Organization, organization, and more organization is the key for making word study games and centers work for you and your students. Today, I’d love to share how our center area is set up and some of my favorite materials for getting this area organized and running smoothly! If you are getting excited about implementing games and hands-on activities into your word study routine, this is a time-saving post for you as your plan your way to center success! And, be sure to grab the center tips guide that includes SIX free game center activities for you to try with your class!

If you put in the time upfront to properly organize your word study center space and train your students to use the materials and keep it organized, centers can run like a well-oiled machine all year long! 

Okay, ready to think through your center/games organization in 1-2-3-4?!

• Consider the space and location for your center materials

• Consider materials needed and gather them

• Choose your organizational tools

• Train your students…

• And, Let’s Go!

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STEP 1: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Decide where you want your word study center materials to live. Make sure this area is easily accessible for students and has enough space for multiple baskets or magazine files as you’ll need one for each of your word study groups. A regular bookshelf like the one shown in the picture is perfect and just enough space for organizing your word study materials. You can place a small table or desk beside of it, and students will have the space to get organized before moving to an area in the room to play their games. Or, if you have enough space in this area and only a few students completing word study games at a time, you can place a table that is large enough for students to stay in the area and work there.

You’ll likely want this area to be visible from any place you may be in the room and not located too close to your small group table, as it will be an area of a lot of action and potential for distraction if too close to where you are trying to work with students.

You’ll also want to consider where students will complete their activities. Depending on how you’ve set up your word study schedule and the way your classroom is laid out, it may make sense for students to complete their center games and activities in front of the center materials or you may need to agree upon different locations where students may work. For example, if you have a classroom rug or meeting area, this is the perfect place to allow students to spread out for their centers/game time! 

STEP 2: MATERIALS NEEDED!

As you are getting organized, it helps to have an idea of what types of games and activities students will play and make list of materials they’ll need to play them. 

I’ve created a variety of word study games like match and other card games, spinner games with picture boards, Connect 5, and follow-the-path type board games. So, for our word study game time, my students will need access to

• paperclips (or those fancy clear plastic spinners),

• counters/Bingo chips, and game pawns (fun erasers are cool for both counters and pawns!). 

I also like to have a cup of sharpened pencils near the center area so that students can grab one if needed and maximize their time! I purchase pencils that are all the same color (like black or pink) so that it is very obvious that these pencils belong to the word study center.

You’ll want to gather all of the manipulative-type materials students may need to get a visual of what you’ll be organizing.

STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE ORGANIZATIONAL TOOLS AND SET UP YOUR SPACE

You really can’t go wrong here as long as organization and function is your goal (and of course, pretty baskets always make a teacher’s heart pitter-patter). You’ll want to consider two aspects of organization: 

1) where you will house ALL of your “not-in-use” word study materials and 

2) where you will put materials for students to access. 

It’s totally a matter of preference and what makes the most sense for the space you’ve set up for the center. You may choose to have baskets like these for each word study group or a plastic file box with a lid like these and have hanging file folders set up for each group. Currently, I like to use magazine file holders like these (as shown in the picture) with the games that students need for their current word sort placed in a two pocket file folder (my preference) or a gallon sized ziploc bag. Many teachers may choose to use baskets, but magazine files will take up less shelf space since they are vertical.

STEP 4: GAME OR ACTIVITY SET UP

Use a two pocket folder for each game or activity. Label the front of each folder with the name and number of the game or activity (like “WWP 2” for Within Word Pattern Game 2). Below the name, list any additional materials needed that students would not find in the folder. For example, if students need a paperclip and pencil for a spinner activity, note that on the front of the folder.

Inside each folder include everything else students need to complete the activity or play the game. In the left pocket, either glue or include the student directions. The right pocket should include any game boards, game cards, activity sheets, and recording sheets that may be needed. (Consider using small ziplock baggies to contain game cards or small pieces that may easily fall out of folders).

STEP 5: TRAINING TIME

We all know that training students on our expectations is a crucial investment in the success of having a particular routine or time of day run smoothly and effectively. Thinking through how you want word study centers to run and explicitly modeling that for students will save you SO much time and headaches!

If you’ve already implemented a word study schedule (link to that post here) for your students, then the job of communicating when students should be going to the word study center is already done for you. Next, model for students (and have them model for you) how to gather the materials they will need. Show them how to find the materials for their specific word study group and the correct activity folder.

Have students practice referencing the list on the front of the folder to gather all of their materials at one time. Getting this behavior down pat will help minimize disruptions and ensure that students can stay on task during your word study block. 

Next, discuss where students should go to play their game or activity. I recommend designating a separate area like the carpet or extra work table for partner games and having students complete most independent activities at their desk.

Show students how the folder is organized and discuss expectations about partner pairing (when applicable), noise level, game/activity set up, and spacing between partner groups. The more specific you get, the easier the centers will run while you are meeting with other students and not able to micromanage. For more info on how to manage student behavior during word study games click here.

Finally, model clean up time, have students practice putting the materials back into the folder and returning everything to its proper place for the next group to use. Also, decide and communicate to students where you want them to turn in or keep any recording sheets completed during the activity or game.

It’s also important to note that new word study games should be introduced during your small group meetings before expecting students to play them without your guidance during a center rotation.

STEP 6: CAMERA, LIGHTS, ACTION!

Now that you have everything organized and students know the expectations for word study center time, you are ready to start cycling word study groups through the centers! 

When you first add centers to your routine, you’ll want to plan to use the first few minutes and last few minutes of your word study block to go over any reminders and adjustments that need to be made. If you notice that things are starting to fall apart without your direction, it simply means your students need a little more time spent on modeling and practicing. 

Trust me, you’ll get word study running smoothly and it will become one of you and your students favorite part of the day! Most excitedly, your students will benefit from the differentiation and eagerness that centers can provide!