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Return to the Helpful Hints Homepage
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Helpful Hints: Creating Interest Areas
Setting up interest areas with in the classroom is important for
the making of a classroom that promotes the growth and development for a child.
Here are areas that are typically in an early childhood classroom:
• Blocks (unit blocks, people and transportation)
• Dramatic Play (kitchen set, dress-up clothes & dolls)
• Fine Motor or Manipulative (tables, puzzles, pegs & beads)
• Art (easels, paint, crayons & paper)
• Sand & Water (sand and water table, funnels, measuring cups & sponges)
• Library (book display, books & soft cushions)
• Music and Movement (dance/prop storage, musical instruments/players)
• Storage for Personal Belongings (lockers, storage bins, etc.)
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• How do the children select interest areas and materials?
• Which areas are rarely used?
• Which areas are selected most often?
• Does traffic pattern permit children to play safely?
• Do children select the same, similar or different materials daily?
• Are children able to find and return materials independently?
• How do the children use the materials?
• What do children actually do with the selected materials?
• Do children have the skills to use materials successfully?
• Do children use materials appropriately and creatively?
• Which types of materials seem to stimulate dramatic play Group play?
• Do different children play differently with the same materials?
• Which materials hold the children's interest longest?
• How does the selection of materials keep children meaningful involve?
• Are the materials reflective of the children's backgrounds and home life?
• Do children help care for materials and return them where they belong?
• How do the children interact with their peers and adults?
• How do the children socialize?
• Do they approach others or wait to be invited?
• Which children play together most often?
• How do children ask for help from adults? From peers?
• Which play experience seem to foster cooperative play? Solitary play?
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PROGRAMS BEHAVIOR
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POSSIBLE CAUSES
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HOW TO CHANGE
THE ENVIRONMENT
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Running in the classroom
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To much open spaces;
room not divided into smaller areas
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Use shelves & furniture to divide the space
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Fighting over toys
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Few duplicated toys;
children asked to share too often
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Provide duplicates of toys;
show children when it will be their turn
(use a timer with a bell, a sand timer
or a list with name of children
waiting for their turn)
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Wandering around;
unable to choose activities
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Room too cluttered;
choices not clear; not enough to do
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Get rid of clutter.
Simplify the layout of the room & materials.
Add more activity choices.
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Easily distracted;
trouble staying with and completing a task
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Areas under defined and open;
children can see everything going on in the room
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Use shelves to define areas so children
are not distracted by other's activities.
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Materials used roughly;
children resist cleaning up materials
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Materials on shelves are messy;
no order to display of materials
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Make a place for everything.
Use picture labels to show where materials go.
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Helpful Hint of the Month...
Teacher's Lock-It-Up Cabinet
The Teacher's Lock-It-Up Cabinet gives the teachers
storage for their personal belongings,
as well as those supplies that can not be left out
without the direction or supervision of the teacher.
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Shown above:
WD18400
Teacher's Lock-It-Up Cabinet
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Check us out in this article on the web...
The Ultimate Early Ed Blueprint
Creating an ideal early childhood education space in your school district is a no-brainer,
once you understand how to see and think like a tot.
By Julie Sturgeon, DistrictAdministration.com, May 2004
http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=734
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Teacher Resources: Helpful Hints Archive
Our past Helpful Hints articles, organized & archived
for your convenience in setting-up your own classroom.
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Enhance interest areas by providing enough shelving & storage bins
for the amount of materials provided in the classroom.
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