Decorate a reading center with a rug to sit on, throw pillows or a mini sofa. This gives students an inviting and comfortable place to read. Put bookmarks in a cup so students can use them to save a place in a book if they don't finish reading. They also can be used to help students to read one line at a time when reading long stories. Hang letters from the ceiling or put reading posters on the wall to distinguish this area even more.
Place math manipulatives, such as play money, cubes, tens rods and ones units, in baskets so that students have quick access. Mini dry erase boards, markers and erasers could also be available for students to use if they want to draw a picture to solve problems. Numbers and math symbols could be hung from the ceiling or hung on the wall to symbolize the math area.
Set up a writing center with stationery. To get students excited about writing, use stationery that appeals to their age range, such as Clifford, Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob stationery for younger students. Notepads and Post-It notes also encourage students to write. Having pencils and erasers in the writing center ensures that everything is nearby and will prevent excess wandering around the room for needed supplies.
Use the planets or constellations to decorate a science center with a space theme. Also consider different types of rocks and crystals, an animal skull or old wasp nest. Place plastic lid jars, magnifying glasses, magnets or microscopes in the science area. Provide books about different areas of science for students to refer to during leisure reading or when studying a specific concept in science.
Hang CD-Roms from the ceiling in this area to represent the computer area. Also tape them or glue them to the wall. Write computer rules on each CD-ROM as an added touch, if desired. Place a container nearby for earphones so students can access them without disturbing the rest of the class. If using a basic sign for each center is more appealing, ABC Teach (abcteach.com) has free signs to download for writing, art and math centers.