A Classroom Library October 1, 2007
Posted by Linda in : library, literacy , add a comment 
Our class library, originally uploaded by riaskiff.
Creating a classroom library may not seem relevant to classroom displays but I think we need to consider all aspects of the learning environment and the way they work together when we plan displays.
I want to highlight some of the more interesting classroom libraries that I’ve seen recently. This one is a simple, yet soothing space. The colours are muted and not too stimulating but with just a touch of red for warmth. The books are tidy but accessible. They can be quickly popped back into the trays with very little fuss. There are cuddlies to hand which can be surprisingly important even for older children. The mat, rug and cushions combine together to make a cosy welcoming space. (Just a note about cushions. These are much better than beanbags as children with asthma can find the filling problematic.)The bookcases have been used to create a discreet, yet visible area. I think this is a lovely, well thought out space and it makes me want to curl up there with a good book so hopefully it will have the same effect on children!
Here’s a very different approach:
This time there’s a child sized sofa rather than rugs and cushions. It’s a nice idea but I wonder if it’s less practical. It’s definitely more expensive! It limits the number of children able to use the area and makes it harder for an adult to join them at the right level. The children will be side by side rather than clustered and whilst this might be useful for maintaining a quiet area, speaking and listening aren’t really well served by this arrangement.
On the plus side the area looks welcoming and cosy. Displays have been used discreetly to remind the children what this area is about. The area is clearly visible but it’s not quite as defensible a space.
This space is more enclosed than the others. It’s got child sized furniture and it’s quite small. It looks like an interesting and engaging space that will appeal to children. It’s going to provide a good speaking and listening environment but it worries me slightly on a few counts. Firstly, it is almost too private. If children do feel unobserved there is always a potential for bullying behaviours to go unnoticed. Secondly, it’s not an easy space for an adult to enter, get involved and facilitate discussions.
One other advantage of the first area is that there’s less attempt to control how the children sit. Child sized furniture is often most appealing to adults and to those children who like to sit quietly anyway. For those who are more kinaesthetic or squirmy as I prefer to call it 
even the most delightful furniture can, literally, be a pain!
Literacy Word Search July 30, 2007
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Literacy wall word search, originally uploaded by loulrc.
Here’s an interesting idea for a corridor - a word search. This one is in a High School but I could see this working in Primary too. You could adapt this for other purposes as well. How about a series of Sudoku outside a maths room? (Plastic covered means the solutions can be rubbed off )
Lots of people enjoy word and number puzzles and whilst they may not encourage deep learning they do provide interest to a dull waiting area. There is some evidence that using them regularly enhances brain function.
One drawback with plastic covered corridor displays though can be the temptation to pick at them. Lou, who designed this one says:
Trouble with working in a secondary school though…we have to cover everythng with heavy duty plastic, and now the rotters have been picking out staples from that…best thing is to do the display, record it in its glory and send pics to the depts for CPD folders etc and OFSTED…
I wonder if anyone can suggest solutions to this or the reasons for it?
Handa’s Surprise Display June 4, 2007
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Handa’s Surprise, originally uploaded by LindaH.
This interesting classroom display is currently one of the most viewed photos in the Classroom Displays group on Flickr and I can see why!
Not all displays have to be for children’s work. This display was created by a Year 2 TA last year and shows how an eye-catching display can be used to carry story prompts.
This can be an effective teaching tool if the display is kept fresh by building up the prompts as the class explores story writing. The display needs to be pointed to as a classroom resource where children can be reminded to look. The same prompts can be used by the children as checklists for editing their own work.
This particular classroom display was so lovely that it transferred to the library after Year 2 had moved on.
Sir Kit and Dragon Island March 7, 2007
Posted by lmhartley in : literacy , 5comments 
Sir Kit and Dragon Island, originally uploaded by LindaH.
This is the Year 3 Literacy Intervention which has replaced ALS. The materials are available to download from the DFES site . You’ll also find some clip art here on the Lancs NGFL site.
The Quest group really fires the kids’ imaginations. They love Sir Kit and I found they drink it all in. They like all the trappings too, that’s why I found a magic bottle (ex-bubble bath) to put on the display with their letters. The more you can do of that sort of thing the better the kids like it.
The map was aged with brown paint and pva (dash of paint in a 1part glue to 3 parts water solution) then crumpled when dry.
The volcano roleplay session in block B of Module 1 is really good fun.
This display was made to evolve through the 16 week intervention, with new targets and work being put up every two weeks.
One thing to watch out for though is the sharks module. Last year I found the page references were wrong for the edition of the book we’d bought & some of the info they needed was missing. I managed to find a book in the library & photocopied the information. It’s worth checking in advance.
It’s also worth re-emphasising that the intervention is aimed at 2c children & is too hard for the lower group. They’d enjoy the story but the work will quickly overwhelm them. It ramps up quite quickly too with Module 3 being quite challenging for below average achievers in Year 3.
There are a couple of interesting conversations about it over on the TA Chat forum
A Poet’s Paintbox - what do displays mean to children? January 14, 2007
Posted by lmhartley in : literacy , add a comment
That was a year 5 (age 10) class being interviewed about a display that had built up in the classroom over the course of half a term. I think it’s interesting that they took pride in their work and continued to look at the display even after it had been up for a while. Perhaps the people who voted for
in the recent poll on this post were onto something.
