Have you ever had that feeling that your students are not on task or not working to their fullest potential during centers?
I know that centers hold high value in the classroom to allow for valuable time teaching reading skills in small group. The problem lies in the other centers that students are completing independently. In my classroom students complete 4 centers outside of the teacher lead group which consist of: Read to Self, Work on Writing, Word Work, and Listening Center. I found that the listening center gave me the most trouble because the students had more fun playing on the iPad then listening to the stories. Does this sound like a problem you have encountered? If so, let’s fix it together!
Minimize Distraction
First and foremost if your students are using a computer or tablet, make sure any applications on it are safe for students to use. If you have students on an iPad, there are some apps, such as safari and the camera that cannot be deleted. Try hiding those applications in a sub folder, making them less visible to students. In addition to putting those applications in a sub folder, make sure they are not on the home page or the page where students are clicking on the apps. The saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” couldn’t be more true.
Set the Purpose
The second step is giving students a purpose. If you have a strong rapport with students, they will want to please you. You can achieve this by setting the stage and giving students a task to complete. In order to do this I use listening center worksheets. The listening center worksheets are given out in monthly or weekly packets. Students are provided the QR codes in addition to 3 or 4 key pieces of information on what they should be listening for.
After listening to the story, students are given a few questions that match the key questions from prior to reading. I find that this helps students and makes it easier for some of our struggling learners because they are aware of what to listen for. You can also consider having students work together in pairs as a team building activity.
Implementation
You might be thinking this sounds great, but how do I implement purposeful listening centers in my classroom? I find it easiest to implement at the beginning of the year. For the first month of school we practice centers as a whole class, meaning we all do the listening center together. To start, we talk about what students should be listening for. Next we listen to the story all the way through without stopping. You will love seeing their faces light up when they hear an answer they are supposed to be listening for. After we listen to the story, we answer the question together.
Typically I practice whole group for about 2 or 3 weeks, then I let the kids try it in small groups or partners. By the second month or so of school, they are ready to do it on their own! You will be amazed at how self sufficient they can be! Not only does the center keep students engaged, but you can also use their answers as an assessment to see what skills they are rocking, versus the skills they need more practice with.
Ready to try it out?
If you are ready to give it a go, but just need the resources, click here. You can purchase listening center worksheets bundled for the whole year, or purchase them month by month. Each month of listening center worksheets has weekly themes that are engaging and of interest to little learners.
