Student-Driven Literacy Centers

     Reading center rotation has become all the craze in Duval county.  Much of our literacy training has focused on this aspect of a balanced literacy curriculum.  I have always incorporated a center rotation but recently I decided to completely change how I configured things.  In the past, I would set up 5-6 center activities with a work board.  I would group students and we rotated through all of the centers by the end of the week.  It worked smoothly and students were working, but I felt like there was something missing.
     In the current organization, I directed all movement.  This is an interesting concept, as I look back, because I was "in charge" but working with my own small group.  I couldn't adequately control the other groups and completely focus on what I was doing.
     Another issue I frequently came across was that sometimes our students just want to work alone.  In the previous system, I was the teacher who "forced" small group work everyday with the assigned group or there would be consequences.  I do believe that young kids need to be exposed to group work and teamwork, but it shouldn't need to be forced.  We all have days where we want to be left alone.  Why should we punish our students, as long as the work gets done?
     Lastly, centers should always be data-driven.  Mine always are....it's actually makes the work much easier!  But what happens when a student out-thinks your center activities?  I always had a small group that could complete all five boxes accurately in one day.  Crazy, I know!  In the teacher directed center method, I always had to find something extra for these students to do...a lot of times this became busy work.
     As I was reflecting, I finally perfected this year's most current method for literacy centers!  Students have a personal center work folder.  In this folder, they have a to-do list.  At this point, all lists are the same.  As students become more comfortable with their responsibilities, I plan on differentiating further with more personalized to-do objectives.  Students choose what they want to work from this list.
     Right now, my learners have a Popsicle stick with their name on it.  They place it in the pocket for whatever place they want to go for that day.  The must stay there for the allotted 20 minutes.  Each center box has one "must do" and 2-3 "can do" activities.  The work is then turned in with their folders.  I do two 20 minute centers per day and I allow two weeks for students to complete everything on their list.  Some of them with have everything checked off.  Others will only have the "must do" activities completed.  As students come to my guided reading group, I check their folders to make sure they are on the right track.
     At the end of the two weeks, I give a completion grade for the list and an accuracy grade for one activity.  So far, this has been amazing!  I can see each student learning and growing!

I've attached the to-do list I created...it should be editable!  Make centers easy and meaningful work!  It doesn't have to be very intricate and complicated.  Your students need to be engaged and working on what they need to practice on.  Have fun!

Literacy Center Log