On safari – a jungle in the classroom June 27, 2008
Posted by Linda in : Art, KS1 , trackback 
On safari through the jungle – in the classroom, originally uploaded by LindaH.
Transformational classroom displays are particularly popular in early years and key stage 1 settings. This reading area has become a jungle, complete with an elephant,lion and tiger. Most of the animals have been made and painted by the children, with some adult assistance. The result is a high interest area with lots to talk about.
Making displays like this can be a huge stimulus for speaking and listening but once the display is up staff often need to make an effort to remember to keep referring to elements in the display. Adding labels and other text can re-vitalise a display. A favourite addition is laminated speech bubbles so that asking questions like “How does the elephant feel today?” can give the children even more opportunity for expression and contribute to a text rich environment.
Once children and staff get used to the display and it looses its “wow” factor it has to go. There’s a great temptation with displays like this to forget their purpose and treat them like pretty wallpaper.
Displays like this need to be treated with a little caution. Whilst it can be great fun to transform a whole classroom too much stimulation can be very challenging for some children. Keeping some areas visually quiet and uncluttered is also a consideration.
This is awesome. . .I have chosen a safari theme this year for my classroom. This post have given me even more ideas- – thanks for sharing!
Hi Nancy, thanks for the kind words. Your blog is awesome! I wonder if you’d like to join the Classroom Displays Group on Flickr?
How do I do that? (I’m so new at this blogging thing!)
Hi Nancy No problems, the Flickr group is easy to join. First you need to join Flickr (a free photo sharing site) and then upload your photos and join the group. Just watch the video on the Flickr page and then follow the link to the Classroom Displays Group.Click
Share to find the video and a better explanation.