Centers are a great way to incorporate lots of skills into your daily schedule. Centers in a self-contained classroom can be tricky trying to juggle student needs with the staff in the classroom. Independent centers are a must, so lets talk about a reward center!
Types of Centers
There are lots of types of centers. There are 4 I like to use in my classroom:
- Teacher run
- Para run
- Independent
- Reward
What is a Reward Center?
A reward center is just that: a center dedicated to student reward time! In your centers rotation, include a reward center where students can choose a leisure activity they enjoy participating in. It gives your students a nice break during centers rotations.
Some activities you may want to include in your reward center are:
- Ipad
- Music
- Puzzles
- Sensory toys
- Books
- Switch toys
- Stuffed animals
- Games
- Beanbag chairs
- Playdoh
How to Run a Reward Center
A reward center can be an additional independent center in your rotation. Use a choice board to have students choose their activity for that center, then they can participate in their activity independently. Depending on the staff in your classroom, you can have one para supervise your independent and reward centers. You could eventually fade the adult support out as your students become more independent.
Reward centers are beneficial for so many reasons! They add an additional independent center, give students a break during center rotations, and give your students an opportunity to engage in choices! Will you try a reward center in your classroom? Check out this blog post on 3 math centers to try in your classroom!
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