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The Transitional Kindergarten classroom environment sets the stage for both learning and student/adult interactions.
Planning for the design and organization of the learning environment is critical.
The placement of furniture, tables, and shelving can have a powerful effect on
student behavior and learning. The same is true for the placement of visual markers such
as signs and carpet areas.
I was able to visit, for example, with the group, a preschool classroom that was all
set up ready to go, and so I took pieces from that classroom and I used what I had. I really
think it's key to set things up at their eye level, so that they can see things, they can
reach things, and so that was the main thing that I took with me and used that to set up my classroom.
It just really helps having the labels around and the shelves on the tubs because once it
comes to them putting their materials away, it's very easy for them to do. They
can do it on their own, they don't need to come and get me, they can see the labels,
see the picture, and know what activity or what toy goes in which basket.
The indoor classroom needs designated spaces for large group instruction, small group learning,
as well as individual exploration.
So we paid a lot of attention to the centers, the design; that there's a lot of little nooks
and crannies within the classroom where children can go. And, that's the kind of setting we
wanted to create.
We replaced the big old rectangular tables with smaller round tables. Made more room,
more open space. My husband built these nice cubbies to go down the middle of the room.
And so, I have an area that's carpeted, where there's lots of centers over there, kids can
come over and pull a box off the counter and set up a center easily, and work there on
the carpet. And other kids can be sitting on the other side of that cubbie wall, and
be doing something else. Maybe they're working with my aide or with me. And so, it sort of
separated that noisier play from the quieter area.
We needed small bookshelves that the children could access. We needed little storage. We needed
a play area, so we wanted house furniture. We wanted the table and chairs. We wanted
to have a wardrobe to put play clothes in. And we set upon...I think there's about 7 or 8
centers that we decided we would provide and we'd tell our teachers, "You will provide
these centers," but we felt that since we were telling them they needed to provide them,
we needed to provide the materials.
I have centers in the classroom and they are positioned all around and in the middle.
And the contents of those change but the centers remain the same.
At each center, we have a piece of paper that has 5 slots, and so the kids have tickets,
or their cards with their name on it, and when center time begins, they grab their card,
and they go ahead and put it in whatever center that they would like to go to.
We have a science center, you know we try to provide
them with opportunities to get hands-on experiences in science using all five senses. We have
a writing center as far as... you know, fine motor for letters. And math center is full of
manipulatives for them to make patterns, to sort, to count. We also tend to incorporate
our smart board at the math center and put up flip charts that have patterning, or adding
or counting and so that is usually a part of the math center. So we have an art center;
usually there's painting going on. Sometimes we have cutting and gluing. Shaving cream
on an easel where they put up shaving cream and they make shapes or letters.
High-quality early learning environments are created through intentional planning, implementation
and evaluation. Program design is a reflective process. The classroom will evolve and change
over time as the teacher grows and as student needs change. TK teachers pay attention to
students' work and emerging interests. This will inspire program planning and the development
of learning areas throughout the school year.
There are some centers that change according to whatever lessons or themes that we're working on.
We have a listening center. And we have a block center as well where the children
have freedom to build whatever they want to. And then we have a dramatic play center which when we started
out in September was a house. And then it turned into a medical center now, so we're
working on a health unit. That can include a veterinarian's office, it includes a doctor's
office, a dentist, and we try to supply them with materials to be able to act out the different scenarios at a medical center, not just one specific type of office.
TEACHER: "Do you think that shot will do for you?" STUDENT: "Make you feel better and have no coughs." TEACHER: "There you go. Will it keep you healthy?" STUDENT: "Yup."
TK students benefit from regular opportunities to experience and explore the outdoor play yard.
Student-initiated challenges in outdoor environments permit them to push their limits
and build awareness of their strengths and emerging abilities.
We know that children need a lot of large motor developmental experiences in order to
grow and develop. So before you can write, you have to be able to do the big things,
the brain needs that.
Outdoors, we're able to use our bodies in a much more large motor skill fashion. And
we have some small little garden spaces which fit nicely in with our science curriculum.
We're able to plant seeds and watch the growth of plants. We do some math and measurements
with that over time. We do writing with our garden by going out and recording and drawing
pictures of what we see happening in the garden, and then thinking about those words that we
want to attach to those pictures.
And, sometimes, activities that originate in the indoor classroom can be extended into
the outdoor environment.
We take a lot of things that we use indoors outdoors. For example, we have, music and
musical instruments. We have books, we have things for them to do art. We have lots of
blocks. Besides, the playground equipment. We have lots of sand toys out there. We do water-play outside sometimes.
STUDENTS: "Let me try it everywhere. How much water is the most? This one or this one?"
Science lends itself great to the outdoors, math, physical education, of course. But even
going outside and just making some observations and then, bringing those ideas back into the classroom.
Sometimes going out and taking a breath of fresh air and then coming back
in and having a conversation about it, is enough to kind of re-energize the kids as well.
So, I use it, outside, both in a very planned manner but when I see that the kids
are sort of falling apart with me, short-attention spans and difficulties with whatever it is,
taking a breath of fresh air, finding something they will look at and then coming back in refreshed.
"Let me see your dance!... FREEZE! Lorenzo! Let me see your dance!... Lorenzo! Let me see your dance!"