Literacy Center Ideas for Kids with Disabilities

Having center time in classrooms is a hot thing right now. I'm a huge fan of them, but literacy and math centers have to fit two criteria: the majority of the students should be able to do the tasks with little to no support and each task must work on more than just literacy or math (also writing, fine motor skills, social skills, etc.).

When we do centers, there is a TA at each center for light support, and then I run a center doing our reading curriculum (Early Literacy Skills Builder). My goal for literacy centers is to make most of the tasks possible for kiddos to do independently. Here are a few literacy center activities we do often.

Say it, build it, write it: Laminate this free worksheet. The teacher writes a word in the yellow box. Student reads the word in the yellow box, builds the word with letter blocks and then writes it with a dry erase marker in the box with lines.





Build Words with Unifix Cubes: Give students cards with words on them (vocabulary words, words for the week/month, students' names, etc.) and Unifix cubes with letters on them. Students build the words on cards with Unifix cubes. Works on spelling, reading, and fine motor skills.

Task Books: Add velcro to board books and make picture symbols for matching to letters or pictures in book. These books are great for kids who are learning to read and communicate with picture symbols.

Clothes Pin Spelling: Have kids attach clothes pins to papers/note cards to spell vocab. words, names and more!