Literacy Work Stations

Presented By: Lindsay Randall

Literacy Work Stations/Centers

• To provide a means to implement quality independent practice of previously taught literacy objectives. Literacy stations may be used to support distributive practice, differentiation, and engagement for students while teachers work with small, flexible groups of students.( Southall, 2009)

Why should we use centers?

• Practices that include whole group instruction and drills focusing on isolated skills (often found in pre-packaged language arts curricula) are “not particularly effective for primary-grade children, [and] are even less suitable and effective with preschool and kindergarten children” (Arquette, 2007)

Benefits

• One way is to use literacy centers that can provide reinforcement or skills, choice of activities, and can enable the teacher to work with small groups for direct, differentiated teaching. (Arquette, 2007)

What’s Different About Differentiated Literacy Centers?

Traditional Centers

• Activities are based on whole-class instruction

• Differentiated resources are not available

• Students may become bored or frustrated

• Individual levels of support are not part of the center design

• One level of response format is provided for each activity

• Students may select activities that are outside their instructional zone

Differentiated Centers

• Activities are based on student assessment data

• Students work with multilevel resources

• Students are engaged in their learning

• Levels of support based on student need are incorporated into the design of each center

• Tiered activities include varied responses for each skill or strategy

• Students follow a simple coding system to select activities within their instructional zone.

(Southall, 2009)

3 Steps to Implementing Differentiated Centers:

• 1. Identify the appropriate level of challenge for your students based on assessment data

• 2. Select the appropriate center activities that directly support the skills and strategies

• students most need to practice and extend• 3. Plan center activities for groups of students

working at the same level of challenge and on• the same skills at the centers(Southall,2009)

Think-Pair-Share

1. Why is having differentiating centers essential for literacy stations and having authentic purpose for literacy instruction?

2. What challenges do you foresee in Implementing differentiated centers?

Examples of Differentiating Centers• Presenter: Show example of the center and explain how to differentiate. Show

materials

Gradual Release of Responsibility• Modeling – through the use of read alouds, modeled writing, shared

reading, guided writing and mini-lessons

• Coaching– Students practice with teacher in guided reading, writing groups or mini-lessons

• Independence – Students work independently at work stations with materials and strategies previously taught.

(Diller, 2005)

Explicit Instruction Ideas

- Explicit

- Types of Mini Lessons - Beginning of the year how tos - Introducing a work station - After adding something new - Reviewing work station activities - Anchor charts - I Can Lists

Gradual Release of Responsibility• 1.Teacher Models and Explains the Activity • Some activities need repeated modeling, while others need to be modeled only

one time. For example, an alphabet matching game may be modeled once at the teacher-led center and then placed at a student center. Completing an open sort may require many whole group lessons in addition to modeling at the teacher-led center before being placed at a student center.

• 2. Teacher provides Guided Practice • Students practice what the teacher models and the teacher provides prompts and

feedback. • 3. Teacher provides Supported Application • Students apply the skill as the teacher scaffolds instruction. • 4. Independent Practice • Students apply the skill independently.

(Florida Department of Education,2005)

Example: I Can

• What is an “I Can” list?

• A list if activities generated by the class that they could do at a work station.

• Why use I can lists?- Helps build student ownership and buy in.- They provide students with choice.- Provides opportunity for differentiation.

Make and Take• Make and Take activity- presenter models and instructs the purpose and use of

the center. The presenter will model how to create the center for a meaningful literacy center.

• Discuss with the group how to differentiate this particular center. • Consider…How does this literacy station activity employ effective and

efficient means to reach one of the goals that I set?

• Does the activity provide meaningful literacy practice for your students and support what your are teaching?

• Is there anything that could be changed or added to this the activity to make it a more meaningful literacy activity for your students?

Video of Differentiating Literacy Centers

• http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Literacy_Centers&video_id=209521

As you watch the video: 1. What are the benefits of differentiating

literacy centers?2. What was the most engaging aspect that you

took away from the video or new information?

Evaluation

• Please take a few minutes and fill out the evaluation. Please reflect on the session so far.

Book StudyChapter 3

Practice with Purpose- Debbie Diller

• Think-Pair-Share

• How can we hold students accountable for their literacy center work?

How to Document Progress

• Anecdotal notes

• Student work samples

• Take photos of students working at stations ( twice a year)

• Use work station sharing time to collect information

Holding Students Accountable

•Observe two students a day

•Periodically review student reading logs

•Have students share during class sharing time

•Periodically evaluate student book reviews or

responses

( Diller, 2005)

Word Splash

• Each person will take 2 minutes to create a word splash on the information they took away from the chapter that they read prior to the session.

• Next, please take two minutes to read each word splash.

Minute Reflection

• Please answer the following…

• 1. What are three new pieces of information you learned from chapter 3 that you will now implement in your own classroom.

• 2. What questions do you still have about literacy centers and holding students accountable?

Discussion of SessionPlease take a few minutes to fill out a 2nd evaluation to evaluate the session as a whole. Please complete the

overall evaluation.

References

Arquette, C. (2007). Multiple Activity Literacy Centers: Promoting Choice and

Learning Differentiation. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 35(3), 3-9.

Digital Millennium Copyright- TeacherTube. (2010). Literacy Centers. Retrieved November 4,

2011. From http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Literacy_Centers&video_id=209521

Diller D. (2005). Practice with purpose: Literacy work stations for grades 3-6

Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers Limited.

Florida Center for Reading Research. (2005). Kindergarten and first grade: student canter

activities: teacher resource guide. Florida Departments of Education

Southall, M. (2009). Differentiated Literacy Centers in Action. Retrieved from

http://www.reading.org/Libraries/54th_Annual_Convention_Presenter_Handouts/

Differentiated_Literacy_Centers_in_Action.sflb.ashx