What are the benefits of Learning Centers?
- Learning Centers encourage children to take responsibility for their learning.
- Learning Centers provide an atmosphere of learning for children who struggle with needing to move around while schooling, rather than just sitting at a desk and a chair for the entire school time.
- Learning Centers help mom out when mom needs to work one-on-one with one child while the other children still need to stay focused on schoolwork.
- Learning Centers provide variety in learning.
- Learning Centers provide an atmosphere for hands-on learning.
How are Learning Centers set up?
1. Determine how many Learning Centers you want. Suggested centers are Bible Center, Reading Center, Language Center, Writing Center, Listening Center, Social Studies Center, Science Center, Math Center, Arts & Crafts Center, and Music Center.
2. Set up a box for each center. Use whatever kind of box is most economical and practical (from a space-saving standpoint) for you. Consider buying some medium-sized plastic storage boxes at your local department store. Label each box.
3. Place appropriate learning materials in each box. Be creative! Some workbooks/worksheets are fine, but try to include lots of hands-on materials, too. See below for suggestions on what to include.
4. Place the filled and labeled boxes in the best visible location in your school area. Consider buying a bookshelf with enough deep shelves to hold all the boxes.
5. To use the centers, give your child a daily checklist to know what centers he/she is to use that day. Determine when the centers will be used. For example, perhaps you have a busy time in the morning with a nursing infant or toddlers that need your attention or a child who needs individualized school attention. In that case, during that busy time you can announce it is now Learning Centers time. Perhaps you want to set aside a specific time each day just for Learning Centers time. During Learning Centers time, your children will be responsible for completing a specified (by you) number of activities in each of the designated Learning Centers.
6. Keep in mind that Learning Centers should be used in addition to teaching time by the homeschool parent. The centers are intended to supplement the parent's teaching, not replace it.
Some Ideas of Items to Include in Learning Centers
(I have not differentiated between suggested items for older vs. younger children. Obviously, disregard any suggested items that are too "old" or too "young" for your children.)
Bible Center:
- Each child's own daily devotional Bible scrapbook (see Daily Devotional page for more information)
- Scrapbooking supplies (the day's Bible verse, stickers, scrapbooking scissors, decorative scrapbooking paper, double-sided scrapbooking tape, stamps, ink pads)
- Mini felt board (can be as simple as cardboard covered with felt)
- Bibles with appropriate reading levels for each child
- Bible coloring & activity pages
- Markers, colored pencils, crayons, pens, pencils
Reading Center
(This center should ideally be located in a cozy corner of your learning area. Make sure there is good lighting and, if possible, include bean bag chairs or cozy floor cushions.)
- Book basket filled with library books on different topics in age-appropriate reading levels. Some libraries also offer topical book kits that can be borrowed. The book kits contain books and hands-on materials (like puppets) related to the topic.
- Small puppet theater, puppets, and puppet show scripts or readers suitable for using as a puppet show. Theater can be as simple as buying a presentation cardboard tri-fold, cutting out a rectangle, and hanging a piece of cloth over the cut-out space for a curtain.
- Phonics and sight word flash cards
- With a subscription to Reading A-Z, each day you can print out different leveled readers and accompanying worksheets to be completed.
Language Center
- Word puzzles (word search, crossword, etc.)
- New metal cookie sheet with magnetic letters (with word lists to practice spelling words) and/or magnetic letter, word, and tile sheets at Educational Learning Games
- Plastic letter tiles (with word lists to practice spelling words)
- Plastic word tiles (to practice making sentences)
- Mini dry erase boards and dry erase markers (with word lists to practice spelling words)
Writing Center
- Independent writing journal per child
- Scrapbooking supplies for the writing journals (stickers, scrapbooking scissors, decorative scrapbooking paper, double-sided scrapbooking tape, stamps, ink pads)
- Magazine pictures to serve as writing prompts
- Markers, colored pencils, crayons, pens, pencils
- Penmanship re-writeable practice boards
Social Studies Center
- U.S. and world jigsaw puzzles
- U.S. and world coloring maps
- Markers, colored pencils, crayons
Science Center
Math Center
- "Store" items (with price stickers on items)
Listening Center
Arts & Crafts Center
- Colored construction paper
- Sponges (for sponge painting)
- Paper plates (for paint palettes)
- Paper cups (for paint water)
- Paper towels (for clean-up)
- Old T-shirts (for paint smocks)
Music Center
