For most of us, August brings with it the end of summer vacation and the start of the new school year. I get so excited to set up my classroom and meet my new students, and it’s a fun, fresh start. To boost our students learning and to make education fun, we’ve created these easy-prep August 1st Grade Math and Literacy Centers.
As soon as my new crop of first graders comes through the door, the fun (and the learning) begins! We ease our way back into the classroom and work on fostering kindness and making great choices. We dive into reading some of my favorite back-to-school read-alouds from this list. Then I introduce enticing and engaging activities, such as this back-to-school bingo game and these first grade back-to-school digital games.
When the new school year begins, I immediately help my students turn their “school brains” back on after a long summer break. I use review materials like these August math journals and August literacy journals as morning work and daily review practice to get the kids back into the swing of things.
As soon as my students are comfortable in the classroom, I introduce my small group and centers routines. I find it works well to pull my students into small groups as soon as possible. It helps us all get to know each other better and to build comfort levels and confidence in the classroom. In order to be able to pull small groups, I must have something for the rest of the kids to be working on. That’s why we use the August Math and Literacy Centers for First Grade. These August-themed math and literacy centers for first graders are a must-have in the classroom for the back-to-school season!
First Grade Math and Literacy Centers for August
The August bundle comes with 40 centers to help you enhance your first-grade August lessons and start the school year off on the right foot! With 20 math centers and 20 literacy centers, you can have your students learning, reviewing, and keeping busy while you work with small groups. Some of the centers even work great for small group activities too!
The August first grade centers are going to quickly become your new favorite resource. With so much to choose from, you can keep your centers engaging and fresh so that your students stay focused on their tasks. You can use all of the centers in your center/station rotations, or you can use some of them as whole-class activities as well.
You’ll fall in love with how fantastic these centers are, especially with the way that your students will be having so much fun that they won’t even realize they’re learning.
Included in the August First Grade Centers
20 First Grade August Math Activities:
- Write & Wipe Activities
- Dice Games
- Write the Room Math Activities
- Match-Ups
- Puzzles
20 August Literacy Centers for First Graders:
- Puzzles and Write & Wipe Activities
- Poetry Center Materials
- Pocket Chart and Match-Up Activities
- Writing Center
- Literacy Write the Room Centers
Skills covered in the First Grade August Math Activities
- Graphing, 3D Shapes, Addition, Skip Counting, Subtraction, 1 More/1 Less, Comparing Numbers, Place Value, Number Order, Measuring Weight, Making 10…and more!
Skills covered in the August Literacy Centers for First Graders
- Writing, Poetry, Sequencing, Sight Words, CVC Words, Alliteration, Decoding, Vowels, Blends, Rhyming…and more!
Using the First Grade Math and Literacy Centers for August
After you purchase and download the first grade centers for August, you’ll immediately be able to look at all 40 centers and make a plan for using them. I always recommend making note of which ones you want to use and when you’ll use them. Then you can figure out which resources you need to print, copy, cut, laminate, etc. For example, there are four literacy write the room activities and four math write the room activities. I would grab my planner and map out where I would fit each one in over the month and jot it down.
My greatest prep suggestion? It might seem like a lot of work, but print as much as possible on cardstock and or laminate after printing so that you can save and reuse the centers for many Augusts to come! You will be super grateful next year when you already have so much prepped!
When it comes to introducing the centers to my students, I always make sure to set clear and concise expectations for how to use each type of center.
With August being the first month of the school year, I spend extra time teaching the procedures of each center, modeling the activities, and explaining my expectations. I even give the kids a few “practice rounds” where I am not working with anyone while they’re in their centers, just observing and helping with reminders and instructions. Putting in the effort now will help your centers run smoothly for the rest of the school year. Because, of course, I’m using the full year of first grade centers, not just August!
Materials Needed for the First Grade Math and Literacy Centers for August
First Grade August Math Centers
Dice and Partner Games
Kids LOVE to play games. And I love when I can provide them with games that are not only fun but also help them learn and review their skills. With four August dice games and four August partner games, your first graders will have a blast reviewing 3D shapes, addition, graphing, place value, comparing numbers, and 1 more/1 less. These August math games for first grade are easy to prep, and your students will thoroughly enjoy getting to play while learning with these hands-on math centers for August. Plus, with a card game, spinner games, and a board game, the partner games are such a great way to get your students working together with their new classmates.
Math Puzzles and Match-Ups
These August-themed math centers for first grade come with two puzzles and two match-up activities. These activities are great for a center, morning work, or even work for early finishers. Once I laminate my puzzles, I make them self-checking by putting colored dots or numbers on the back. The puzzles and match-up activities for August cover skills like addition and subtraction to 12, skip counting, and representing numbers to 20.
Write & Wipe Activities
Write and wipe activities couldn’t be any simpler. Just print and laminate, or stick in a dry-erase sleeve/page protector, and you’re good to go. Give your students dry-erase markers and erasers (or put those old socks that have lost their match to good use) and send them on their way. This is one of those centers where setting expectations beforehand is crucial so that you don’t end up with a bunch of dry-erase scribbling on all of the write and wipe activities. I try to give my students the opportunity to “play” or “free draw” on whiteboards at other times during the week so that the temptation is lessened during center time. The August first grade write and wipe activities will help your students practice graphing, 1 more/1 less, subtraction, and number order. Developing math skills in August has never been easier than with these centers!
Write the Room Centers
With four engaging write the room activities, your first graders will be up and moving while practicing comparing the weight of objects, comparing numbers, number order, and finding missing addends. Write the room centers can also be used as task cards at a center if you’d prefer. These fun math activities for first graders will keep your students busy and learning while you work with other students.
First Grade Literacy Activities for August
Pocket Charts and Match-Ups
Literacy pocket chart and match-up activities are made to be used in a pocket chart center or anywhere that the students can spread the pieces out, like on the floor or a table. Your students will have fun with these hands-on literacy centers for August, which include a sight word hide-and-seek game, a sequencing activity, a sentence scramble writing activity, and a CVC word match-up activity. These innovative literacy centers for first grade will keep your students learning and having fun all August long!
Write & Wipe Centers and Puzzles
These August-themed literacy centers for first grade come with two write and wipe centers and two literacy puzzles. These should definitely be added to your “to laminate” list! These first grade centers cover alliteration, S blends, decoding words, and vowels.
Write the Room
The four August literacy write the room activities cover skills like rhyming, ending blends, beginning blends, and CVC words. Use our recording sheet options to differentiate and choose the ones that work the best for your students. And if you haven’t yet, definitely invest in a great set of clipboards! I was lucky enough to grab mine from a retiring teacher, but these are some great ones too. Write the room activities are great literacy enhancement activities for August when you’re trying to engage a new group of students and get them excited about learning!
Writing
With four themed sets of word cards and plenty of differentiated writing paper to choose from, you can create a back-to-school writing center that will have your students engaged and using their creativity. The word card topics for August are school supplies, class schedule, five senses, and yummy food. Stick these words in a pocket chart, on a word wall, or on a ring, and place them in your writing center!
Poetry Centers
Use our three original poems, written specifically for August, and the familiar nursery rhyme of the month to engage your new class of students in learning about poetry. Each poem comes with pocket chart materials, a poetry notebook, and a poetry journal so that you have options on whether you want to put the materials in a center or use them with the whole class at once. I love that the students get reading practice but also work on other literacy components like comprehension and parts of speech with the poetry activities. You will truly have a blast with these August reading activities for first grade!
Download the Pre-k Math and Literacy Centers for August now!
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These August-themed math and literacy centers for first graders will make your classroom the place to be during this back-to-school season!
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Dive into a world of learning with our 1st Grade August Math and Literacy Centers. Turn the end of summer into a fun educational journey!
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