Organizing "Can-do" Centers

I get lots of emails and questions about how I set up and manage my centers and what the kids can do when they are finished. For the first few months of centers, I just make them stay at their center. I tell them to "keep busy". That might mean coloring the graphics/pictures on their paper, doing some more problems on the back (if the center is about rhyming, they draw more rhyming pics on the back, etc.), they might write a sentence on the back about what they worked on, etc. Once I am VERY confident that the students can work independently, take care of center materials, work cooperatively and the general centers process is running smoothly, I allow them to start doing "can-do" centers.
Here's how I set it up:
The kids have a "Can-do menu" for Literacy Centers and a "Can-do menu" for math centers. There are 6 Can-do centers on the menu each week. Here's what the Math menu looks like:

This is the Math Can-do Menu. There are 6 shapes(sorry, 2 of them are not visible in this picture. I have a velcro dot on each shape to hang my can-do centers for the week. In this picture you can see play-doh, Calendar, puzzles and games. Each student has their own little menu card. One side of the card has their picture on it, while the other side has a little menu on it. These cards are laminated and have a binder clip attached to the top.
When students are finished with their work station work for that day, they can pick one of these can-dos to stay at until center time is over. When they decide which can-do that they want to go to, they use a dry erase marker to mark off the center that they chose for that day. (the X's stay on until the end of the week...this way they get to choose what center they are going to-but they can't choose the same center EVERY SINGLE day:)

Then they hang the menu on one of the 4 hooks on under that center on the big menu. (with their pic facing out so we can see who should be where) When all 4 hooks are filled, that center is full, so no one else can go to that center that day.

Here are a few of the math can-dos we've had recently:
puzzles:












As you can see in the picture above, most of the can-do's are portable centers. They are inside of totes. I have them labeled with the same pictures that I Velcro to the menu-so, once they choose on the menu, they go grab the tote with the matching picture on it.

Games: (we played candy land for our gingerbread unit:)

Calendar:

For the calendar center, I use this page from Eberhart's Explorers  and I use these calendar pages from Growing Kinders on the back. My kiddos LOVE this center:) Thanks, Erin and Kathleen for these GREAT pages!;)
Computers-math games

Playdoh:

I use these awesome playdoh mats from Kindergarten Works!

Here is my can-do menu for literacy centers:

Here are some of the Literacy Center Can-do's:

Sound Munchers:

Writing Table:












(this writing work station is from Mrs. Wills-LOVE her monthly writing work stations with different writing options!!! I made little books out of her December words for the that the kids to take down and look through to find words.)  Here's the link to read more about Deedee's FABULOUS writing work stations!;)  
 ****PLEASE don't mind the giant mess!!! I had just taken down bulletin boards and there was art work overflowing everywhere!!!;)

Write the room:(with giant pens/pencils, glasses and pointers to choose from:)

Magnadoodles: (these are from Lakeshore and are called "magic boards". They have little stencils that lay on top of them to practice writing letters, words, etc.)

Reading Tent: They can grab a reading buddy from one of the pockets and a book to read inside of the tent.

Letter builders: they use these to build letters, names and words.

Did this make sense AT ALL????? LOL!!! Leave me a comment or shoot me an email if you have any questions:)
That is all....MUST. GET. TO. BED.....:)