Learning stations expose students to a variety of activities that address the needs of multiple learners. Teachers who use this strategy empower and engage students because it accommodates all learning styles. Learning stations provide student choice, differentiate to meet students’ learning needs, and get students up and moving.
Many teachers are hesitant to use this strategy because of the needed planning upfront and the reliance on classroom management. However, learning stations (also called learning centers) reach more students because if planned correctly will run smoothly and engage more students.
You can incorporate learning stations in your classroom in multiple ways. The most basic method is to first choose a topic or focus for the lesson. Then, develop various activities related to the topic. The activities should consider the various learning styles within your classroom. So, some activities are visual, some auditory, and others are hands-on and so forth.
Next, set-up your classroom with six to eight stations depending on the number of activities you created. Each station contains information about the topic, directions for the activity, and any necessary materials needed to complete the station.
Once the activities are created, and the room is set-up, gather students as a whole group to give background knowledge about the topic, an overview of each station as well as the expectations for time and behavior. Typically, you will answer questions about how many students are allowed at each station, time limits, what students should do when they are done, and if you allow talking.
You may ask students to complete 3 of the 6 stations, or you may require students to complete all of the stations. However, you should create a time limit for each station to help students move along, experience various activities, and not get bogged down with just one lesson.
You will want to give students reminders about time as the class progresses. Sometimes students really enjoy one particular station and want to have more time, so you will need to determine if you will allow this, or if they need to move to the next station.
Before calling time and telling students to choose their next station, have a brief whole class discussion. Students can share new knowledge, make connections to the larger topic, and promote the activities at the stations. When students hear their peers speak highly about a particular station, they are more willing to try it.
Depending on the complexity of the stations and your class schedule, you may continue stations into the next class period or more.
Another method for learning stations is to create packets that correspond with different levels of students. For example, each station would have a set of three packets. Each packet is progressively more difficult. Before beginning stations, you would place students in groups according to their academic level. You would have group A, group B, and group C where group C is the most advanced. As students progress through the different stations, they would open the packet that corresponds to their level and begin working. You may choose to tell students what each level means or not. For some students, knowing their level helps them work harder to improve, and for others, it bruises their self-esteem.
Whichever method you choose, learning stations provide differentiated instruction that meets the needs of various learning styles and levels.
Learning by Design 