This guide to designing activity-oriented classrooms for grades K-3 is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of research findings concerning the way children learn and the environments that best facilitate their learning. Chapter 2, which explains ways to set up an activity-oriented classroom, covers the administration's role in program planning, ways of enlisting help from parents, the physical environment, activity-oriented schedules, learning stations, and child-centered games and activities. Chapter 3 underscores the importance of individually oriented activities as part of an activities-based curriculum and describes generic activity patterns that can be adapted for individual needs. Chapter 4 focuses on group-oriented instruction. Types of groups discussed include achievement, special needs, interest, research, friendship, and mixed-age groups. The workings of pupil partnerships and peer tutoring are explored briefly. Chapter 5 offers general guidelines and specific instructions for conducting activity-focused learning in art, reading and language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Chapter 6 offers conclusions about the value of such activities for children. An appendix lists 71 predictable children's books. Predictable books are defined as books that contain at least one of the following patterns: a familiar sequence, repetition, or a cumulative pattern. A 35-item bibliography is included. (AC)