Monday, March 19, 2012
Choosing Boards and Center Wheels
While reading in Serious Players in the Primary Classroom Selma Wassermann talked about a classroom procedure that she used along with her classroom co-teacher, choosing boards. During their 90 minute center time students are allowed to use the choosing board to self regulate and choose their "centers"although they call this choosing time. I just love this idea! This gives students such a sense of responsibility and allows a sense of independence for them while their "choices" are all teacher driven. In my classroom of preschoolers I use a center wheel to choose centers. Students pick a clothespin that corresponds to a specific center and stay in that center for our 45 minute play block. Once the initial procedure was implemented students began recognizing immediately when their classmates were in the wrong area...and calling them on it! Whether it is choosing boards or center wheels choice is an integral part of student development.
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I am intrigued to try a choosing board and/or the wheel system as you describe in your classroom. I have always done "center pockets" which I think provide a bit more scaffolding for students as they actually see when they arrive at a center whether or not it is full. Do your studetns ever have trouble associating the board with the center they are supposed to be at?
ReplyDeleteChoice is a key piece for student engagement. How is the center wheel going? Do students stay at one center for 45 minutes - or do they move around the center wheel throughout center time? I'm curious to know how it works.
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