacy Center – Since BOOKS GO IN EVERY CENTER, I don’t care for a Library display filled with way too many uncategorized books. I prefer a quiet location for a few theme-based books and words. If you’re using a unit or theme system, read a theme-based book and make a Word Wall with theme-based words on it during Circle Time and put them where the children can see the words and interact with the books during the day. You might also put your books-on-tape and earphones here or in your classroom Safe Space. All Learning Methods (Movement, Sensory, Manipulation, Construction, Role Play, and Expression) are used when a child interacts with books.

Math is Everywhere – If you prefer to have a designated area for math skill development, put things in it like counters, math games, shape toys, and the like, but remember that math (and writing and science and art) begins with the LM of Manipulation, a multi-use term, covering any activity that uses fine motor skills to build strengths of both physical (use of tools and printing) intellectual, and mathematical nature. Markers, fat and skinny crayons, computer keyboards, tongs, plastic tweezers to pick up cotton balls, tracing paper, construction paper, stationery and envelopes and stamps all go in this center as well as lacing cards, beads and strings, and little paint brushes.  Include locks and keys and other hardware items that children can manipulate.  Many teachers have a separate Writing or Kindergarten Center for development of printing skills. Math, counting, shape, and size books go here.

Sensory, Touchy-Feely, Science – This area should be filled with both natural and manmade items.  This is where the gerbil and the fish live and where there are rocks, leaves, worms, dirt, sand, water, and machines and appliances to take apart, look inside of, and try to put back together.  Sensory Tables – every day. Call it the Science Center if it makes more sense to you, your parents, and your kids, but remember that its main purpose is to be a place where the LM is Sensory Exploration. Books about biology, zoology, botany, geology, meteorology, chemistry, physics, machines, and space go here.

Social Studies – Often separated into Dress Up and Blocks, (and if this is your choice, put them next to each other for crossover learning) these are two areas where children learn about self, family, community, sociology, geography, history, and ecology through the LM’s of imitation, imagination, interaction, or Role Play and Construction.

If you have a Dress Up or Home Center it must include NON-STEREOTYPICAL clothing with raw materials being greatly superior to Disney Princess gowns and plastic Kim Kardashian high heels! Give the children plain skirts, capes, hats, and pieces of material, feathers, costume jewelry, and community helper outfits that are as plain as possible so they can create from their own imaginations. Foods and food containers, menus from a variety of restaurants, dolls and home stuff goes here and books about families and homes go here. 

If They Build it, They will Learn – Construction is one of the ways children learn best. Your block area should contain developmentally appropriate blocks of a variety of shape, size, consistency, weight, and color because math. But man does not live by blocks alone! This area should also have raw materials and tools for construction like rolls of masking tape, blunt-edge scissors, empty potty paper, wrapping paper, paper towel, and tin foil tubes, access to markers or crayons, measuring tapes, and scales. Animal and people action figures, globes and maps, and books about buildings, jobs, people, families, homes, and society go here.

This Center may just be called “Blocks”, but it is SO much more.  This is an area that builds strengths of all kinds, is always very popular with the children – boys AND girls!!! – and one that teachers sometimes do not participate in as much as they should.  As the children design and build, teachers need to ask them questions and give them facts and language about their constructions.  Taking photographs of the creations and using ‘post-it’ notes to label them brings amazing language and literacy skills into play.  In fact, the Construction Center brings into play strengths from EVERY aspect of the curriculum.  Do not overlook its incredible learning potential.

Be Art Smart – The Center usually thought of as the “Art Center” is an area that needs to include all media possible for the LM, Expression through art, music, dance, and drama. Art is the creation of original pieces in a variety of media using clays, paints, finger paints, papers of all colors and sizes, material of varied textures and designs, markers, crayons, chalk, paintbrushes, art tools, and both natural and manmade objects. If space is available, an easel of some sort should be present.  Parents appreciate aprons, smocks, or adult-size tee shirts for protection of clothing, but educated them to the fact that learning is messy.

This Center does not include color-in-the-line-ditto sheets from commercial coloring books or pre-designed craft projects, but materials and equipment for original creation and expression. 

Music, dance, and drama are also included as forms of Expression.  Music, in fact, must be an integral part of every day in the preschool just as reading and math are integral to the learning process.  Music is used as a teaching tool in building factual knowledge and memory and in managing every routine part of the day from Arrival through Dismissal.  Equipment for expression here includes musical instruments and, if space, devices for listening to music individually.  Dance, or movement, must also be an integral part of every day, used as learning tools and for recreation and relaxation. Puppets and, if space, a puppet theater would be appropriate in Expression. Books about art, line, shape, color, artists, dancing, poetry, music, folktales, and nursery rhymes should be available here .

DID I MENTION THAT BOOKS MUST BE AVAILABLE IN EVERY CENTER?

Next Blog: The System – Year by Year