classroom environment
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Evaluating your Environment
Every so often it’s a good idea to take an objective look at your classroom environment. Do you have everything in your room that you should have in your room? Are the children actually able to access the materials? Does the room feel warm and inviting, or is it a bit too cluttered and chaotic? It can be really difficult to be objective about your space, and that’s why I’m a fan of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R). These have become a pretty popular tool in my state because programs are required to have a copy for our Quality Rating and Improvement System, but until recently I hadn’t actually…
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Planning the Classroom Environment
There are some many things to consider when you think about setting up a preschool classroom. It can be very overwhelming! I’ve found that it helps to break that job into a number of small(ish) tasks. 1. Think about your activity centers. Some centers need specific furniture – a writing center has to be near a table, and a classroom library needs a place to store books. Other centers work best in specific areas of the classroom – you might want to keep your art center near the tile floor. 2. Arrange the furniture. This is my favorite part, I can look at a piece of furniture and know exactly…
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Creating a dynamic preschool classroom
Do you remember visiting your friends’ homes as a child? Their toys were so much more fun to play with that your own, and their bedrooms/backyards/playrooms were WAY better than yours. You never understood why they wanted to come to your house, but they felt the same way, your stuff was more interesting than what they had. This is because it wasn’t the same old stuff that you played with every single day, your play things were boring because you were used to them, and they were always available. This idea is true in the classroom too. My students don’t want to use the same materials every single day, nor…
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Friday Freebie
Happy Friday! I am so glad that this week is over, it was complete chaos. While my weekend won’t exactly be relaxing, I am looking forward to celebrating a few milestones – My future SIL’s bachelorette party, and my nephew’s first birthday, not to mention my husband’s 27th birthday (which was technically last weekend, but has yet to be fully celebrated). I may actually be looking forward to next week, when things will calm down and get back to normal! I am seriously excited about this week’s freebie. I fully agree with the idea that the classroom environment plays a vital role in the learning process. I also firmly believe…
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Loving the latest from Ikea
I’ve always loved Ikea, the former interior design student in me considers that store absolute heaven. The closest Ikea store is an hour and a half from my house, and I make the drive regularly. Needless to say, receiving the annual catalog is grounds for hours of focused study. I love that Ikea has always offered something for everyone. But now I’m rambling, and I’m sure you’re thinking “what does this have to do with preschool?” I promise I have a point. I am so impressed with Ikea’s newest children’s products, and the ways that the company has chosen to present them. The new Ikea catalog shows that childhood can…
