Your kindergarten classroom setup will be one of the aspects that you will have to give the most consideration to. Thinking about the centers and spaces that will be available to your students, and then changing them based on their needs. In this fifth post about the kindergarten classroom environment, I will give you some ideas of the different spaces that I have used and why I chose that setup.
You should take a reflective and fluid approach to the setup: it can and should change throughout the year depending on the interests and needs of your students.
What are some of your favourite centers and spaces in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
Self-Regulated Centers
Providing choices to my students in the classroom is an important part of my classroom management. Students get to pick which activities to go to, how long they stay and when to move on to a new center.
Read more about how I run free choice centers and the benefits of providing choice to my kindergarten students.
Kindergarten Classroom Setup
Providing choices to my students is important – so what kinds of spaces and centers do I have available? In short, as many as I can! I find that the more choices students have, the more they are about to pick something that interests them and this cuts down on any ‘behaviours’ that develop.
If you would like to know more about the centers, here is a list of some of them:
- Building Center
- Dramatic Play
- Sensory Bin
- Small World
- Fine Motor
- iPad/Computer
I also have tabletop activities that my students can go to (like math or writing centers).
Types of Centers and Spaces
When planning for each tabletop activity or center, I try to strike a balance between 4 types of setups:
1- Teacher-Led: this is an activity like a guided group where the educator has a specific goal or learning that they want to target.
2- Teacher & Student: these can be provocations or materials that are selected by the educator, and children take the lead on how they use them to show their learning.
3- Student & Teacher: an educator might pick the materials for an invitation for learning, but the students choose what they do and what direction they take with the materials.
4- Child-Led: the students pick how they play and what they play.
Having a mix of these 4 different types of centers is what I find most effective and developmentally appropriate for my students. You can learn even more about my kindergarten classroom setup by reading through My Ultimate Guide for Kindergarten Centers.
What are some of your favourite centers and spaces in your classroom? Let me know in the comments!
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Creating an environment and a learning space is so important. It can help kids to explore and enhance their creative side, thanks for sharing these ideas!