Centered on Learning: Letter Ii

Let’s get talking about center time and how we can get our students centered on learning activities that are cross curricular and engaging,
In this case, how we can get them centered on learning: Letter Ii.

Time is always my enemy. The desire to make activities cross curricular so it layers my activities and learning is real.
I integrate as many of our weekly topics into skill building activities that are practice heavy and engagement rich.
If I can deceive my students into thinking they are playing a game or having fun,
but they are practicing important educational standards, that is always the ideal situation. Additionally, like all of you,
I have tons of different needs to meet in the classroom.

First, this is just smart. Next, it is a huge time saving step.
Third, it makes the skill building time extra fun for your students.
And lastly, it allows my students to work on building skills and working with learning ideas in a way that they relate to.

So let’s dive in so you can hopefully grab some engaging center activities to motivate, educate, and even assess your students.
My educational topics this week included fall themes like leaves, nuts, and scarecrow.
We are also covering the letter Ii and building number sense.

Yellow Center- Tally mark and ten frame self checking puzzles.

These nut themed, self checking puzzles are so much fun. I usually have my students start by sorting the pieces into
tally marks and ten frames. Then my students count the tally marks and find the ten frame side to match it.
When they find the matching side, the correct number appears in the middle.

This is a fun way to practice counting counting counting.

Orange Center- Scarecrow Labeling
Since we read several scarecrow books this week such as
Scarecrow Magic, The Scarecrow’s Hat, and  The Little Old Lady Who Isn’t Afraid of Anything.
We completed several activities with scarecrows using these books.
I knew my kids needed some labeling practice to really dive into word work practice.
My little loves have to really start to use word walls efficiently and with effort.

(These are the Amazon links, but I was able to get Scarecrow Magic for much cheaper through Scholastic Book Clubs.
I shared it this way so you can see the cover and know what to look for.)

With this activity by students use the word wall given to label the parts of scarecrow.
I insisted that the shirt was labeled as shirt and the pole as pole.
Since we used page protectors and dry erase markers,
that increased the engagement.

Red Center- Igloo Themed Initial Sound Matching

This activity is such a fun way to review initial sounds.
My county insists on letter of the week, but since I integrate all sounds each week in a creative way,
I am able to remediate students who are missing certain sounds,
accelerate students who already know most of their sounds we have covered, but not a few that we haven’t gotten to yet,
as well as help with sound confusion as we build our letter knowledge.
(Think about e and i this week since we are covering i now.)

I also chose to keep these sheets together to make it a little less messy.
You can choose to cut them apart as well as long use the letters and sounds you have covered or the ones your students are working on.

Purple Center- Nut Themed Simple Word Matching
This is such a fun activity.
Earlier this week, we did a similar activity with initial sounds and letter matching just like this.
So for centers, we took some time to match words to their pictures.
We are actually doing really well sounding out CVC words. My kids are obsessed with bossy r and silent e, which I find humorous.
(The strongly feel that every r is bossy so we constantly discuss ar, er, ir, or, and ur.
In fact I had to make them a bossy r chart so they can refer to “that bossy r letter.” )

I like to give them more words that may not just be CVC words to help those who are ready for a little but more of a phonics challenge.
Since each but has a picture clue, even my lower ability students can find success matching the easy nuts first
and leaving the harder words to sound out for last.

Blue Center- Pattern Block Mats

These FUN and differentiated mats are not mine. I purchased them from Katie Mense because I love them.
They cover so many geometry standards.
I love that we can use the shape names here.
We are also composing shapes using the pattern blocks.
Katie also includes a graphing sheet.
This allows my students to count and graph the pattern blocks they use to create each picture too.
I love it.
So much meaningful fun.

Green Center- Number word Matching

Long before TpT and file sharing, I created tons of games on cutout and notepad paper to increase engagement in my classroom.
Of course this is still a great way to create fun, interactive activities for your little wonderfuls.
This table is a review of of number words using our letter theme of Letter Ii.

Each and every year I have a small handful of students who almost refuse to learn these words.
We review and review and review these number words constantly.
And then over time, they click into the little ones brains and they get it.
I used Ice Cream cones and scoops to make one game and insects with apples to create another.

My student student could choose which of the two games they wanted to play.
Since it was the same skill, just with another look…
if they didn’t master it the first time,
I could easily review with them and then give them the other game
to try again.

I included links within this post to help guide you to anything you have further questions on.
I hope you grabbed several FUN center ideas for the upcoming week and school year.
to help you and your students to get centered on learning as well.