Now that you know what each center is, and how each one is used, let me tell you a little more about using them.

If you are using the teachable method handouts, you just need to go in and print out that week’s handouts and put them in the corresponding baskets. There is a small animal in the top right hand corner of each sheet that corresponds with the animals on the baskets. You can get your free animal center tags here. This is to make it easier for you to prep your centers.

You need to remember that table top time should not last longer than fifteen minutes. Allow at least 25 minutes each Monday because you will be explaining the baskets to your students before they actually get table top time. This is a long time for new kindergarteners to sit, so I suggest having the students go around to different tables to get the explanation of each center, and then having them go back to their own tables to begin.

It is very important that you are up and walking around during these centers because you will be constantly monitoring and assessing the needs of the students. You will find that some children complete these centers quickly and with relative ease. If that is the case, then you can have them help out some of the other children who are struggling, or you can give them manipulatives such as bears or counting blocks to play with while the other children finish.

Tabletop centers are not designed to be a full year curriculum. They are going to tie into a much larger writing curriculum throughout the school year. (In fact, you will start doing them in conjunction with writing almost immediately.) They are, however, designed to teach children basic rules and procedures of kindergarten while helping develop the fine motor skills the students need to be successful writers.

Have fun with these centers! Go over to the play-doh center and challenge the kids to create the longest snakes, or ask them to make the tallest snowman! These baskets are designed to help you facilitate the beginning of an entire year with these students. Using them effectively now could make your kindergarten year a breeze.

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