Literacy Centres in the Middle Years (4 to 7 )

Literacy Centres in the Middle Years (4 to 7 ) Adapted from

A. Independent Reading Centre 1. Establishing a Reading Centre Purpose: to expose students to a wide variety of reading material and to develop attitudes in students that reading is not only an enjoyable experience but is also a means of locating information

Independent Reading Centre Establishing a Reading Centre Overview : to be accessed during the day by the whole class at silent reading time, by a small group during LDT to research a topic or by a small group during LDT for some other purpose

Independent Reading Centre Establishing a Reading Centre Materials : a wide selection of reading material that encourages students to spend time there such as good quality fiction and non-fiction books, magazines, newspapers, school newsletters, photo albums, catalogues, comic strips, program guides, student/class-made books etc

Independent Reading Centre 2 . Reading Journals Purpose : students will be able to evaluate and assess their own reading progress Overview : students use the journal to reflect on books they have read Materials: a small note book or exercise book

B. Writing Centre 1. Establishing a Writing Centre Purpose : to provide students with an opportunity to practise and consolidate their writing skills and understandings for a range of purposes and audiences

Writing Centre Establishing a Writing Centre Overview : students use the centre to plan, edit, consolidate and publish writing in a variety of forms using a variety of mediums (Some common genres that are usually taught in middle and upper primary are procedures, reports, explanations, expositions, narratives, visual texts such as comic strips /cartoons/web pages/emails )

Writing Centre Establishing a Writing Centre Materials : paper, card, computer, utility box with stapler, scissors, rubbers, post- its etc, dictionaries and thesauruses, editing and proofreading guides, punctuation and grammar guides and most importantly guides and examples of the range of genres that the students have been exposed to, other writing support charts

Writing Centre 2. Mind Maps Purpose : to enable students to comprehend and remember new information through organizing and recording in unique and creative ways

Writing Centre Mind Maps Overview : students use mind maps to organize the content of a text that has been read , heard or viewed (Other graphic organizers can also be taught and used for this same purpose )

Writing Centre Mind Maps Materials : laminated or paper copies of all the graphic organizers, writing materials of different colours, copies of some completed examples of graphic organizers

Writing Centre 3. Writing the Walls Purpose : to help students locate words that are displayed in the classroom Overview : the students can then use the words located as a reference during independent writing

Writing Centre Writing the Walls Materials : high frequency word charts, word family charts, phonogram charts, 100 most frequently misspelt words chart, charts of examples of a variety of different genres and students own published work

Writing Centre 4. Independent Writing Purpose : to promote writing as a rewarding, enjoyable and creative activity Overview : students are to write independently and cooperatively using a wide variety of genres

Writing Centre Independent Writing Materials : different types of paper, a variety of writing materials, computer for publishing, dictionaries and thesauruses, scrap paper for having a go at spelling, plastic pockets for students to keep their drafts, writing support charts eg punctuation, grammar, genre guides

C. Computer Centre

Computer Centre 1. Fact versus Opinion Purpose : to provide students with the opportunities to identify the difference between fact and opinion through information found on the internet Overview : use the interests of the students to research info and then discuss and justify whether the info collected is fact or opinion

Computer Centre Fact versus Opinion Materials : computer with internet access, highlighters of different colours

Computer Centre 2. Editing and Proofreading Purpose : to focus the students’ attention on the importance of spelling as a functional aspect of writing Overview : students are provided with practice editing and proofreading without the distraction of the mechanics of writing

Computer Centre Editing and Proofreading Materials : teacher –prepared message accessed by computer

Computer Centre 3. Information and Research Purpose : to give students the skills to analyze, sort and use information gained through computer access Overview : students will develop the skills to set purposes, self and peer questioning and comprehending

Computer Centre Information and Research Materials : information that is related to a class topic either from newspapers or the internet

D. Responding to Text Centre 1 . Book Quiz Purpose: to encourage students to recall and discuss texts that they have previously read Overview : the aim is for the group to guess the title by looking at the poster that displays aspects of a text by using a set procedure for questioning the person who has chosen the text

Responding to Text Centre Book Quiz Materials : titles of books that the majority of students have read on cards and a poster displaying aspects of texts that will support the group in forming questions

Responding to Text Centre 2. Changing Text Form Purpose : to demonstrate understanding of text through representing it in a different form Overview : by changing the text into another format students use higher order thinking to identify main ideas

Responding to Text Centre Changing Text Form Materials : will vary depending on form chosen but have on hand a selection of clothes and other material for drama activities, blank comic strip format, art materials

Responding to Text Centre 3. Character Diary Purpose : to encourage students to respond to text using the genre of diary writing Overview : during the reading of a chapter book, students take on the role of a character and make diary entries about events and feelings of the character

Responding to Text Centre Character Diary Materials : examples of diaries or entries from diaries and genre sheet showing layout and construction of a diary entry

Responding to Text Centre 4. Character Web Purpose : to provide opportunities to interpret and evaluate information at literal, inferential and critical levels to build a picture of a chosen character from a text either chosen by the student or teacher determined

Responding to Text Centre Character Web Overview : this assists students to see relationships between different characters and situations and make judgments about these, make inferences about characters and the part they play in the story, put themselves in the character’s situation and consider each character’s point of view

Responding to Text Centre Character Web Materials : familiar narrative text, auto- or biography or factual text containing characters and writing materials

Responding to Text Centre 5. Sensory Wheel Purpose : to provide an excellent strategy that can be used to respond to any visual text Overview : students respond to a visual text using a circle divided into five sections which relates to each of the five senses

Responding to Text Centre Sensory Wheel Materials : a large interesting picture with lots of details, copies of poems, songs, creative writing stories or oral discussions

Responding to Text Centre 6. Visualization and Mental Imagery Purpose : to provide students with a simple structure which enhances responses to any text in a creative manner Overview : students learn to use visualisation techniques to think about what they have read Materials : a text that has been read by the whole class or a small group

Responding to Text Centre 7. Compare and Contrast Purpose : to encourage students to respond to a text where the author is expressing how things are different or alike Overview : students will learn to recognise and use cue words such as “different”, “in contrast”, “same as” or “on the other hand”and will experience using a graphic organizer to support their responses to text

Responding to Text Centre Compare and Contrast Materials : several A4 laminated cards with a Venn diagram on each, overhead pens and multiple copies of a text that expresses how things are different

Responding to Text Centre 8. Reading Circles Purpose : to heighten the comprehension skills of students through sharing different aspects of text Overview : each student is given a different role to carry out during the reading of a text

Responding to Text Centre Reading Circles Materials : a variety of cards with a role description written on each, multiple copies of the text

Responding to Text Centre 9. Reading Journal Response Purpose : to encourage students to reflect critically on what they have read using higher levels of comprehension skills Overview : during or after the reading, the students write comments or predictions about the text Materials : examples of formats that can be used when responding to a text and a journal book

E. Critical Literacy Centre 1. Analyzing Newspaper Photographs Purpose : to assist students to consolidate their understanding of photos as constructions, to analyze and interpret meaning from newspaper photos and to draw conclusions about the intent of the photos

Critical Literacy Centre Analyzing Newspaper Photographs Overview : students will have prior experience in considering how their experiences, culture and context as viewers influences their interpretations of photos and as well will draw on prior knowledge and understanding of photographic techniques which can influence interpretations (size, camera angle, position, direction, body language, clothing and focus )

Critical Literacy Centre Analyzing Newspaper Photographs Overview( cont) : students will consolidate their understanding of issues related to gender, stereotypes, emotive intent, impact on the reader and intended and unintended messages Materials : newspaper photos (laminated ), accompanying headlines, additional info on how, when, why and where the photo was used

Critical Literacy Centre 2. Point of View Purpose : to develop an understanding of characters and justify a view taken of them Overview : students choose a character and discuss and justify their opinion about the character then create a representation of them

Critical Literacy Centre Point of View Materials : will vary according to form of character representation chosen by teacher or student

Critical Literacy Centre 3. Responding Critically to Advertisements Purpose : to encourage students to extend their critical literacy skills through the genre of advertising Overview : students critically analyze advertisements, identifying values, attitudes and cultural messages which may be intended or unintended

Critical Literacy Centre Responding Critically to Advertisements Materials : a selection of newspaper, magazine or television advertisements on a particular theme such as Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day etc to be read or viewed

Critical Literacy Centre 4. Sociograms Purpose : to critically analyze relationships between characters from a read, heard or seen text, to represent character relationships in a form of a graphic organizer and to explore literal and implied relationships between characters

Critical Literacy Centre Sociograms Overview : students identify and represent in diagrammatical format the relationship between identified characters Materials : a variety of writing materials

Critical Literacy Centre 5. Structured Controversy Purpose : to encourage students to work collaboratively and to reach consensus about a text that has been read, heard or viewed Overview : students take turns at looking at different sides of a statement or opinion

Critical Literacy Centre Structured Controversy Materials : cards with two statements or opinions written on them

Literacy Centres in the Middle Years (4 to 7 )