Organizing Materials for a More Settled Classroom

09/14/2022

Organizing Materials for a More Settled Classroom

Organized storage that offers children clear extended choices results in more complex play and creative expressions in art or construction play.
Jim Greenman, Caring Spaces, Learning Places

“We all want our classrooms to be organized, but this is also about children’s access to prepared environments that are interesting, spark independence and agency, and are happy and joyful places to learn. This is a right for every child and teacher," write Lisa Porter Kuh and Iris Chin Ponte, in the article central to the newest Out of the Box training, "Organizing Materials for a More Settled Classroom." Chin Ponte and Porter Kuh make a strong link from this rights-based foundation for learning to the thoughtful organization and storage of materials.

The authors invite us to visualize "someplace you would seek out because you know you would be productive and focused. What are the qualities and characteristics of this place, real or imagined?...Children need and deserve the same conditions for their creative work and learning."

They add, "If children are to access the things they want to play with and be able to put them away, we need a strategy that supports clarity and independence."

Share in the comments what you and the children in your care need to create an inspiring and settled space for joy and learning!

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