[teacher24]

Does anyone have a lesson plan or script they wouldn't mind sharing that shows how you introduce your centers? TIA!

I don't have a script, and my lesson plans for the first few weeks of school are very open, so it's easier for me to just explain.

I have 11 learning centers in my classroom. I only open 4-5 the first week of school, usually art, blocks, fine motor, dramatic play, and library. I place a limited number of items in each center. The first day of school during large group, I split the students into groups of 4-5 and we rotate around spending about 15 minutes in each center until every student has been in every center. Myself and my paras go around to different centers and introduce how to use materials. So, in the fine motor center we show how to do a puzzle ("We take pieces out 1 at a time, we never dump pieces out"). In the art center we show how to put marker lids back on and where to put our art when we're finished. Etc. etc. We practice this type of rotation for the first few days. By the 2nd week of school, if all is going well, students will be able to pick their own center and go wherever they like. I introduce some materials during small group activities the 2nd week of school, like glue, scissors, and playdough. Students don't use these until they've had a lesson with me. Some centers are the last to be open, like dress-up clothes, sand/water table, and science. Those centers get introduced during large group and I demonstrate how to use the materials.