Learning Environment Handouts

LITERACY-RICH ENVIRONMENTS

Classroom Library A literacy-rich classroom environment contains a well-organized library of books that includes both leveled readers and books organized by genre. The classroom library also has many books because the vast number of texts illustrates to the students that reading is important to the teacher and the classroom. A literacy-rich classroom might also include other print resources that promote the importance of reading such as magazines, newspapers, digital books, signs, menus, recipes, etc. A literacy-rich environment also includes specific areas that are designated for students to enjoy reading. These areas may be a part of the classroom library or they may be set up elsewhere. The areas are made “cozy” or “comfortable” for the kids by designing a space that has pillows or chairs assigned for reading or a theme that encourages students to escape and get lost in a book. The more inviting the area, the clearer the message is that reading is something that should be enjoyable and valued. Furthermore, if the teacher portrays a love of reading, the student motivation to read will increase. For example, book baskets labeled “Class Favorites” along with conversations about what makes these books a favorite, will convey the importance of reading for meaning and encourage the students to reread those texts.


Carpet Area/Community Space There should be a space in the classroom for community gatherings. This shows that the teacher values interaction among students and that there is a support space for learning together. Most often this area is designated by a large carpet and teacher chair. In this area, the teacher can hold morning meetings, interactive and shared reading and writing experiences. This is place where students will learn the essential skills and components of literacy in a collaborative and supportive setting.


Wall Space A literacy-rich environment also includes walls that are print-rich and filled with student work. The wall space may include word walls, content-specific walls with lots of vocabulary, labels for items around the classroom for both items and spaces, anchor charts and posters that reinforce content taught, and most importantly, a space to display student work. The space for student work is essential because it illustrates the teacher value of the work that the students are doing. By ensuring that your classroom walls are print-rich, you are providing your students with an additional resource for learning new words and building their vocabulary. Teaching students how to use the print-rich walls by making them interactive is key to building a literacy-rich classroom.


Student Work Spaces/Desk Arrangement Another important part of the classroom environment is student work-space. Research indicates that collaborative work spaces are essential for promoting a social and interactive classroom experience. We will talk later this week about the importance of oral language instruction, but it is necessary for you to consider how you will design your classroom to ensure that there is not only time for collaborative learning experiences, but a place for it as well. When you are thinking about student work-space, think about the type of furniture you have. It is recommended that kindergarten and first grade classrooms utilize tables to encourage collaboration and student interaction. By 2nd grade, students may transition to desks, but even then, it is best practice to have the desks grouped. It is also effective to have a mix of both, so students can transition to different work-spaces depending on the task they are completing. As you think about this, keep your student needs and classroom size in mind so that the classroom arrangement is responsive to what is best for you and your class.


Literacy Stations Classrooms that promote literacy also include an organized space for literacy centers and stations. This includes a station for reading and writing and an area for exploring and working with letters and words. The important part of setting up for literacy stations in your classroom is that the materials need to be clearly organized in a way that is accessible for students. This keeps the day flowing smoothly and allows the children to see that you value their exploration of literacy. The materials within those bins/stations need to be systematically designed, which we will discuss in a later session, and the materials need to be engaging to effectively promote reading and writing. There should be a specific purpose for each item in your literacy station or bin, so students make the connections to previously taught skills and use materials properly. We will explore what could be included in literacy bins/stations in a later session, but for now, is it essential that you consider where you want to place the bins/stations and start brainstorming ideas for how best to keep the materials in order. Since this area is specifically designed for independent student work, if the layout is unclear to students, it can lead to confusion and frustration, which will ultimately hinder student motivation.


Teacher-Student Work Space Highly effective classrooms also have a designated space for small group guided learning. Determine the location of where you will work with smaller groups and decide what type of furniture will best facilitate discussion. Typically, a kidney table or small round table serves this purpose. If you are short on space, you may need to use a space that can be utilized for many settings. For example, the carpet may be used during whole-group instruction, but the carpet can also be where the teacher pulls small groups. Also, you will need to consider how you will organize your materials for small group instruction. There needs to be organization for teacher materials and student materials.


Technology Set up a space for technology or find ways to integrate technology into various zones in the classroom. When thinking about technology, think about the accessibility of technology for your students and how best to create routines for gathering and putting away technology. Having a systematic process for this will decrease transition time and ultimately allow for more instructional time.

Documents

Learning Environment Handouts