Literacy
Work Stations
Presented By: Lindsay Randall
Literacy Work Stations/Centers
• To provide a means to implement quality
independent practice of previously taught
literacy objectives. Literacy stations may be
used to support distributive practice,
differentiation, and engagement for
students while teachers work with small,
flexible groups of students.( Southall, 2009)
Why should we use centers?
• Practices that include whole group instruction
and drills focusing on isolated skills (often
found in pre-packaged language arts curricula)
are “not particularly effective for primarygrade children, [and] are even less suitable
and effective with preschool and kindergarten
children” (Arquette, 2007)
Benefits
• One way is to use literacy centers that can
provide reinforcement or skills, choice of
activities, and can enable the teacher to work
with small groups for direct, differentiated
teaching. (Arquette, 2007)
What’s Different About Differentiated
Literacy Centers?
Traditional Centers
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Activities are based on whole-class
instruction
Differentiated resources are not
available
Students may become bored or
frustrated
Individual levels of support are not
part of the center design
One level of response format is
provided for each activity
Students may select activities that
are outside their instructional zone
Differentiated Centers
• Activities are based on student
assessment data
• Students work with multilevel
resources
• Students are engaged in their
learning
• Levels of support based on
student need are incorporated
into the design of each center
• Tiered activities include varied
responses for each skill or
strategy
• Students follow a simple coding
system to select activities within
their instructional zone.
(Southall, 2009)
3 Steps to Implementing
Differentiated Centers:
• 1. Identify the appropriate level of challenge
for your students based on assessment data
• 2. Select the appropriate center activities that
directly support the skills and strategies
• students most need to practice and extend
• 3. Plan center activities for groups of students
working at the same level of challenge and on
• the same skills at the centers
(Southall,2009)
Think-Pair-Share
1. Why is having differentiating centers
essential for literacy stations and having
authentic purpose for literacy instruction?
2. What challenges do you forsee in
Implementing differentiated centers?
Examples of Differentiating Centers
• Presenter: Show example of the center and explain how to
differentiate. Show materials
Gradual Release of Responsibility
• Modeling – through the use of read alouds, modeled writing,
shared reading, guided writing and mini-lessons
• Coaching– Students practice with teacher in guided reading,
writing groups or mini-lessons
• Independence – Students work independently at work
stations with materials and strategies previously taught.
(Diller, 2005)
Explicit Instruction Ideas
- Explicit
- Types of Mini Lessons
- Beginning of the year how tos
- Introducing a work station
- After adding something new
- Reviewing work station activities
- Anchor charts
- I Can Lists
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1.Teacher Models and Explains the Activity
Some activities need repeated modeling, while others need to be modeled only
one time. For example, an alphabet matching game may be modeled once at the
teacher-led center and then placed at a student center. Completing an open sort
may require many whole group lessons in addition to modeling at the teacher-led
center before being placed at a student center.
2. Teacher provides Guided Practice
Students practice what the teacher models and the teacher provides prompts and
feedback.
3. Teacher provides Supported Application
Students apply the skill as the teacher scaffolds instruction.
4. Independent Practice
Students apply the skill independently.
(Florida Department of Education,2005)
Example: I Can
• What is an “I Can” list?
• A list if activities generated by the class
that they could do at a work station.
• Why use I can lists?
- Helps build student ownership and buy in.
- They provide students with choice.
- Provides opportunity for differentiation.
Make and Take
• Make and Take activity- presenter models and instructs the purpose and
use of the center. The presenter will model how to create the center for a
meaningful literacy center.
• Discuss with the group how to differentiate this particular center.
• Consider…How does this literacy station activity employ effective and
efficient means to reach one of the goals that I set?
• Does the activity provide meaningful literacy practice for your
students and support what your are teaching?
• Is there anything that could be changed or added to this the activity
to make it a more meaningful literacy activity for your students?
Video of Differentiating Literacy
Centers
• http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php
?title=Literacy_Centers&video_id=209521
As you watch the video:
1. What are the benefits of differentiating
literacy centers?
2. What was the most engaging aspect that you
took away from the video or new
information?
Evaluation
• Please take a few minutes and fill out the
evaluation. Please reflect on the session so far.
Book Study
Chapter 3
Practice with Purpose- Debbie Diller
• Think-Pair-Share
• How can we hold students accountable for
their lieracy center work?
How to Document Progress
• Anecdotal notes
• Student work samples
• Take photos of students working at stations (
twice a year)
• Use work station sharing time to collect
information
Holding Students Accountable
•Observe two students a day
•Periodically review student reading logs
•Have students share during class sharing time
•Periodically evaluate student book reviews or
responses
( Diller, 2005)
Word Splash
• Each person will take 2 minutes to create a
word splash on the information they took
away from the chapter that they read prior to
the session.
• Next, please take two minutes to read each
word splash.
Minute Reflection
• Please answer the following…
• 1. What are three new pieces of information
you learned from chapter 3 that you will now
implement in your own classroom.
• 2. What questions do you still have about
literacy centers and holding students
accountable?
Discussion of Session
Please take a few minutes to fill out a
2nd evlaution to evaluate the session as
a whole. Please complete the overall
evaluation.
References