Learning centers are a favorite time of the day.  My kids love the hands on activities and I am thrilled they they are engaged in skills based practice.




Teachers are often asked my administrators about student accountability.  Many choose to use a recording sheet to check student work. I have to say, at time I have used a recodring sheet but I truly believe it placed the accountability of student learning on the teacher and not the students.
Not to mention, 1-copies are always an issue, 2- I dislike checking excessive papers and 3- students need instant feedback so their practice has meaning.




So then what is a teacher to do? I searched long and hard for engaging centers that promoted student acountability.  Children WANT to complete the work with accuracy but usually have no instant FEEDBACK for their answers.

                     

Drum Roll Please....Swingables!! Say what???  Yes, you heard me right, Swingables!
English translation:  Center Activities that focus on a particular skill with a Swingable piece (connected with a brad) that reveals the answer!

                       

YES!  Students can now self check their answers! Y'all, they LOVE having the power of the teacher!!
Students LOVE being accountable for their work and more importantly, they get INSTANT feedback on their work so there are no misconceptions.

                       


Are you looking for a particular skill that you would like a Swingable for?  Chances are if there is one you need, someone else needs it too!  Leave a comment here on the blog or email me at theresourcefulapple@gmail.com.  If I use your idea, I will send you a FREE copy when the Swingable is completed like the teacher who asked about Making a Ten Snowmen!

                     

To check out all the Swingables available, head on over to The Resourceful Apple on TpT and check out the custom categories on the sidebar where you can click on SWINGABLES for the latest and the greatest or you could grab the Swingable Growing Bundle now to SAVE big!

Are you an organizer by heart or does the term ORGANIZE make you twitch? Well either way, organization can help keep teachers one step ahead of the students so let's see what we can do to make our school year run just a little smoother!




Have curriculum prepped and ready to go ahead of time.

I try to make it a point to prep as much as I can in the summer and organize it in a way to make it easy to find when I need it! Parent volunteers can also be a great resource to help you prep materials ahead of time and stay at home parents love the option of prepping from home for the classroom too.  The 12x12 bins are ideal for centers and games that I can pull in a moments notice like Math Activities for the Year.


Organize your classroom supplies.

I print labels with matching pictures to that not only does each material have a home, but my youngest learners can identify what is on the label for easy clean up! Pocket Labels are my go to and I stock up as soon as I see the clear, plastic, adhesive pockets at Target!



Teach your students how to stay organized.

Our students  already know that all the classroom supplies have a place to be stored, so why not teach them how to store their own belongings?  At the beginning of every year, I use Picture Name Tags so every student is given a picture symbol that is associated with his/her name throughout the classroom.  You can read more about Picture Name Tags HERE. This is a quick and easy way to take the guess work out of "Where do I put my ....".




Keep Families Informed

There are so many options we have with keeping parents informed.  There are monthly newsletters, weekly newsletters, school wide agendas and even online apps such as Class Dojo.  I use A Peek at My Week half page newsletters along with Class Dojo for daily messages/pictures. There are so many ways to Make Meaning Connections with parents and the children are the ones who are the winners here!





Utilize a Planner

Teacher planners are amazing and can help keep you organized in a BIG way!  I use my planner for yearly planning, monthly calendars, weekly lesson plans, to do lists, student checklists, grades and the list goes on and on!  The key is TO USE IT! Summer is the perfect time to find a planner that works for you and set it up so you are organized and ready to go from day one of planning!




All you have to do is enter the Rafflecoptor below for a chance to win the Erin Condren Planner pictured above!    The planner even comes with an interchangable cover!!

Center time is every preschoolers favorite time of the day.  I am going to share with you a peek into my classroom center time.  We try to incorporate a lot of open ended centers for my pre-kinders to engage in along with a sprinkling of games. Students learn to take turns, share, build vocabulary as well as practice skills taught during small groups in an open ended way!  
The alphabet center consists of all things language.  We play games like Roll and Cover, write on the magic boards and use LOTS of alphabet manipulatives!  Some days there is an adult stationed there to help facilitate a game and other days the children work and play independently with alphabet materials and writing instruments.  


The Math Center offers a variety of maniplatives that are often open ended and games that might need some teacher direction.  Some days students ask us to leave the materials out from our Small Groups (read more HERE) to explore further.  I do have a plan for what materials will be set out each day, but the students often take the lead and embrace our choice or change it quickly.


The Block Area is limited to four students as it makes sense for the amount of blocks available.  There are several types of blocks such as Legos, colored blocks and Bristle Blocks in addition to the large wooden blocks so more than one type of block is allowed out if there is enough space on the large carpet.  Manipulatives such as cars and animals are often added after building structures and roads.

So many preschoolers and kindergarten friends come to school  with little fine motor practice.   The first thought when fine motor comes up is pencil, paper activities,  but the reality is there are so many ways to build fine motor BEFORE children are ready for pencil, paper activities.

Clothes pins and larger tweezers offer children practice with the pincer grasp.   We practice using pop poms and small objects  as they are grabbed and moved from one place to another.   Alphabet Mats and sensory tables provide a place for integration with these skills.