Early Childhood Classroom Arrangements

The set up of an early childhood classroom is very important. Teachers must take into consideration the arrangement of furniture, developmental needs, classroom materials, organization, etc. This can be overwhelming, but here are a few rooms that I found that could be great inspiration for instructors searching for arrangement ideas.

This creative classroom by Kirsten Wallden at The Creative Chalkboard would be appropriate for students who are in the early primary grades. Walking into this classroom, students would be excited to learn and be a part of this class. It is extremely inviting without being over the top. This image captures her whole group area where Morning Circle and other types of whole group lessons can take place. You can also see her small group table in the corner, placed so that she can keep an eye on the rest of the students while doing a small group lesson. Even though she chose a jungle theme which involves lively patterns, the design still allows students to focus on what is being taught. The only adjustments that I would make would be to split the desks into smaller groupings (this seems to be due to a space issue), and place the anchor charts lower so that the students can see them.

This is another great example of the organization done in this classroom. All of the materials are labeled neatly and easily accessible for students. Everything seems to have a place so students can find what they are needing quickly. This will greatly help the students to complete assignments in a timely manner. It will also help them to feel independent when needing to get supplies without having to ask an instructor.


Another great arrangement for a classroom focused on the early primary grades is the one pictured below by Mrs. Kerri at the Teachers Bits and Bobs.

This room is also very student friendly and creates an inviting atmosphere when you walk in the door. Everything is colorful and the materials are geared towards the first grade age group that she serves. Even though she has a large class, supplies are neatly organized against the walls to allow for a more open space. This room does not have an area for all of the students to be able to sit on the carpet as a whole group, so the desks are situated to where the students can easily see the SMART board, easel, and while board. The way she grouped the desks will allow for a learner-centered class where students can be better involved in active learning and cooperative learning projects with their peers.

Another great point about this classroom is her behavior chart that she created into a giant tree. Her behavior plan is excellent. It not only allows students to move down for negative consequences, but it gives them several chances to move up for positive choices. This encourages students to go above and beyond when making smart decisions in the class. The chart is also posted in an area where the students can actively monitor their behavior. In the same sense, it is place in a spot that is not greatly called attention to in order to minimize a child feeling ashamed or embarrassed.





This classroom would be great for Head Start or Pre School atmospheres. Taylor created this very organized room which is posted on her blog More Than ABC's and 123's.





She is very fortunate to have such a large space and does not clutter it with unnecessary items. The furniture placement creates boundaries for each individual center while keeping a very open feel. I love how her Circle Time area features a few key items such as a white board, math chart, and calendar. This will help the students to focus on what is being presented without overwhelming them with cute décor. Another thing I noticed was how her tables were all placed on the tile area. This will really help with clean up for lunch, crafts, and any other spills that will frequently occur in the room.

The organization seen all over the room will very help with classroom management and building independent learners. Taylor does a great job with labeling the items in her classroom. Not only does she label the bins, but she places the same label on the shelf in which the bin needs to go in. Doing things like this will allow the students to more freely navigate the room, build confidence when doing things on their own, and make clean up easier. Beginning to create this confidence at this age will help students to grow more responsible for their learning and behavior at a younger age.

The last example of a great classroom that would be suitable for Pre-Schoolers was found on the Learning and Teaching Preschoolers blog. This room encompasses an inviting atmosphere, focuses on play and learning, is appropriate for learning, and uses many organization techniques. Just like the other rooms, materials are placed in spots that are easy for student to obtain. items are neat and organized into centers, and the furniture is thoughtfully placed to create boundaries but still have an open feel. In my opinion, the best part about it, is that this class features all of these things but does not use a lot of mass produced products. Her materials are very simple and could be gathered or created by any instructor. This eliminates the excuse of low budgeting to be the cause of not being able to create a learning focused room. Unfortunately, low funds are a big reality for many areas. Having this example can generate many ideas for teachers in this situation.

 

One of the other things I liked about her room, is how she featured the student's work. She posted self portraits of the students in her room across the large group area. The 3d art created by the children is also displayed in a way that makes the students feel proud of their work. This will also build self worth and a feeling of purpose within the kids. These qualities will help with eliminating negative behaviors and allow for more quality work to be produced since they know it is valued by their instructor.