Classroom Tour: Math and morning bins

This is where my math manipulatives are stored. There is one sensory bin over here too. 

The other one is on a different wall.  

Most of the math manipulatives that I use for centers are in those 9 cube shelves.

The kids use them before class or in the afternoons or if we have indoor recess.

This is where I grab my morning bins for the first month.

Morning Bins read about those HERE.

At the beginning of the year, we start off super easy.

Check HERE for our first week morning bins.

I checked around my room- then go from there.

So my advice to you for starting morning bins is to see what you have on hand FIRST!!!

Puzzles

MagnaTiles

all those toys from Target that you buy for FOMO

or wait, is that only me???? ekkkk

I needed 5 different items.

*Color bears (I don't own these lol everyone has them, but me lol)

*chain links

*frogs lol (you have bears, I have frogs) 

*pattern blocks

*Unifix cubes

Super simple and easy prep for you and perfect for the first week of school.

I love when I only have 4 rotations, then I can change them on Fridays.

 I have prep on Fridays. So I like to be able to swap out then, 

not rushing to do it after school or before school. 

Then I wouldn't remember when I changed it.

Eventually, I put on a cute paper clip on one of the name cards, 

so I knew which rotation I was on. 

In week two I add cards to the drawers.

so the first week we just play, I mean explore.

Kids need to do this, it is very essential.

I got printables for each drawer.

So I just added some pattern block templates to each drawer.

I added link printables to the drawer.

I have logs and printables for my frogs

printables for teddy bears

printables for Unifx cubes.

This is what goes into our centers too. Especially when they don't get to explore in the mornings.

It depends on how long it takes them to gather their star and folder and check-in and then write their names to get to their morning bins. 

They know the expectations already with those tools, so it's just extra practice.

 

Classroom Tour: Library and Light Table

 

Here is my library loft.

There is a bookshelf up there and some comfy chairs.

Underneath is my light table center.

Read more about my light table HERE.

I am thinking of putting another magnet board against the front wall.

I still want to be able to see in my loft :)

When we open the library we read a few books:

Lola goes to the library and this one that stays all year in our loft.

There is also a Pip book for the library too!

Get most of the printables HERE.

There is a sign for the Pip box.

I just made the classbooks sign. It is actually printed on each end of the bin.

Read more about my light table HERE.

There isn't a book for the light table and it is one of the last centers I open up. Like I'm talking October/November!  They help me make an anchor chart and we post it in the center.

Classroom Tour: Science Center

We make this chart together!

I laminated the chart paper after I glued on the words.

Then I used a Vis a Vis marker (wet erase)

Grab the FREE printables for that chart HERE.

The printables on this chart comes from the same packet from above.

 We read "What do Scientists do" and the "tools they use" and we can find them in the science center.

We trace whatever tool we want on our recording sheets and clipboards. I hang those from the clips on the clip string in our science center. I have them tell me as they draw/trace and I write it in pen on their page. 

Grab a printable here.

Tools Scientists Use free

What Do Scientists Do free

The I am a Scientist book $

Classroom Tour: Writing center

The WRITE signs are from Tara West. 

I move the WRITE letters on the wall near the top.

We made an anchor chart. 

I tried making it look like a crayon/marker box.

Write on/ write with/ not write on.

Those word cards are from HERE.

On the side of the wooden shelves, I have a small white hook-

this holds our name cards.  

I do not have scissors or glue in my writing center.

That black container is a Tool-turn-about is from Pampered Chef!

It holds pens, markers, pencils, colored pencils, and crayons.

In the wooden shelves:

clipboards

plain paper- multi sizes

stencils

pencils

crayons

I take the themed paper and tool-turn-about off 

daily because I share my classroom.

Classroom Tour: Centers

Center Time!

I share my classroom, so I store my centers in that 9 cube shelf. 

I may have 3 extra centers on top.

In the photo at the end of the post, you can see

one unit that was totally out of control lol

So many centers to choose from! 

I like to have options, so I give my students options too!

I usually have math, writing, letters, fine motor, science, ELA, 

sensory, art, dramatic play, blocks, light table,

pocket chart, and interactive board.

No, I do not have all of those going at the beginning of the year.

We introduce our centers basically one at a time.  

We read a Pip the Pup book about that area.

Then we practice that center.

Click HERE to read all about Pip and our first week of school.

For our ROOM CENTERS

These centers don't move :)

We have our:

blocks

writing 

dramatic play

science

library loft

light table is under our loft (it's darker)

I try to have something to add to the room centers for each theme.

So in the beginning, I use THESE posters to spark their interest.  

Before I put our binder in the center with design pages inside,

I think when they have built one of these structures, 

I will put their name on a Post-it Note.

The cube shelf centers stay on one side of the room.

When they are done with the center bin, they return it to the shelf.

Sometimes I add wooden toys to our block area.

If you want to see what was in this photo, hop over HERE.

Hop along with us as we discover all the centers in our room.

Classroom tour part 1