One round of centers had seven different activities the children would rotate through, doing one a day. While the children were at centers I had time to do guided reading activities with a group. One of the centers was working with me.

ROUND ONE:

1. Guided Reading

2. Role Play Center - At this center children role played stories we had shared as a whole group earlier on. The first story was: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. I provided the props that were needed to retell the story. These props included: a black hat, white gloves, a shirt, a pair of jeans and an old pair of shoes. These were all items that my son had outgrown.

3. Listening Center - At this center I provide four walkmans in a large tin with a book and a tape. The stories included in the first round were: The Bat Jamboree by Franklin in the Dark by Paulette Bourgeois

4. Word Play - Using orange or black play dough the children practised spelling the Halloween words from our word bank. (Use cake decorators food coloring for black icing.

5. Journals - Following a sentence frame students brainstormed things that frighten them.  A _____________ frightens me. These stories were later used with the Paint program where the children chose one sentence to type in and illustrate it. (See           )

6. Pocket Chart Reading - Using finger puppets as pointers (ghosts, bats, spider rings) the children choral read the Halloween poem in the pocket chart. When they have finished they take out the sentence strips and sort them and replace them in the pocket chart.

7. Independent Reading Books - Boo! (taken from           ) - This book reinforces color words and sight vocabulary.

ROUND TWO:

1. Guided Reading

2. Role Play Center - The second story we used was The Enormous Pumpkin by .

3. Listening Center - The stories included in this round were Franklin's Halloween by Paulette Bourgeois,

4. Word Play - Using clipart collected off the computer a sheet of Halloween symbols was developed and used for a labeling activity. The children used the pocket chart full of Halloween words we had brainstormed and illustrated as a reference to be able to spell the words they needed to use to label the pictures.

5. Journals - Using monster body part stamps the children will create a monster in their journal and then write a character sketch to go with the picture.

OR

This time the students could use the sentence frame: A ________ is black or A _________ is orange reinforcing the color and sight words.

6. Pocket Chart Reading - Using finger puppets as pointers (ghosts, bats, spider rings) the children choral read the Halloween poem in the pocket chart. When they have finished they take out the sentence strips and sort them and replace them in the pocket chart. This rounds poem was

7. Independent Reading Books - 5 Little Pumpkins - students complete book as cloze and if time remains can sing song or color. This book reinforces number words and sight words.