Homeschooling - centers for the younger ones

I like to say that we arrived late to the homeschool party. My kids were in 7^th, 5^th, and 3^rd grades when we started. The upside to that was my kids could all read, write, and do basic math – this was going to be a breeze.

Enter child number four. We adopted a 5 year old that was half way through kindergarten when he came to live with us. We decided to homeschool him with the rest of our children; so with no time to prepare, I began teaching a kindergartener that did not know how to read, write, or do basic math. He was already a little behind his classmates. He also needed a lot of attention which made schooling the other children more difficult.

Enter “center time.” I created as many “centers” (I use this term loosely) as I could think of to keep him busy and productive. We had a small house, so “centers” needed to be compact and portable. I bought several clear plastic shoe boxes at the craft store for less than a buck each. I labeled the outside of each box with a picture icon of the “center.” Then each morning, he would choose 4 or 5 “centers” that he would do for the day. Most of them could be done independently once he understood what to do, though a few of them required a partner (mom or an older sibling).

For kindergarten our day consisted of centers, reading together, computer time, and joining in with the older siblings for unit studies. He needed speech therapy; so we worked on that each day as well. On Fridays we went to a co-op. We kept it simple. He learned to read and write and do basic math (though he still struggles with math). My advice is this – don't stress, keep it simple, they will learn.

Most of these ideas could be used from preschool through first grade depending on the child. I modified them some between kindergarten and first grade, so I will list all of the ones we used over the years. Most of them use things you probably already have around the house and whatever you do need to purchase will not cost much.

Today I will cover some general centers. Future posts will cover math and language arts centers.
I have written about sensory bins before and they would also make great centers.

Mail center – all of your junk mail especially the postcard type, rubber stamps, stickers

I learned this game as a kid from my best friend's mom. We would play mailroom for hours. Let your kids stamp and sticker the mail. You could even make a mailbox out of an old shoebox with a slot on top.

 Flashcards (Flashcard race) – flashcards: alphabet, sightwords, numbers, addition, etc.; board from a boardgame (I like the Balderdash game board) and 2 board pieces

Flashcards are great for many centers and learning in general.  You can find them online to print for free or buy them at a dollar store.  We play a game with them, too. Find a very basic board from any board game, or create your own with around 20 spaces from start to finish. Show your child a flashcard and if they get it correct they get to move one space. If they do not get it right, you move one space. Obviously, I always let him win by making sure he knew more of the cards than he did not know – but it is a fun way to challenge him and keep it interesting.

Sewing or Lacing Cards – cards and laces or yarn (I bought some at a yard sale and some at a dollar store. You can also make them.)

This is great for fine motor skills.

Games – pickup sticks, connect four, memory,yahtzee,  tiddly winks

This changed from time to time based on interest and skill level. You might be surprised how many games can be “played” independently even if they weren't designed to be. Connect four is great for making patterns. Candyland and Chutes & Ladders are sometimes more fun without the pressure to win – the goal is just to finish.

Puzzles – 24 to 48 piece puzzles (tons of choices at a dollar store)

Science box – magnifying glass, small measuring tape, plastic tweezers, nature books 

Encourage your child to explore (inside and outside) by examining, measuring, and even collecting whatever they find.

Magnets – magnet set or gather magnets and random items to “test”

If you have a magnet set, kids can build things with them. Otherwise, collect some magnets (kitchen magnets will do) and random things for them to test out if they are magnetic or not.  Make sure your child does not put things in his mouth before starting this one.

Blocks – depending on age: Duplo, Lego, Trio, or whatever you have (Lincoln Logs, anyone?)

My son doesn't really like to play with toys, so making it a center was important for us. If you have a kid that builds with blocks for hours just for fun – skip this one.

Art box - water colors & paper, paint with water books, paintbrushes, finger paints (if you dare), newspaper (to cover the table)

Let's face it; kids love this stuff.

Playdough - playdough (store bought or homemade), cutters and tools

If you are like most parents, you have too much of this stuff.  The key here is to put just enough to fit in the small plastic shoebox, then rotate the contents from time to time.

Other ideas would be puppets, a play kitchen area, coloring, a book center where they can "read", books on CD, musical instruments (if you can stand the noise), and any educational toys you already have.  Go on a hunt through your home to find things that could be put to use in a "center."  You'll be surprised at what you can come up with it.