Have you been wondering how to incorporate centers this school year? We had the same concern and decided to develop individual centers for students. Many students learn best when engaged in hands-on learning, and these centers definitely do that!
Students don’t have to share materials, so they are able to do centers in a more safe and healthy way. If you are still on the fence about whether or not our individual centers are right for you, here are 10 Reasons Why Teachers are LOVING Individual Centers!! ? #7 is so important!
#1 – Easy to Set-up = Low Prep!
All of our individual center sets are low prep. Just print out the activities and add the manipulative. No cutting and laminating needed.
“My students have been really enjoying using them and are very engaged. So easy to set up and has saved so much time. Thank you so much!” ~ Amanda L.
“These have been so helpful! I love how easy they were to set up. My students are really enjoying them. Thank you so much!”
“I like that this is a print and use…no cutting and laminating required! During the pandemic, I can give one to each student to work on. They enjoyed all of the activities!” ~ Laura H.
“I am using this resource to help me plan for individual centers as well as potential distance learning. They are easy to prepare in a kit that is ready to go.” ~ Sharon P.
“This is a great resource for reviewing math standards. These activities are easy to prep and use in the classroom. My students have enjoyed using the counters to complete each activity.” ~ JoBeth G.
“These make it so easy to provide students their own materials in a distance classroom. I appreciate having a wide variety of activities to provide practice for concepts.” ~ Dayna H.
“Anything hands-on is a winner for my students. Keeps my students engaged and easy to plan. Thanks for the quick activities.” ~ Amy N.
“Low prep. Fun and engaging! I bought this for my rising kinder and will use it with my first-grade class as well.” ~ Monica Q.
“I love how easy these centers are to set up! Great low prep options for individualized centers!” ~ Carlynn P.
#2 – Digital and Printable for All Centers
Teachers are loving individual centers because we have created both digital and printable formats for all of our 1:1 centers in each bundle. This way, no matter how you are delivering instruction, you can assign these to your students.
“As a 1st year kinder teacher doing both face-to-face and online simultaneously, this unit has been a lifesaver. It has exactly what I need to meet the needs of my students. I simply printed and laminated and gave it my students. I can use everything for either group. Thank you for creating meaningful hands-on/digital activities that are both fun and engaging.” ~ Cathy R.
“I actually used this both for at-home learning and in-person learning. The kids LOVE using their dice to do math games and they are always so engaged when I give the activities to them. What a fun, creative way to do their learning!” ~ Kelly M.
“This year I’m looking for both digital and paper resources that I can use right away. This product meets all those criteria for me!” ~ Donna E.
“Since I teach a hybrid model these worked well for both learners simultaneously. Thank you!” ~ Sally R.
“I am using this for both my in-person and virtual students. I gave each student their own counters, and they have so much fun with these activities. Thank you!” ~ Claudia R.
“These are ideas to assign as an on-line assignment or an independent activity in class. There is only one page to print for most of them which allow multiple copies to be made for the classroom.” ~ Teena J.
“This is an amazing resource! It has SO many useful products! I love that everything is already virtual so I had to do nothing to get it ready to use! My kids actually did their work for once because it was fun!” ~ Lindsay D.
#3 – Individual and Hands-On
All of our centers include a hands-on component and are meant to be used individually by students so that they can stay safe and follow social distancing protocols.
“With all the limitations that have been put on us and students, it was nice to find something that was specifically created to be game-like but played independently. It is self contained and feels like I’m giving them a taste of something we would typically have done. Grateful.” ~ Martine W.
“This is a great resource for skill building and giving students a “hands-on” activity in the midst of so many digital activities.” ~ Christina S.
“The students really enjoy playing these center activities. All the activities are ready to be used and have simple directions which are wonderful for Kindergarten. These have been a lifesaver this year when the students can’t share any materials.” ~ Sandy E.
“I was looking for something that would allow the students to be interested in learning yet we are so limited with the covid restrictions. This resource gives them a chance to use dice and learn without realizing they are learning. They have fun using it. Love it! Thank you!” ~ Sherie G.
“These are wonderful for individual centers since we can’t share materials.” ~ Sharon P.
“Because group work is not possible right now, this product allows the children to be engaged and learning independently. Thank you!” ~ Donna E.
“This has been great for allowing my kids to still do hands-on learning even though we aren’t able to work in groups! This has helped my students stay on task and not get bored during math time.” ~ Kara C.
“Thank you for something to give the kids to do that isn’t just plain worksheets yet socially distanced and engaging!” ~ Laura W.
#4 – Literacy and Math Activities Included
Teachers are loving individual centers because most of our centers bundles include math and literacy center activities. This way, you can work on both subjects within the same individual center kit and with only one type of manipulative.
“Quality product and I was able to use it with my in-class and virtual students. I like that it has a few literacy pieces included as well.” ~ A.H.
“I love these activities!!! We’re using them for daily 5 time and have placed the language arts roll a word in clear sleeves for the kids to do over and over. Great for activities during social distancing. I can just slip a new one in for the short vowel sound we’re working on. I’ve used the math ones in a similar way to play with a partner. GREAT resource!!! Thanks!!!” ~ Nicole M.
“This has been a great addition to my literacy centers. My students are struggling learners, so this was a great hands-on learning activity to build their sight word knowledge as well as their CVC knowledge.” ~ Emily V.
“I love using this for 1:1 centers. There is such a variety in this pack. I love that it includes math and ELA activities.” ~ Alana G.
#5 – Many Ways to Use These Centers
We have teachers that are using this for centers, as a morning warm-up activity, during remediation, in whole group, and at home.
“I really like these activities, especially for children who have finished work. Each child has a bag of pattern blocks and pattern block stickers, they can use the activities at choice time.” ~ Catherine W.
“I wanted something that incoming 1st graders could do independently as students came in the classroom and finished breakfast. This keeps them interested and can be done on their own, without sharing supplies.” ~ Lesley H.
“Great for whole group math or center work.” ~ Melissa T.
“This was a great practice refresher before my lesson. My kids love it.” ~ Diane C.
“Use this resource during remediation with my students! Very engaging and on hands!” ~ Kimberly G.
“I have really liked the first activity with the bears and I will continue to do them with students for journal problems.” ~ Laura Z.
#6 – Engaging Activities
Each center bundle includes a variety of activities to keep students’ interest. There are a couple of weeks worth of centers in each bundle.
“These resources are colorful and engaging. The students like using different methods to mark their answers- dot painters, ink stamps, bingo chips. These are also easy materials to use when social distancing, and not sharing supplies.” ~ Kristina S.
“This resource is perfect for individual centers! My students still have a ton of fun with it even though they working individually.” ~ Jamielyn D.
“My students love this!!! They ask for it every day!” ~ Heather S.
“My students loved using this and were very engaged.” Kathy W.
“Very fun, the kids love using this. Perfect to print and have individual centers!” ~ Jen A.
“My students have been engaged and loving this activity. Kids love hands-on activities and benefit from activities where they can use manipulatives. Great resource!” ~ Rachel B.
#7 – Ability to Differentiate
Teachers are loving individual centers because all of our bundles have enough activities that you can differentiate for your students. There are math activities for numbers 0-10 as well as 10-20. It can be as simple as number identification or working on number bonds and addition and subtraction problems.
“I was able to individualize assignments based on ability level and share just those specific pages with students.” ~ Jennifer M.
“My K-2 moderate special needs students are LOVING this math counter resource! I am able to assign a specific task to each child to fit individual needs. Thank you!” ~ Leslie W.
“My students and I loved these games. I really liked how there were different levels so I could differentiate as needed.” ~ Tammy E.
“My students have been engaged and loving these activities. Kids love hands-on activities and benefit from activities where they can use manipulatives. Great resource! You can vary the activity according to the ability level of the student.” ~ Sandra C.
#8 – Easy Centers for Parents To Do
With the current situation of many of our students being involved in distance learning, it is important that these centers are easy for parents to understand and help their children complete.
“I got this resource to make hands-on, at-home practice stations for my class during distance learning this fall. These are perfect! They are fun and kids and families will be able to understand them pretty easily. Thank you!” ~ Andrea S.
“I prepped a few for my rising kinder, and he is obsessed. We love these easy to prep centers. :)” ~ Monica Q.
“Great supplement for the kids to use at home during Distance Learning.” ~ Stacy H.
“Great resource for students to be independent at home with math centers.” ~ Jennifer L.
“I got these centers to send home with my kids this fall — even though we’re doing distance learning, my team has decided to strategically provide hands-on resources for our kids to practice skills, especially in math. This set is so easy to use, and I feel confident I can explain it well in a video and have kids and families understand what to do.” ~ Andrea S.
“I used with my grandson as a hand on activity for counting.” ~ Kathy B.
#9 – Perfect for Math Individual Center Kits
With our centers being “print and go”, they can easily be put into individual center kits.
“I included these in their Math tool kits for practice!” ~ Dawn E.
“I made multiple copies of these activity sheets and put them in my students’ math kits.” ~ Jennifer M.
“Love that I can give students individual bags of cubes and they can practice many different skills.” ~ Leah G.
#10 – Materials You Already Have
Teachers are loving individual centers because the manipulatives used in our center bundles should be those that you have in your classroom already. If you don’t they can easily be found on Amazon and are very inexpensive to purchase.
“These are perfect whether we are in school or remote. I love that they use familiar manipulatives! Thank you!” ~ Lori M.
“I love the variety of skills comprised in this unit, and that the manipulatives are on hand. Thanks for the easy prep. :)” ~ Helen S.
“This resource provided additional work for my students after I taught the lesson. Students loved it!” ~ Linda O.
“These are perfect whether we are in school or remote. I love that they use familiar manipulatives! Thank you!” ~ Lori M.
“During school closures, it has been difficult to support students with learning difficulties. This purchase gave my students a visual to use while using manipulatives they have a home! It also kept them engaged. I love it!!” ~ Karen H.
“This is such a great resource! I have counting bears at home already and I know my son will enjoy using this while we’re distance learning.” ~ Susan S.
Individual centers help keep our students socially distanced, healthier, and safer. We have made them as low prep as possible. Simply print out the centers you want to use and place those and the required manipulative in a bag for each student. So, Why Are Teachers LOVING Individual Centers?! Teachers are LOVING Individual Centers because they are versatile (digital and printable), low prep, differentiated, engaging, and easy to complete.
Do you have any sets of our individual centers? If so, post a picture below and tell us why Teachers are LOVING Individual Centers.
Written by: Janessa Fletcher
Thanks so much for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post, we’d love it if you could share Education to the Core with a friend, and BOTH of you can receive $5 off a purchase of $10 or more with the code: FRIEND5.
At Education to the Core, we provide done-for-you curriculum that is simple, fun, and engaging! In order to be an effective educator, you have to take care of you first! We strive to make a healthy work-life balance a reality for you each and every day.
If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure to join my email list to get exclusive FREEBIES, exclusive content, updates, deals!
