Developmental Centers

    Centers promote independence, foster decision making and encourage involvement.  Children grow and develop in classrooms through centers.  Students work independently or in small groups in centers.  I may work with a small group or individuals on specific skills and/or projects during this time.  Below the following table are areas of focus for each center listed.
 
 

Blocks	Sand/Water Table	Housekeeping/  Dramatic Play
Math  Manipulatives	Art	Painting
Library/ Reading	Manipulatives	Writing
Puppets	Cooking	Social Studies
Science/ Discovery	Woodworking	Computer
Listening	Language Arts & ABC Games	Geography
Puzzles & Games	Electronic  Games

Block Building Center

• provides practice with social skills
• develops gross & fine motor skills
• teaches mathematical concepts (shape, size, balance, & counting)
• increases creativity & decision making skills
• enhances social studies development
• develops visual discrimination skills
• provides opportunity for dramatic play
• increases communication skills & oral vocabulary

 
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• develops sense awareness
• develops concepts involving space, measurement & volume
• develops gross & fine muscle skills
• develops opportunities for problem solving & creative thinking

 
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• develops visual discrimination skills
• provides opportunities to role play home experiences
• increases social development & communication skills
• develops small & large muscle coordination

develops self-awareness as well as better understanding of the immediate environment
 
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• develops rational counting skills
• develops understanding of numbers & number relationships
• develops mathematical vocabulary
• develops fine motor skills
• develops positional understandings such as over, under, & beside
• develops concepts concerning time & money
• develops classification skills
• develops serration skills

develops geometric skills

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• develops creativity & imagination
• develops small & large muscle skills
• develops color concepts
• provides for release of positive & negative feelings
• increases sense awareness
• develops reading readiness
• develops pre-writing skills
 
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• develops creativity and imagination
• develops small & large muscle skills
• develops color concepts
• provides for release of positive & negative feelings
• develops pre-writing skills

• develops an appreciation of good literature
• encourages an interest in & respect for books
• strengthens visual perception
• develops imagination
• increases vocabulary & attention span

develops reading readiness skills (reading from left to right & top to bottom)
 
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• develops fine motor skills
• develops reasoning skills
• increases creativity & decision making skills
• enhances social studies development

• develops fine motor skills
• develops left-to-right patterns
• develops oral to written language expression

• develops creativity and imagination
• develops social awareness
• develops reasoning

• provides rich sensory experiences
• develops fine motor skills
• provides good nutritional information & experiences
• develops awareness of health & safety factors involved in cooking
• provides first-hand opportunities to practice skills in math, reading, science & communication

develops social skills
 
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• develops sense of self, family & others
• develops community awareness
• provides opportunities for locating, analyzing & evaluation data
• develops problem solving skills through communication & social participation
• develops sense of time & chronology
• develops map & globe skills
• provides opportunities for use of symbols & keys

 
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• develops sense awareness
• encourages a child’s curiosity
• develops observation & discrimination skills
• develops concepts through first-hand experience
• develops respect for the environment
• provides opportunities for care of plants & animals
• provides a foundation for later learning in physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, etc.

• develops large & small muscle coordination
• develops creativity
• increases sense awareness
• develops eye-hand coordination
• develops math & science concepts
• teaches proper & safe use of tools
• develops problem solving skills

develops social & communication skills
 
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• increases vocabulary growth
• develops listening skills
• develops skills for writing
• develops fine motor skills
• develops oral language skills
• develops reading readiness skills ( visual discrimination, letter recognition & rhyming words)

• develops an appreciation for different types of music
• develops a feeling & sense of rhythm
• strengthens auditory discrimination
• strengthens cognitive skills & conceptual development
• develops small & large muscle coordination
• provides opportunities for creative expression through movement,
• rhythm activities & use of instrument & song
• develops responsibility & care in operating record players, cassettes players, CD players & using rhythm instruments

• develops map & globe skills
• provides opportunities for use of symbols and keys

• provides social involvement

• provides practice with specific skills
• develops eye-hand movements

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