The Best Literacy Center Activities that Promote Reading

Here’s a list of the best literacy center activities that promote reading that I use in my classroom and many classrooms across the country! I love teaching reading, especially in kindergarten. During guided reading, I work with 4 – 6 students to help them develop their literacy skills. During this time, you may ask, what are the other students doing? 

I have been to so many classrooms, and I can tell you what I see. I see everything from coloring pages to print and go worksheets. There’s nothing wrong with coloring pages and worksheets, but I know from experience that this isn’t going to help students become better readers. 

Students need activities that promote reading, and you can do that through literacy-building activities. Here are a few suggestions on how you can do this. 

To summarize what should happen during this time, students should: 

1. Choose a book to read every day with a focus on accuracy. 
2. Write about a topic that interests them. 
3. Talk about what they are reading to a peer. 
4. Listen to a book. 

Library Center

Hands down, the library center is my students’ favorite place to hang out in the classroom. Here, students choose a book or books to read. They usually start with reading an instructional leveled text to a peer (a book that they already read during guided reading) to work on reading with accuracy and fluency. Then, they can pick any book to read. It’s okay if students want to read challenging texts or retell the story by looking at the pictures.

I also go to the library to grab books that my students suggest to get bored with the same selections. I also put books that I have read aloud into the library for students to explore independently. 

Writing Center

My students love going to the writing center too. They get to write about ANYTHING that interests them. Yes, anything. Here’s an example of what they like to write: 

1. Letters to each other. We have a class mailbox. Students check the mailbox in the morning. 
2. Draw pictures of people, places, and activities they have done
3. Write about animals or similar topics 
4. Write a book or a seasonal topic. 
5. Practice writing their sight words using stamps or dabbers or letters and using them in sentences
6. Handwriting – Uppercase and Lowercase letters (or a Spin and Write activity) 
7. Writing prompts – students can pick a writing prompt to write about.

This list can go on and on! ANOTHER activity is to have students write a response to a book they have read. 

ABC Center 

The ABC Center is for students to work on previously taught spelling patterns or to sort words. Here are some activities they use: 

Mystery Letters

Mystery Letters is one of my favorite activities since I can easily differentiate the spelling pattern that I have students practice. Students complete the word with the missing letter(s). This digital activity is excellent for reviewing spelling patterns. They will need whiteboards and dry erase markers for this activity. 

Sight Words

Literacy time is a great way to get students reviewing sight words. I prefer my students to read sight words in sentences since that’s how we usually see them. However, I have students that have a hard time reading or recognizing sights words. These sight word sentences / word builder mats will help students practice building the word using letters (or play dough!) and get them practicing reading the words in sentences. A Double win!

Build and Write

Build and Write is a low-prep, easy-to-implement phonics activity. Students pick a card, build the word with the missing letters, and write the word. Grab a sample of this resource below. 

Fluency Sentences

Students read sentences that focus on a word family. What I like about these worksheets is that there are questions about the passages. This gives me information on whether students comprehend what they just read.

Give ’em Choices!

Whatever you decide to do during literacy centers, make sure your students are decision-makers! They must have a variety of literacy activities. 

Students should be able to complete these activities independently. Student-friendly independent activities will reduce off-task behaviors or students asking you questions when you are teaching. 

Include some accountability – This should be minimal and you shouldn’t have to check their work (especially if it isn’t going into the grade book, you have enough grade already!) I always have a star student board and I hang up the best work during literacy centers. I change or add student work all the time. Students love when you celebrate their accomplishments. You can ask several students to share what they did during literacy centers with the class. 

And most importantly, it should be engaging. Your students should look forward to literacy center time!

What are some activities you use during literacy centers? Let me know in the comments section below. 

Read more literacy activities that promote literacy . 

Happy Teaching!

Tee