The best way for 2nd graders to learn is through active play. My classroom
is designed to have some Active Play Centers. I carefully plan the materials
in each Active Play Centers to develop skills and meet the needs of the
children in my class. This is a list of the centers and some of the many
skills that children develop as they play in the centers. Active Play
Centers are not used on a daily basis and may only be used to interact with
a specific topic/holiday/etc. Please email me with any questions or
suggestions :)
Art Center- When children work at the art center, they develop:
social skills
eye-hand coordination
imagination
muscle skills
creative expression
problem solving skills
concepts about size, color, shape and texture
Play dough center- When children play with play dough they:
develop small muscles
create
learn to share
often pound and squeeze play dough helping angry feelings go away!
Snack center- When children are at the snack center, they:
use math skills to count
make choices
work on manners
follow directions develop social skills
Discovery/Science-In the discovery center, children:
observe
experiment
predict
solve problems
make decisions
discover
develop both science and math concepts
Block building- When they build with blocks, children:
build muscle skills
develop math concepts-number, size, shape, space and weight
plan and follow through
work together with others
Pretend- In the pretend center, children:
learn to take on other roles- mother, father, doctor, teacher, waitress,
waiter, etc.
develop social skills
work together with others
develop language skills
express themselves creatively
Listening- At the listening center, children:
listen to a variety of stories read by a variety of people
follow along in the book as it is read
hear special sound effects that enhance the stories
Building sets- When children play with building sets they:
develop small muscle skills
develop eye-hand coordination
work together with others
create
plan and follow through
Reading Center- When children play in the reading center, they:
read
learn to enjoy, appreciate and care for books
"picture read" books
re-read familiar stories
practice reading skills
Math Center- In the math center, children learn about:
counting sorting and classifying
making patterns
comparing
sequencing
graphing
measuring
geometric shapes
adding and subtracting
Language and ABC Center-In the language and alphabet center, children
develop:
letter recognition
oral language
vocabulary
rhyming skills
phonics skills
story telling skills
Writing Center- In the writing center, children:
use a variety of materials for writing
discover many purposes for writing
write cards, letters, stories and books
develop motor skills
develop eye-hand coordination
