Using literacy centers in your classroom is a great hands on way to help students build reading, writing, and word work skills every day. You may choose to run your centers while you are busy working with small guided reading groups or assessing individual learners. It is important to teach students how to use each center before having them work there on their own. Working through each center once as a class can give students a basic understanding of what they should be doing.
The literacy centers described below are best for Grade 1 students, although some can be used in Kindergarten or Grade 2 depending on the level of your students.
Word Families Center
This Word Families Literacy Center is great for hands-on independent practice. Students can use them with dry erase markers to make both short and long vowel word families. This can also be used for small group instruction, extra practice for early finishers, or intervention.
It comes with these 42 word families:
SHORT VOWELS
at, ap, an, ad, am, ag, ed, est, en, et, ess, ish, in, ig, ip, it, id, og, ot, op, ob, oss, un, um, ug, ub, ut
LONG VOWELS
ake, ame, ain, eep, ee, eat, ice, ine, ite, one, oat, ose, ue, ute, une
For more ideas, check out this Word Families blog post!
Beginning and Ending Sounds Literacy Center
These Beginning & Ending Sounds Cards (CVC words) are perfect for a word work center. Laminate them for your students to use with dry erase markers. They can make words by adding the beginning and ending letters.
Students can then copy the words they have made into their notebooks or use the recording sheet that is included to sort the words by their vowel sounds.
This center comes with 45 cards (9 cards for each short vowel sound).
Grab these FREE Beginning & Ending Sounds Worksheets for some extra practice!
Sentence Building Literacy Center
At this Making Sentences Center, students arrange the words in each envelope to make simple sentences. They can use the answer card to assist them or you can leave it out (depending on their level). They can print the sentences they have made in their notebooks. It comes with 25 sentences. These are helpful for beginning readers or writers.
For more ideas, check out this Making Sentences With Beginners Blog Post!
Partner Reading Cards
These Partner / Buddy Reading Cards are great for having students read aloud to each other. Each card has 8 sentences, so students will read 4 sentences each.
Reading to someone can help to develop fluency and confidence. Students can also give each other feedback and they can help each other decode new words.
You may wish to laminate and send these cards home in a baggie for students and parents to read together for extra practice.
This set comes with 25 full page non-fiction passages and one graphic organizer for students to write the facts that they have learned from the passage (if you choose to add a writing component).
Read and Draw Center
Let students get creative with this fun center! Just laminate these cards and place them in a tub with some dry erase markers. Students read the sentences and draw the pictures. Teachers can check for comprehension by looking at the drawings.
You can also use these for early finishers. This center comes with 25 full page activity cards.
CVCe Words Activities
Laminate these CVCe Words Activities and have your first grade students use them with dry erase markers to make words with long vowel sounds by adding an "e".
These hands-on activities can also be used for small group instruction, extra practice for early finishers, or intervention.
Punctuation Center
This literacy center can help first grade students identify, complete and write statements, questions, and exclamations by using the correct punctuation mark.
There are two versions of the center so you can differentiate.
The first version is a Fill in the Punctuation card where students complete each sentence by simply choosing the correct punctuation mark.
The second version is a Write Your Own Sentence card where students must write one statement, one question and one exclamation about the animal.
Writing Prompts
These 35 prompts can help your students get started writing about different topics. Each page uses primary lines and includes a picture. It can be part of a writing literacy center. It comes with a checklist so students can be sure they have done everything necessary.
Sequence of Events Center
This center can help first grade students develop reading and retelling skills. Students read the passages and then order the events by cutting and pasting them into the correct sequence.
It is great for small group work, independent work, or for use in literacy centers.
Syllables Sorting Activity
Use these 40 word cards with pictures to help your students learn to identify the number of syllables in words. This fun sorting game has words with 1, 2, 3, and 4 syllables.
Singular & Plural Nouns Sorting Activity
This fun nouns sorting activity makes a great center or independent activity! It focuses on plural nouns ending in s, es, and ies.
Making Inferences Game
Your students can practice making inferences with this fun game!
Students read short paragraphs to each other and then answer the multiple choice questions. If they are correct, they move the number of spaces indicated on the card.
Rhyming Words Worksheets & Match Game
Use the match game for practice and then use these cut and paste worksheets as an assessment!
All About Insects Center
This literacy center is good for small group lessons, or even to use as a research projects for primary grades! Your students will learn all about caterpillars, butterflies, ladybugs, grasshoppers, and ants!
You can find all of these resources individually in my online store or you can purchase them in this Literacy Centers Bundle that comes with 15 centers!
Looking for resources for a slightly lower grade level?
You might want to check out my blog post on 5 Kindergarten Learning Centers!