BLOCK CENTER

WHY?

Blocks help children develop concepts of number, size, shape, space, and weight. They also encourage imagination, language, social skills, self-confidence, and motor skills. All you have to do is watch children playing in the block center and you will observe their pleasure and personal satisfaction. Talk about STEM and SEL all rolled into one center!!

The block center should be on a carpeted area with shelves to keep down the noise and contain the materials. Here are some materials you can rotate to encourage children’s creativity.

Materials:

Unit blocks – various shapes and sizes

Cardboard boxes

Alphabet blocks

Wooden dollhouse and furniture

Wooden barn and animals

Plastic dinosaurs and zoo animals

Toy train set, boats, airplanes

Small dolls or action figures

Plastic bins or boxes for accessories

Wooden cars and trucks

Toy street signs

Bristle blocks

Construction hats

Carpenter’s apron

Engineer Planning book

Maps

Paper, pencils

Pattern blocks

*Add construction hats or carpenter’s aprons for children to wear as they build.


Here are three simple rules children need to follow in the block center:

1. Build only as tall as you are.

2. Only knock down what you build.

3. Put the blocks away when you are finished.


JUST FOR FUN!

Name Blocks
Tape children's pictures to unit blocks and use for building, graphing. and other activities.

TP People
Glue full body photos to paper towel rolls and use in the block center or with a puppet theater.

WHY USE LEARNING CENTERS?

Learning centers are the most natural way to organize a classroom and encourage children to become active learners. Centers encourage children to make choices, explore at their own level, engage in hands-on discovery, solve problems, work with friends, use language, and be creative. Centers are also an effective way to use classroom materials, time, and space. Above all, learning centers capitalize on PLAY, which is the most meaningful and FUN way for children to learn.

Why use learning centers?

*Hands-on activities in centers provide many pathways to the brain and are engaging for young learners.

*Children can work at their own pace and level.

*Executive function skills of task initiation and task completion are nurtured with centers.

*21st Century Skills are enhanced as children cooperate with others, communicate, problem-solve, and think critically.

*Centers give children the opportunity to develop organizational skills and responsibility.

*Centers can provide children with purposeful practice for automaticity.

*Children take it in and take it in and take it in…and then something comes out! With centers we are laying a foundation by giving children a variety of rich experiences.


IT LOOKS LIKE I’M PLAYING BUT….

Just because children are playing, doesn’t mean they are not learning!!! Here are some center signs for you to post in your classroom to help parents, administrators, and other visitors recognize all the skills that children are developing.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12i0cGopnEY28T3hxovLjiZeoOYYVEy0W/view

Dramatic Play – It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing social skills, emotional skills, independence, oral language, my imagination, responsibility, and the executive function. I may use these skills as a mother, father, safety officer, or politician one day.

Blocks - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing motor skills, math concepts (number, size, shape, space), oral language, social skills. eye-hand coordination, self control, and my imagination. I may be a builder or architect when I’m grown.

Art – It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing my creativity, small motor skills, problem solving, sharing, cooperation, independence and responsibility. I may use these skills as an artist, illustrator, or designer one day.

Math - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing oral language, social skills, small motor skills, concepts about quantity, shape, size, pattern, and an interest in math. I may use these tools as a computer programmer, accountant, or mathematician in the future.

Library - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing alphabet knowledge, oral language, print knowledge, listening skills, eye-hand coordination, concepts about the world, and the desire to read. Maybe I’ll be a publisher, author, or librarian when I grow up.

Science - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing a curiosity about the world, sensory skills, problem solving, language skills, and experience with the scientific process (observing, predicting, experimenting, recording, reporting). If I’m a doctor, lab technician, pharmacist, or landscaper I will utilize these skills.

Small Motor - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing small muscles, eye-hand coordination, attention span, social skills, and concepts about size, shape, color pattern. I might use these skills as a chef or dentist one day.

Language – It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing oral language, alphabet knowledge, print connections, phonological awareness, visual skills, book knowledge, phonics, motivation to read. No matter what I become when I grow it, it will be important to know how to read.

Writing - It looks like I’m playing, but I’m developing eye-hand coordination, small motor skills, alphabet knowledge, self confidence, vocabulary, and an interest in print. I might use these skills one day as a journalist, administrative assistant, or poet.

Thanks to Carolyn Kisloski for these fantastic center signs.

LET'S PLAY WITH BLOCKS

If you ever went to one of my workshops you heard me say, "If I could have two things in my classroom I'd take books and blocks." Blocks are great for creative play and STEM, but they can also be used for other skills.

Note! For some of these activities you will want to tape the paper to the blocks or use sticky notes. For other games that will be used in multiple ways (such as letters and numerals), you could write on the blocks with a permanent marker.

Sequence– Tape illustrations (from a workbook or worksheet) of different parts of a story. Children can sequence the pictures and retell the story using the blocks.

Rhymes– Tape pictures of objects that rhyme to blocks and have children match them up.



CVC Words– On 2 ½” squares write consonants with a blue marker and write vowels with a red marker. Tape to blocks. Let children build CVC words using the blocks.

Prefixes and Suffixes– Use a black marker to write root words on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and tape to blocks of the same size. Write prefixes with a green marker and suffixes with a red marker on 2 ½”” squares and tape to square blocks. Children place the prefixes in front of the root words and read. Place the suffixes on the end of the blocks and read.



Onsets and Rimes– Write rimes (vowel and letters following) on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and tape to blocks. Write onsets (consonants and blends) on 2 ½” squares and tape to blocks. Children put onsets on rimes and read the words.

Singular and Plural – Write nouns on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper. Tape to blocks. Write “s” on a 2 ½” square and tape to a block. Challenge children to read singular words and then make them mean “more than one.”



Inflicted Endings– Write verbs on 2 ½’” x 5” pieces of paper. Write “s,” “ing,” and “ed” on 2 ½” squares and tape to blocks. Can children make words and then use them in sentences?

Letter Blocks– Write uppercase letters on 26 blocks and lowercase letters on other blocks. Can children match upper and lowercase letters?

Alphabetical Order– Ask children to put the blocks in alphabetical order.

Sight Words and Spelling Words– Invite children to reproduce their names, high frequency words, spelling words, or vocabulary words with the letter blocks.

Beginning Sounds– Using old workbooks, cut out pictures and tape them to blocks. Ask children to match up letters with pictures that begin with the same sound. (You could do this for final sounds or vowels.)

Building Sentences– Challenge children to construct sentences using the high frequency words.
I like…
We can…
I see…

Environmental Print – Ask children to bring in labels from food products or items around the house. Tape to blocks. Can they build towers and read the words?

DON'T FORGET MATH!!!!

Sorting – Can they sort like blocks together? Can they regroup the blocks by another attribute?

Numerical Order – Write numerals 0-10 on 2 ½” x 5” pieces of paper and attach to blocks. Can they put the blocks in order? 

Sets and Numerals – Write numerals, number words, and sets on blocks for children to match.



Roll and Stack – Children take one or two dice and roll. They select that number of blocks and stack them as tall as they can. 

Counting – How many blocks can you stack?

Math Signs – Write inequality signs, =, +, and – on pieces of paper and attach to blocks. Children can build equations and practice addition and subtraction with the numeral blocks and signs.

Liquid Measurement – Write “cup” on two square blocks. Write “pint” on a rectangular block. How many cups in a pint?

Fractions – What would happen if you cut the square block in half? What would happen if you cut the rectangular block in half? How many ways can you make the square block? Rectangular block?

Measure Up – Children lay on the floor as friends take unit blocks and measure how many blocks long they are. Use different size blocks and compare.

Graphing – Have children draw their faces on 2 ½”” squares. Tape to blocks. Use for comparing and graphing.
For example: You could have a picture of a bus, feet, and a car. Children place their block under the way they travel to school. Which one is more? Less? How can we tell for sure?

PICTURE ME

Children LOVE pictures of themselves, don't they? Take photos of children and make multiple copies to use in these activities to nurture self esteem as well as social relationships.

Lookin’ Good Lotto!
You will need two copies of each child’s photo. Mount photos on 3” squares of construction paper. Shuffle squares and have children match up the ones that belong together.

*Put a photo on one square and a name on one square.

Puppet People

Glue photos to craft sticks and use for working out problems or making up original stories.

Block Friends
Glue photos to square blocks and use in the block center.

Felt Board Friends
Attach a small piece of Velcro to the back of each photo and use with a flannel board.

*Be sure to include a picture of the teacher!

Class Directory 

Put pictures of children and their name on index cards to use in the writing center.

Class Stationery
Ask children to draw their picture and write their name in one of the squares. Run off many, many copies so you can put them in the class writing center.

Hint!  You could also let children write their name and draw their picture on 3" squares and then reduce the size for the outline of the stationery.

SINGULAR AND PLURAL

Standards may come and go, but singular and plural forms of nouns will always be in the curriculum. 

Singular and Plural
Write the name of common classroom objects on the board. Cover the end of a fly swatter with white paper. Write the letter “S” on the paper as shown. Children take turns adding the “s” to the end of the words and saying the plural. Can they use it in a sentence?

Blocks
Cut paper the size of rectangular and square unit blocks. Write common nouns on the rectangles and tape to blocks. Write “s” on a square and tape to a square block. Children read nouns and then add the “s” block and read the plural.

Unifix Cubes
Place sticky dots on cubes and write letters on them. Make a list of common nouns. Children make the words with the cubes and then add “s” at the end and read the word.

Singular and Plural (Tune: “This Old Man”)
One is book, 2 are books.
One is cook, more are cooks.
Add an “s” to the end of a word
Makes it plural, haven’t you heard?
One is toy, two are toys.
One is boy, more are boys.
I’ll say a word, then you add an “s.”
You make it plural - do your best!
Car Star
Dog Log
Cat Hat
Ball Wall
Coat Boat
*Let children suggest other words to sing in the song.


T-Chart
Children draw a T-chart on a sheet of paper. On the left side they write the singular form of nouns. On the right side ask them to write the plural form. Can they read the words?

Oops!
Make up inappropriate sentences and when the children hear you say something wrong they can say, “Opps!” Have them repeat the sentence correctly.
Teacher: “We have 12 boy here today.”
Children: “Oops! We have 12 boys here today.”

I CAN READ! Environmental Print

Environmental print is one way young children “read pictures” and develop visual literacy. Using environmental print at the beginning of the school year is a great way to help children make print connections, develop visual memory skills, and motivate them to read. 

Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard

Ask children to save food wrappers from snacks and their lunches. Glue wrappers to sheets of paper and write this rhyme at the top of each page:


Old Mother Hubbard

Went to her cupboard

To get her poor dog a bone.

But when she got there
 T
he cupboard was bare

And so the poor dog had…(Children read food logo.)

What’s for Breakfast?

Ask children to bring in the box from their favorite cereal. Cut the front section off and on a sentence strip write: “Child’s name eats name of cereal.” Glue to the bottom of the cereal box. Put all the boxes together and make a book. Write “What’s for Breakfast?” on the front cover. Hole punch and put the boxes together with book rings.
*You can also make a book with sacks from fast food restaurants.



Clothes 

Read sayings on T-shirts, sports jerseys, shoes, and other clothing the children wear to school.



We Can Read Bulletin Board

Ask children to bring logos from food boxes, magazines, toys, clothing and household products. Make a poster or bulletin board that says: “We Can Read!” Let children glue their logos to the poster. Read over the words together.



Read at Home Book

Cut 9” x 12” sheets of construction paper in half. Let each child choose 4 or 5 different colors and staple them together to make a book. Write “I Can Read” on the front and let the children decorate with their name and picture. Send the book home with a note to the parents about helping their child recognize different logos, signs, and words on products and in the home and as they drive down the road. Encourage parents to help their child cut out words they can read from boxes, magazines, and advertisements. Ask children to bring their books back to school to “read” with classmates.

I Like

On Monday send home a sandwich bag with a note asking parents to help their child look for words she can read on food labels, toys, advertisements, and other products around their house. Children cut these out and bring them to school Friday in the sandwich bag. On Friday, encourage the children to “read” the labels that they have brought to class. Write the words “I” and “like” on index cards for each child. Model how to place the cards on the floor with a label from their bag. Point to the words as you read, “I like logo.” Ask the child to read it for you as you point to each word. Comment, “Look at you reading!!!!”



Block Engineers
Cut store logos from Sunday advertisements. Tape to wooden blocks and make your own mall in the block center.


Out the Door
Several years ago when I was in Pleasanton, TX, Nadine Barrow shared this idea. She posts words and environmental print on the inside of her door. Students have to read two of the words before exiting the classroom.

BLOCK CENTER

WHY?

Blocks help children develop concepts of number, size, shape, space, and weight. They also encourage imagination, language, social skills, self-confidence, and motor skills. All you have to do is watch children playing in the block center and you will observe their pleasure and personal satisfaction.  Talk about STEM and SEL all rolled into one center!!

                                          

The block center should be on a carpeted area with shelves to keep down the noise and contain the materials. Here are some materials you can rotate to encourage children’s creativity.


Materials:

Unit blocks – various shapes and sizes

Cardboard boxes

Alphabet blocks

Wooden dollhouse and furniture

Wooden barn and animals

Plastic dinosaurs and zoo animals

Toy train set, boats, airplanes

Small dolls or action figures

Plastic bins or boxes for accessories

Wooden cars and trucks

Toy street signs

Bristle blocks

Construction hats

Carpenter’s apron

Engineer Planning book

Maps

Paper, pencils

Pattern blocks


*Add construction hats or carpenter’s aprons for children to wear as they build.


Here are three simple rules children need to follow in the block center:

1. Build only as tall as you are.

2. Only knock down what you build.

3. Put the blocks away when you are finished.


JUST FOR FUN!

Name Blocks
Tape children's pictures to unit blocks and use for building, graphing. and other activities.

TP People
Glue full body photos to TP rolls and use in the block center or with a puppet theater.

#05-BACK TO SCHOOL FOR YOUR BEST YEAR EVER! Picture Me

Children LOVE pictures of themselves, don’t they? If you’ll take photos of children and make multiple copies you’ll be able to use them for dozens of games, books, and art projects throughout the school year.

Memory

Cut out 3” squares from cardstock. Glue two photos of each child to the squares. Children can use these for a matching activity. They can also place photo cards face down on the floor and try to match pairs by turning over two cards at a time.

*Write the child’s name on one square and glue their photo to the other square for more a more challenging game.

Sorting
Have children sort photo cards by beginning sounds, number of syllables, alphabetical order, etc.

Puppet People
Attach photos to straws or craft sticks and use for working out problems or making up original stories.

TP People
Glue full body photos to TP rolls and use in the block center or with a puppet theater.

Blocks
Tape children's pictures to unit blocks and use for building, graphing. and other activities.

 

Flannel Friends
Attach a small piece of Velcro to the back of each photo and use with a flannel board.
*Be sure to include pictures of the teacher, principal, and school helpers.

Clothespin Kids
Glue children’s faces to spring clothespins and store in a cookie tin. Use for songs, asking questions, transitions, etc.

Art Projects
Let children cut out their faces and use them for various art projects. For example, they could draw a picture of what they want to be when they grow up around their face, draw themselves as their favorite storybook character, make a collage with their friends’ pictures, and so on.

Business Cards
Use your computer to help children design personal business cards. Include the child’s name, school, teacher’s name, and a graphic of their choice. Print on cardstock, cut apart, and have children distribute them to family members, neighbors, and friends. How cool is that!!!

BLOCK ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS

Engineer Planning Book

Write “Engineer Planning Book” on the cover of a notebook. Explain that engineers draw a plan and then try to build their design. Place the book in the block center along with a pencil and encourage children to draw their idea and then try to build it.

City Planners

Learning to read store logos and other environmental print is a natural way to help children 

make print connections. What fun to be architects and engineers and design their own cities! 

Materials: store and restaurant logos, photos of your school and other places in your community, tape 

Directions: Cut out store logos and tape to blocks with clear packaging tape. Tape pictures of your school, post office, and other places in your community to blocks and challenge children to design a city. 

More! Walk around your school and community and take pictures of your students’ favorite places. Make copies of the pictures and tape to blocks. 

*Take a full length picture of each student. Print a 5” X 7” copy on card stock and cut out each photo to make a paper doll of each student. Use binder clips to make the paper dolls stand up.

 Here are some fantastic downloads that Carolyn Kisloski created for you to add to your block center.

I CAN BUILD pictures for the block center.

 

Click to Download 

Environmental print to put on rectangular blocks.

Click to Download