On May 12th, 2014, our Kindergarten team opened up our learning environments to other Waterloo Region District School Board educators. This after school event was an opportunity to share beliefs about the use of space, time and materials that were chosen for the environment in a FDK classroom.
Here is a compiled list of what the group came up with when thinking about a Kindergarten
Learning Environment:
- purposeful
- creative and fun
- open-ended
- dynamics of the team
- quantity of materials
- meets individual needs
- provocations
- healthy and safe
- child-centred
- third or fourth educator
- inclusive
- use of space and time
- accessible
- indoor and outdoor
After reviewing these ideas and the FDK document, my additional thoughts about the learning environment include:
- documentation
- visuals (what’s on the walls?)
- family involvement (photographs)
- authentic materials
- natural spaces
- neutral colours/bullitens
- appropriate resources
- comfortable and safe for children
- encourages empathy, interest in trying new things, and the development of self-confidence
- room for small groups, large groups, and independent workspaces
- learning centres that incorporate: quiet/book, literacy/writing, building/blocks, dramatic play, sensory (sand, water, etc.), mathematics, science and technology, and visual arts
- area for big movement
- observation tools (iPads, class list on clipboard)
- adheres to different learning styles
- organization using labels of words, pictures, symbols or numbers
Aspects of the Learning Environment
The next sections of this post highlight specifc parts of the learning environment from above that really stand out to me.
Current and Child-Centred Spaces
I think the most important consideration to have when setting up a
space for children to learn is that everything is placed in the
environment specific to the children who are in it. Not last year’s
students or those from 15 years ago. The materials that are chosen
directly correspond to the children who are learning from them.
Similarly, documentation and set-up of the classroom represent the needs
and interests of current students. I believe that each year is a new
beginning and therefore, next year’s classroom will look completely
different in that materials and purposes for activities will be chosen
for those students.
These
paintings are student pieces that have explanations attached to them
(bottom right corner). They are low on the back of a shelf in the drama
centre so children can view these pieces easily.
Writing
samples posted with sticky tack on the walls near group meeting area;
again – at children’s eye level and easy to locate.
Portfolios (or Documentation Binders)
At the beginning of the year, our team thought we would experiment
with the idea of saving pieces of work that children had created in a
portfolio. These portfolios are filled with art pieces, writing samples,
photographs of children engaged in learning, artifacts, anecdotes, etc.
and are a combination of educator and student chosen artifacts.
Children often refer to their portfolio to see work that has been added
and to share with others that come into our classroom. What a beautiful
way to store the incredible learning that goes on in our environment.
Our
portfolios are stored on a low shelf, accessible to each child at any
time. We use sheet protectors to ensure artifacts are protected for
future keeping. Binders are labelled with the child’s first name and a
photograph of them during the first week of school inside.
Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards speak to the projects that are occurring in a
classroom. We have discussed the idea of an empty bulletin board and I
feel that if a board is empty, that’s totally okay! It doesn’t mean that
the educators in the room are “lazy” or that children simply aren’t
learning anything. Rather, it suggests that the team is considerate with
what they document and that the boards are not filled with information
for the sake of having something posted. There are often many projects
on the go in our classroom, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that those
projects need to be overflowing on our boards. What is documented and
displayed is carefully chosen and includes children and educator pieces.
Documentation
of our planting process: photographs of children in different stages of
process and children’s writing to explain underneath. Painting is from a
student who predicted her beans would grow into a yellow flower. We
also added a web to include what we know about plants.
Number
Sense and Numeracy using beans! Black and white photographs can be so
beautiful against a clean bulletin. When children write the words for
the boards, the messages are clearly for them. I often use black
cardstock to back photographs to make them stand out. On the shelf, you
will notice literature and materials to further explore beans and seeds.
Organize and Label
Just like you would label your spices in your kitchen and fold your
clothes to fit in drawers according to category, materials in the
learning environment need to have a designated place of belonging and
usually requires a label. I like to keep minimal materials on the
shelves to avoid children feeling overwhelmed with choices. Labeling
materials using words, pictures, symbols or numbers that are
recognizable to children helps them find what they are looking for to
make the best use of their time. Everything should have a place! Below
you will notice labels, glass jars, and a “beautiful junk” bin (a
storage place for recyclable materials children can use to create with).
Observation Tools
This year, I work in a classroom with two other educators and each of
us contribute to an Evernote account to record our observations of
children. Report cards stem from these observations that are carefully
articulated through day-to-day conversations and engagement with our
students. There are so many ways to observe children, but my favourite
ways this year include the app Evernote and using observation sheets
that include children’s names in a box or column with space to write
notes. I use Notability to store personal documents, such as resources,
tip sheets, important articles, etc. that I will continue to build over
time. Here are links to check out if you are interested in exploring
these ways of observation/documentation:
To those of you who took the time after school on Monday to come to
New Dundee Public School for this event, thank-you! It has been a
pleasure to host such an event and I loved opening up our environments
to share with each of you.
Resources
Special thanks to members of our team for hosting this event:
Natasha Tsetsekas @N_Tsetsekas
Valerie Urquhart @Urquhart_Val
Nicole Roeder @roedernikki
Andrea Michelutti @micheluttia
Wendy Goulden @wendygoulden
Laura Hawker @laurahawker1
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