Designing 1 a Developmentally Appropriate Kindergarten Classroom
Kelly Stevens Developmentally Appropriate Floor Plan Grade Level: Kindergarten EDUC 250 Fall 2007
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As you enter my Kindergarten classroom, you will see to your right and left cubbies and lockers for each student in my classroom. The lockers allow my students to hang up their coats, sweaters, or backpacks while the cubbies allow "personal" space for each student to keep and store personal items. These lockers and cubbies almost surround the entrance to the classroom, but are not too tall so students and teachers can see into the classroom. In this paper, I will go around and describe each center and at the end, I will list materials for each center. I found an internet site where you could click and drag furniture for a classroom. I found this very beneficial, because I changed and moved the furniture numerous times before I came up with this floor plan. I added my own labels, since the software lacked this feature. I hope that with this floor plan that I have created "an intellectually engaging, responsive environment to promote each child" (Sue Bredekamp and Carol Copple, 1997) As you continue going forward into the classroom, you will see a large rug. This is almost in the center of the classroom and is the large meeting group area. Just to the front of the rug there is a divider wall (tall enough for students to be able to see over). It has the daily calendar of events, rules of the classroom, a "chore chart" for each student and a dry eraser board to list assignments and when they are due. This area will be "used for meetings for discussions on necessary rules, problem solving and conflict resolution". (Toni S. Bickart, 2004, pg. 20) The centers almost surround the entire room. These centers will be set up to "integrate long-term studies as a way to foster a sense of community" (Toni S. Bickart, 2004, pg. 22).
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To start identifying the center in my classroom, I will start with the Puppet and Woodworking Center. Included in the Puppet Center is a Woodworking Center, for boys and girls to play with wood. The Woodworking Center will help the students with "refining eye-hand coordination". (Toni S. Bickart, 2004 pg. 24 ) This center will have a puppet tree, with puppets. It will also have a puppet theater, where students will able to perform to the Large Group Meeting Area. This center may be kind of loud, so I placed it next to the Block Center (which is also loud). The Block Center has a table for four (4) students to work at, along with a storage unit on the wall that will hold a massive amount of all kinds of blocks. My next center is my Home Play Center. It has everything you need to pretend and play like you are at home. This makes an "L" in the corner of the classroom. You will find lots of dress up clothes and many items you would find in your own home. A large storage unit will be placed in the home center to store all the necessary items for this center. As I learned in my Materials/Method class at Westminster, if students can play and are able to use their imagination by using objects to pretend with, they will be able to use this later in their learning of symbols and numbers. As you continue around the room, there will be a "kidney shaped" desk for the teacher and students to meet in small groups. This is essential for students and the teacher to meet and discuss projects in small groups. The next area you will encounter is the student's "desks". These are actually tables that four students can work together. I have six of these tables strategically placed so students can see the dry erase board on the wall with little problem. Also,
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since these are only tables, I have cubby shelves placed in the middle, so students have can easy access to their supplies. A shelf divides the desks with the next center, which is the Reading and Writing Center. I have a storage unit next to the wall with books, tapes, paper and writing tools. On the table are headphones. Up to four students can listen to books or songs on tape. The Reading and Writing Center will "opportunities for children to write and perform stories, poetry, and songs and to create artwork and music" (Toni S. Bickart, 2004 pg. 23). I have placed the Art Center next to the Reading and Writing Center, so students can work simultaneously in these two areas. I think it also very important that children are exposed to many different kinds of reading, writing, and art experiences. The next center will be the Art Center. It includes four easels. In the corner you will find a corner storage unit. This holds all things necessary for Art Center. The next thing you will find is a sink. The position of the sinks makes it accessible to the Art and Science Centers. As you continue around the room, there is a large table. This is the science and math table. Behind it, there is more storage. This will hold all the materials needed for the Science and Math Center. Next to the Science and Math Center, is the Sand and Water Table. This is fun center, for my students to have fun and learn with sand and water. The classroom does not have computers, because of the accessibility to the computer lab. Also, the classroom does not have a bathroom. There are bathrooms, centrally located right outside the classroom.
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Materials for Each Center Kindergarten Classroom
Entrance/Exit Area @ Front Door Lockers & Cubbies with names on each for students Large Group Rug Rug Divider for class calendar, dry erases board Daily Calendar Class Duty Chart Class Rules Puppet Theatre/Woodworking Center Puppet theatre Puppets Wood Hammers Screwdrivers Books Block Center Wooden blocks Plastic or child- sized tools Animals (farm and wild) Big Legos Cars and trucks Carpet with road design Wooden people (community helpers) Paper and crayons Home/Dramatic Play Center child sized refrigerator, stove and sink telephone (toy or real) old telephone book plastic food and dishes pots and pans old clothing and shoes doll bed stuffed animals
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multicultural babies place mats and napkins hot pads rubber gloves iron and ironing board old junk mail menus pencil and paper food boxes and cans (emptied and washed) hair care products empty makeup items hairdryer (chord cut off) Desks/Cubbies Desks & chairs Cubbies with names of students Chalk Board or Dry Erase Board Reading and Writing Center Book shelf Large selection of books child's tape player w/ several headphones books on tape paper and crayons bean bag chair felt board felt story pieces
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Art Center construction paper small and large drawing paper pencils crayons, markers tempra paint water colors paint brushes scrap papers buttons cotton craft sticks Math/Science Center Math manipulates Terrarium Aquarium Magnifying glass Tweezers Rocks Leaves Ruler Shapes & objects Puzzles Games, board puzzles floor puzzles pegs and peg board lacing cards small Lagos small counting blocks folder games crayons and paper
q-tips yarn stickers beans crepe paper glue & paste noodles stencils play dough child safety scissors
Sand/Water Sand Water Toys to play in sand (cars/trucks/small people) Measuring cups Spoons
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Bibliography
Sue Bredkamp and Carol Copple, E. (1977). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs. Washington, D. C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Toni S. Bickart, J. R. (2004). Building the Primary Classroom, A Complete Guide to Teaching and Learning. Washington D.C.: Teaching Strategies, Inc. and Heinmann.
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