Center Justifications
This is why we choose to
teach young children
using centers.
Water Center
Through water play, a child may:
 acquire mathematical or scientific
skills
 learn about measuring
 enjoy filling and emptying
 understand the concepts of “wet”
and “dry”
 experience cause and effect
 enjoy the fluid sensations of
water
 experience warm and cold
 learn rules of safety regarding
water on the floor
Dolls Center
Through dressing dolls, a child may:
 gain finger dexterity
 learn about seasonal clothing
requirements
 learn to button, snap or zip
 practice caring for another person
 assume the role of mother,
father, or caretaker
Sand Center
Through sand activities a child:
 may acquire mathematical and
scientific concepts
 may integrate his/her cognitive,
fine motor and gross motor skills
 may enjoy conversation
 may need to wait for a turn
sometimes
 may enjoy the tactile stimulation
of the sand
 may enjoy measuring
 may gain experience with cause
and effect
 learns rules of safety
 may enjoy emptying and filling
Special Center
With the special materials in this
center, a child:
 may explore individual aspects of
our unit o9f study
 may discover new ideas or
materials
 may manipulate new or unusual
materials
 may practice sharing or taking
turns
 may build his or her vocabulary
 may appreciate things that belong
to someone else and need special
care
Art Center
Through art a child:
 enjoys sensory experiences
 has opportunities to plan and think
for himself/herself
 enjoys manipulation by squeezing,
pounding, brushing, cutting
 experiences creative ways of using
materials
 has opportunities for releasing
emotional frustrations and tensions
 experiments with color
 finds new ways to share his/her
school experiences with family
members
 learns responsibility for clean-up
**It’s the process—not the product—
that’s important
Book Center
Through books a child:
 may enjoy handling and looking
at books
 learns to listen to stories
 increases his/her attention or
interest span
 develops new concepts and adds
to previous experiences
 learns to visually attend to
activities
 begins to take responsibility for
the care of books
 increases his/her vocabulary
 may get new ideas and develop
interests in new things
Fingers Center
Through manipulatives a child:
 enjoys a sense of achievement
 learns to solve problems
 learns to work independently
 has opportunities to make
choices
 may enjoy conversation
 develops coordination and fine
motor control
 learns to manipulate materials
 forms mathematical concepts
 may play imaginatively
Playhouse Center
Through dramatic play in the
playhouse a child may:
 learn to play (work)
independently
 develop coordination and fine
motor control
 enjoy imaginative play
 “try on” the roles of many
different family members
 work through personal family
situations
 begin to develop a sense of
orderliness
Computer Center
Through computer experiences a
child may:
 be exposed to concrete and
playful learning where he/she can
practice responding to real life
situations in a non-threatening
and constructive manner
 acquire pre-academic skills
(shapes, numbers, letters,
same/different one-to-one
correspondence)
 observe, experiment, explore
 experience cause and effect
 begin acquiring computer literacy
skills
 learn to cooperate
 learn impulse control
Skate Center
Through experiences with skates a
child may:
 experience “heavy” and “taller”
 develop balance
 learn to wait his or her turn
 gain fine motor skills
 gain dressing skills
 learn to ask for and receive
assistance
 have fun with motion
 llearn about gravity
Puzzle Center
Through puzzles a child:
 may increase fine motor skills
 may develop an understanding of
part-whole relationships
 learns to work independently
 learns to solve problems
 will practice making choices
 may learn to finish what he or she
started
 may gain information or develop
concepts
Manipulative Center
Through these manipulatives a child
may:
 gain manual dexterity and fine motor
skills
 learn about part-whole relationships
 work cooperatively with another
child
 enjoy conversation
 explore different textures, colors and
weights in materials
 practice sharing materials
 experience comparatives such as
longer, higher, taller, bigger
 enjoy constructing, with or without
the production of a specific end
product
 gain skills in problem-solving
Magnet Center
Through magnets a child may:
 enjoy manipulating materials
 understand “same/different”
concepts
 enjoy imaginative play
 practice counting, sorting or
organizing materials
 improve coordination and fine
motor skills
 learn to solve problems
 experience magnetism first-hand
Block Center
Through blocks a child:
 has opportunities for using large
and small muscles
 chooses sizes and shapes
 learns to use his own ideas
 may enjoy conversation
 begins to recognize the rights of
others
 learns to put materials away
 learns about gravity
 learns to make decisions
 has opportunities to cooperate
and collaborate
Listening Center
Through listening a child may:
 enjoy hearing a story
 enjoy an independent activity
 enjoy listening to music
 learn to turn pages on cue
 increase his/her attention span
 develop new concepts and add to
previous experiences
 increase his/her vocabulary
 assume responsibility for
equipment
 learn to view himself/herself as a
“reader” or a “listener”
Dramatic Play
Through dramatic play a child:
 plays out home experiences
 develops muscular coordination in
imitating actions
 has opportunities to play alone
 has opportunities to “help”
 may role play life situations
 may begin to cooperate with
others
 reveals thoughts and attitudes
through conversation
 develops his imagination
 may develop thinking and
reasoning skills
Writing Center
Through writing a child may:
 enjoy manipulating writing
materials
 begin to understand that printed
words express thoughts
 choose an idea or thought to
express
 appreciate the writing of others
 learn to view himself/herself as a
“writer”
 have positive literacy interactions
with an adult
 discover that writing can be an
effective communication tool
Science Center
Through observation of natural
objects a child may:
 acquire mathematical or scientific
skills
 learn to appreciate natural beauty
 become more aware of her/his
surroundings
 learn to help care for plants and
animals
 develop an interest in
experimentation
 experience magnetism first-hand
 learn to use a magnifying glass
ABC Center
Through the ABC center a child may:
 learn to recognize letter symbols
 enjoy play with letter symbols
 begin to understand that printed
letters express sounds
 connect letters with pictures that
began with that letter
 arrange letters to form words
 learn to view himself/herself as a
“reader”
 enjoy an independent activity
Puppet Center
Through puppets a child may:
 gain hand dexterity
 develops muscular coordination in
imitating actions
 have opportunities to play alone
 role play life situations
 begin to cooperate with others
 reveal thoughts and attitudes
through conversation
 develops his/her imagination
 act out stories with puppets