Children and the Curriculum: The Kindergarten Program

Managing Activity Centres

A block of time should be scheduled daily for students to choose activity centres in which they wish to become involved. It is not necessary to schedule children into centres or to set up a system of rotation, because structuring their play this way tends to deprive them of the opportunity to plan and organize their learning.

What, then, can teachers do to help children who seem to float aimlessly from centre to centre or who visit the same centre day after day and whose play seems to be stagnant?

Firstly, teachers can provide varied, subject-integrated activities that are changed frequently at every centre. This way, if a child has a favourite centre, she/he can spend a lot of time there and still experience many different learning opportunities. Also, a new addition to a centre may suddenly spark the interest of the child who wanders.

Secondly, teachers can limit the number of children who can utilize a centre at one time. Children will feel attracted to and be more comfortable in areas where they have room to manoeuvre.

Thirdly, during group assembly, teachers can make children aware of new materials that have been added to centres, thus stimulating their interest.

Fourthly, teachers can organize a system that helps children to plan their own learning (e.g., personal charts).

Fifthly, and most importantly, teachers need to observe children carefully and document their activities in order to determine the best way to enable and extend the play experiences of each individual child. Sometimes students may have physical or emotional challenges that need to be dealt with and sometimes they merely require a gentle word of encouragement. If teachers feel that, after much effort, they are not seeing progress, they should confer with the principal and the parents/caregivers. In some situations, the assistance of other professionals such as doctors or child psychologists may be required.

Following are some suggested ways in which teachers can keep track of children's visits to activity centres.

On a wall in an activity centre, place a chart which shows the children's names and days of the week, up to one month. Place a check mark in the appropriate space when a child becomes involved in the centre. (See Sample 1.)
In an exercise book, write the children's names down the left-hand side and list the areas (by initials) across the top. Leave space at the far right for comments each week. (See Sample 2.)
More detailed records of children's activities can be kept on dated file cards, adhesive-backed notes or in binders. Anecdotes, observations and questions written down at the time they occurred or at the end of the day provide a basis for instructional planning.

"My Monster Is Dirty" by James

Sample 1

Child's Name Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Mon. Tues. Etc.

Dean

Shelley

Collin

Michelle

Sample 2

Child's Name BB COM COO CP E E IP L PA QT SW SSM SI WO WR

Dean

Shelley

Collin

Michelle

BB Block Building

PA Physical Activity

COM Computer

QT Quiet Time

COO Cooking

SA Sand and Water

CP Creative Problem Solving

SSM Small-sized Manipulative Play

E Exploration

SI Special Interests

IP Imaginative Play

WO Woodwork

L Listening

WR Writing

Quotes From Kids: It's the Though That Counts - As Jessica presented her teacher with a gift of perfume on the last day of school she proudly exclaimed, "Somebody gave this to my mom, but she did't like it. Isn't it lucky that she found it in her dresser drawer this morning?"

BB	Block Building	PA	Physical Activity
COM	Computer	QT	Quiet Time
COO	Cooking	SA	Sand and Water
CP	Creative Problem Solving	SSM	Small-sized Manipulative Play
E	Exploration	SI	Special Interests
IP	Imaginative Play	WO	Woodwork
L	Listening	WR	Writing