The ABC Center

The ABC Center is one of my favorite centers in the primary classroom and offers an opportunity to reinforce letter knowledge and high frequency words. Although I like to stock this center with things like ABC puzzles, ABC books, stamps, ABC bingo, and magnetic letters, I also like to have a product at this center for students to complete.

At the start of the year, students spend time working on letters and letter formations. Activities such as sorting letters or making letters with different types of materials help to draw attention to the features of letters. As students progress, I like to introduce high frequency and sight words into the center. More advanced students can sort words by spelling pattern, initial/ending sounds, blends or digraphs, number of syllables, etc., while students working on building their reading vocabulary can use their kinesthetic skills to make the word multiple ways. For example, if a student was working on the word “would” (which would be reinforced in their guided reading lesson), I would have the student make the word (with magnetic letters, Wikki Stix, or macaroni), write the word, stamp the word, and find the letters in a magazine to make the word. My students loved all the activities in this center and I found it incorporated many ways for them to look at the same word in different ways.

 

Another activity for ABC center is making picture dictionaries or ABC books. This is a great activity for ESL students as it reinforces their learning in literacy and vocabulary. If you have an ESL inclusion teacher, this is a great center for them to work at.

Students can go on word hunts, put words in ABC order, play word games such as sight word bingo, hangman, Boggle, Jr. or Scrabble, Jr. For more advanced students they can begin to do some dictionary and thesaurus work. Obviously, I don’t want students copying definitions or lists of synonyms, but it is important that students learn how to use these resources.

Correct letter formation should be a staple of this center. Although explicit handwriting instruction comes at different points during the day, students should continue to practice at each center. I make a chart with the students that shows correct letter formation with arrows and descriptions and place it by the center for support if they forget how to form a letter.

            In the ABC center some work will be self-differentiating. Other areas through will require the teacher to think about appropriate activities for each child. Some children may need work on basic words like: is, to, like, and see. Other children may have already moved on to more challenging spelling patterns or irregular words. One way to keep work separated is by labeling folders or activities with different colors. For example if I am doing spelling patterns, maybe the green folder is working on the pattern –at, the purple folder on –ike, and the blue folder on –ow.

            Some parts of the ABC center may have a product while others may not. While my guided reading groups are switching, I try to move around to the ABC center and note what activities and on what level students are learning/working. Students’ reading and writing will give many clues about their phonics knowledge. By monitoring their writing, miscues, and errors I come up with ABC activities specifically targeted to their needs.

ABC Center Ideas:

            -sort letters by shape, attribute, sound, feature

            -make letters and words out of felt, paper, Wikki Stix, magnetic letters, play dough

-alphabetize words

-read/write ABC books

-play ABC Bingo or other games

-string ABC beads in ABC order or to make words

-match alphabet cards with the same beginning/ending sounds

-dictionary/thesaurus work

-complete ABC puzzles

-illustrate and match ABC words

-use letter stamps to make HFWs/sequence letters/stamp beginning/ending/medial sounds

-make ABC charts 

-stamp pictures to match initial sound