Work Centers
I absolutely LOVE my work centers. They run very smoothly and we are able to maximize instructional time. I have a very systematic work center system that is very easy to implement in any classroom. My system promotes student learning and independence. The first component to my work center system is my furniture layout. I have three work center tables located in my classroom; two kidney bean tables and one six foot table. Each table is labeled with a color label both on the table and hanging from the ceiling above the table. I have a “red table,” “yellow table,” and “blue table.”
My student’s are broken into three different groups based on their abilities. Each student has their own “working card“that is passed out before work centers begin.
Student’s choose a toy or activity that they will be “working for” during work centers. They choose the preferred task PEC from the Token Economy folder and place it on their working card. Working cards are carried by the student from table to table. Each group’s working card has visual cues at the bottom of the card indicating the order of tables they will attend to (Ex. 1st Red table, 2nd yellow table, and 3rd blue table). The working card serves as a great reinforcer for my student’s. When a student becomes unmotivated or begins to act out, a simple prompt to the working card reminds the student that they will be rewarded for good behavior and hard work. Depending on the student, I allow the student to change what they are working for during work centers if they become unmotivated.
At each table, student’s work on the provided table task or small group activity. At the end of the rotation, if the student has completed their work and behaved appropriately they receive a clothespin to clip on to the working card. This provides a visual for the student that they completed their rotation as well as provide fine motor practice. After all three rotations, if the student has earned all 3 clothespins they place their working card on their desk and “trade” it in for their preferred task/activity. For those student’s that did not earn all three clothespins, they return back to the table they did not earn their clip from and finish their uncompleted work. Student’s are held accountable for their behaviors, and must earn free time.
I absolutely love my work centers. I have found this system to be very effective with the population I work with. Student’s are being reinforced with their preferred activity/toy while still working on IEP and CAPA curriculum.
