Managing the Materials:
The library space has evolved in the 10 years I have been the librarian. I started out with all consumables and have slowly built up the materials that we use today. For example, the first-grade art station focuses on symmetry. In the past, students completed symmetry pictures that I found on the internet with pencils and crayons. Now I have the students design symmetrical creations using Cuisenaire rods and 2 small whiteboards that we can use over and over again.
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| Symmetry Art Station - First Grade |
Yard sales, Donor's Choose campaigns, and Scholastic dollars have all been sources for my materials. I also HIGHLY recommend joining your local BUY NOTHING Facebook group. I have received several library manipulatives thanks to neighbors cleaning out closets!
To store the materials, I have plastic bins located at the tables and in various places around the library.
Not only do I try to store the materials at the tables, but I have also discovered that color-coding the tables and bins is EXTREMELY helpful. Here is what my ROBOT or R table looks like...this is my RED station:
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| Color-Coded Station Tables |
The dots are dry-erase spots and the letters are red Cricut vinyl. Each table has an assigned color. Students eventually learn that we rotate through the stations and each color in order of the letters in our word (our framework): CREATE. Once we really get underway, there is very little confusion.
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