Classroom centers are one of our favorite organizational supports in the busy classroom because they allow for increased differentiation and increased engagement with less wait time. To make centers work, it is important to develop a plan, share the plan with staff, and then to create organizational tools so the students know what to expect. In today's Organization Station, we will highlight some of the most creative ways we have seen for organizing classroom centers.

Grouping Visuals
The first step to successful implementation of centers is to determine the number of centers and how students will be grouped. Sometimes, grouping by skill level is helpful when planning differentiated tasks.
Name magnets can easily be moved between centers
Bev Richardson
Bruce Elementary, Eaton
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Group frames can be moved to the assigned center location Genevieve Harvey West Carrollton ECC, West Carrollton |
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Color-coded center groups Debi Gnua Mad River ECEC, Mad River |
Slide Visuals
Recently, classrooms have seen more teachers using Google Slide decks to organize and display their centers. This is a great solution when you need something that can easily be modified in the moment.
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Julia Spencer Learning Center West- MCESC |
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MaKynzie Lowery Learning Center West- MCESC |
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Brandi Owings Perrin Woods Elementary, Springfield |
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Hannah Walters Kenwood Elementary, Springfield |
Location-Based Visuals
To assist students who struggle with transitions, we recommend using a location-based schedule that students can match their schedule card to the corresponding location when it is time for them to transition to that center.
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Deanna Hicks East Elementary, Eaton |
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Deanna Hicks East Elementary, Eaton |
Often, basic colors or shapes can be an easy visual for students of all ages or abilities to match.
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Rebekah Foust Mad River ECEC, Mad River |
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Jenny Vogt Schnell Elementary, West Carrollton |
Student Choice
At times, you may have open-ended classroom centers where students can choose where they want to go. We love these visual supports for students to show their choices.
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Rebekah Foust Mad River ECEC, Mad River |
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Jenna Falldorf Milton Union Elementary, Milton Union |
Looking for more ideas for organizing centers in your classroom? Check out our previous post here: