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Buy cheap walkmans at
Walmart (about 5 or 6) and place in a basket. Each
student borrows a walkman to use in the listening center. This
is useful if you have 1 copy of a book on tape instead of
multiple copies of a book on tape.
 Here
is a picture of another type of listening center. Students
listen to the same story using multiple copies of that story.
Another idea is the use of iPods or MP3
Players in place of cassettes or CDs. eBooks are available for
download through iTunes or other ebook websites. Also, many sites
let you download children's stories in MP3 format. Below you will
see some sites I found that let you download stories for free.
Books on
Cassettes: If your school already hasn't supplied you with
these, you can order them from the Scholastic Book Club (using your
points). Some can be bought at wholesale places (like Costco, BJs, etc.)
or when they are on sale at K-Mart and Toys R Us. People have donated some
to me when their children have outgrown them. The books and cassettes are
stored in large two gallon zip-lock bags. Each bag is labeled with
the name of the story. Ebay and Craigslist are also good
alternatives.
Create your
own cassettes: You or an adult can create your own books on
cassettes by recording a reading of a book on tape.
Student
Created Cassettes: Choose a few students and have them practice
reading a book. Once they have perfected their reading, they can record it
on tape to add to your growing collection. Also, you can choose
older students from other grades to do the same.
Basal Readers:
If you don't already have them, create cassettes for the stories in your
basal readers. This will help the slower readers practice fluency and
comprehension.
Activities to do at the
center/stations:
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Answer comprehension questions based on
the story.
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Visualize and draw favorite part of the
story.
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Retell or summarize
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Discuss the story with the group
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Complete story maps and other graphic
organizers
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Respond to story in journal or reader's
response notebook
Just as with other centers, students
complete activities based on the stories. See independent
reading center for ideas.
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