Chapter 5: Organizing Space, Materials, and Time

I am naturally a rather anxious person, and I have a hard time making choices on some things, decorating being one of them!  Before reading this chapter, I guess I had a general idea of how to organize a classroom, and was definitely foggier as to how to go about it before I read this chapter.  I learned that when organizing a classroom, many things have to be taken into consideration.  One is making sure the room is safe, and a good place for the children to move around without getting hurt.  The other element when organizing a classroom is making sure it is a comfortable environment so that the children can feel welcome in their class setting.  Space is another element to consider when organizing a classroom.  You don’t want to have too much space where it is harder to keep an eye on the children, yet you want to have enough space for them to comfortably move around.  You also want to have many areas within the room, some areas arranged for a space for about 2-3, and other areas where there is more space for more children.  The idea of appropriate space also applies to the outdoors as well, and again, not too much, not too little, and with different areas where the children can explore.  Another element of organizing a classroom is sound control, which can be very difficult at time.  It is best to have carpeted floors so absorb loud noises, and designate different areas to different noise levels.  Another good way to control sounds is by having a noisy center designated for about 2 or three children instead of 5 or 6.  Another element of organizing a developmentally appropriate classroom is making sure the equipment is appropriate for the children in the classroom, and making sure that the equipment within the room is their size and at their level.  Mobility is also an important factor to consider within a classroom, and you want to make sure that there is enough room for the children to walk without hurting each other, and allowing them to move from one place to the other.  Attractiveness of the environment is another key factor in organizing a classroom, and you want the room to feel welcoming and warm so that the children feel comfortable and are therefore better able to learn.  Attractiveness also means keeping a clean classroom, which helps to teach the children the importance of cleanliness.  And finally, when organizing a classroom, storage needs to be taken into consideration.  When storing materials, they should be next to the area where they will be used, and should be easy to access in case the object(s) should be needed suddenly.

            Another thing that I appreciated while reading chapter 5 was that it gave examples of various centers that could be present in a classroom.  Examples include language arts centers, block centers, or pretend play centers.  I really enjoy how this book gives examples and ideas on the various centers and the materials needed to make them successful.  All of these are really great ideas for centers, and I will definitely take these ideas with me when thinking about the centers that I would like to set up in my classroom, and for an indecisive person, any ideas are great!

            Being the indecisive person that I am, again, I loved how this book gave examples and tips on how to select appropriate materials for the classroom.  For example, you want the materials to support various aspects of learning such as literacy, numbers, science, art, writing, music, and etc… It is also important to have an array of materials at hand because children, especially the younger ones, will get tired with the same materials day after day (or even after a few hours!).

            And one other thing that I really liked about this chapter (again having to do with providing an example) was that it gave an outline of schedules in various classrooms.  One thing that I noticed is that many of the activities last only, at most, around 25 minutes to a half hour.  This must require a lot of planning, and seeing a sample schedule really eases my mind about what and how to plan.  I am aware that it will be different once I am in my own class room setting, but it is reassuring to see a sample of a typical day in the life of a young child.

Question:  Where do these preschools come up with all of the different materials needed in a classroom to satisfy the attention spans of young children? How do you know what to buy and how is it funded?