As I was reading this chapter, I kept wondering to myself
how is it possible to fit all of the different essential elements of making a
literacy rich environment in the tiny classrooms we are often given as
teachers. There are many different centers that teachers must incorporate into
their classroom. The literacy center needs to include an intensive library so
children can access the variety of books. The classroom library should be
organized for children to easy maintain themselves.
Have you considered how you might set up and run your
classroom library? What are some ideas of making this area organized and easy
for the students to run themselves?
Students should have
a variety of reading areas to choose from in the center. The areas should be
comfortable and cozy to invite children in to read. Many classroom library and
literacy centers that I have seen are themed. My personal favorite is the
camping themed area. The teacher provided a tent for personal space and
decorated the bulletin boards with camping themed items. What are some other
great ideas for a themed literacy center?
The literacy center also should include a writing area with
tables and chairs as well as an assortment of writing materials, such as
pencils, crayons, poster-board, lined paper and colored paper. Having a variety
of materials in the literacy center can increase the student’s creativity when
writing.
This chapter provides great visuals for how to set up a
literacy rich classroom. Again, I am wondering how to incorporate everything
you need in a small classroom. The floor plan does not include desks or table
area enough for the typical 26-student classroom. This floor plan includes everything
that I would absolutely love to include in my future classroom, but I am
concerned about the amount of space this takes up when we the typical classroom
is quite small. A loft is a great way to increase the amount of space in the classroom,
but these are often hard to receive.
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| This summer, I had the privilege to help my cousin set up her 1 and 2 grade split classroom. She had parents in her classroom that offered to build her a loft in the classroom. She now uses this area as part of her literacy center. |
How might one incorporate all the necessary parts of a
literacy rich classroom in the limited space provided?
I agree that the classrooms we will be in as teachers will be quiet small. Making it hard to be able to incorporate all the lit centers that are recommended. I love the idea of incorporating a loft within the classroom. It adds so much space and is a great private area for reading, and writing time. I Think I would break my classroom up into sections, and combine some subjects such as social studies and science to allow for more space.I feel by having designated areas of the classroom as lit areas makes it a little easier to organize and manage. I feel that in order to incorporate all the areas necessary for a literacy rich classroom you must first see the space in which you are given and start making a plan from there.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Teachers always dream about having this huge classroom to be able to make a perfect literacy rich environment for these students and then they get to see the classroom and it is smaller than they thought. You as a teacher have to think about what is really important to have in your classroom and what is going to better help those students achieve what they want to.I also question myself, I have all of these ideas to do with my classroom, how am I going to fit everything that I want in here? I think that teachers need to think about the students, not what they want. What are the students going to want in here to help motivate them to read? Have think about your students and I know that can be hard.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with dreams, is that every person dreams too big. I dream of a huge classroom, then reality hits me in the face before work. The average classroom is not large, and if you include very center, desks, chairs, and bookshelves the classroom may begin to feel small, tight even. So the question is how do we all fix this perception? How can people fit everything they want and are required to hve in four small walls?
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom library center, I've considered having a big, but short, open(on both sides) bookshelf. There can be various types of books from non-fiction to fiction and even classroom made books on the shelves, and then next to the shelf on a small easel, I wanted to have "star" books of the week that relate to the lessons that we talk about during that specific week. On the top of the bookshelf, there will be a "check out" and "check in" list where the students can write what books they are going to read/take home just like at a library. Then when they return the book, they will sign them back in. The reading time area will be a comfortable spot with bean bag chairs, pillows, etc. so the student can relax while reading a book. We talked in class about how in the video some students didn't have shoes on while reading. I personally love the idea, except for the safety issue. Therefore, if my students wanted to remove their shoes, we could have a "shoe bin" by the reading area so that they could quickly find their shoes in the case of an emergency. Unfortunately, we can't all have the luxurious, big classroom that we all want. Therefore, we have to make our best with what we are given. I would LOVE to have a loft in my room just for the sake of having more room because you can expand to a different level.
ReplyDeleteIt is very realistic to get a smaller classroom. This means that a teacher has to become creative with the space that they use. Maybe incorporating a loft or creating spaces for multiple uses may be the key to creating spaces for lit centers. It would be my dream to have a huge classroom, but in reality, a teacher has to adapt to the space they have. Maximizing the space is key!
ReplyDelete