The Importance in Creating a Calm Environment for Young Children

The choices a teacher makes in his/her classroom send a message. "The environment contributes to setting the tone of the school day for both the children and the teacher. An organized, attractive, clean and warm setting results in more positive behaviors and attitudes." (Eliason&Jenkins, 34) Visual presentation of artwork, posters and lessons for learning easily fill preschool and primary school classroom walls becoming a busy collection of colors and images. Clutter in young children's school environments is common and for many students may not be an issue. But, for some students the visual chaos, particularly on the walls, truly affects their learning and overall success. For some students these busy walls simply add to the activity and disorder they are experiencing inside their bodies and minds.

Children Who are Affected by Busy Walls and Clutter

We are not all the same. Some people love things around them and are not bothered by many items in their vision, colors and shapes bombarding their sensory input. But for others, such as children under the autistic spectrum, those diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, FAS or even students with dyslexia, a busy and cluttered room may be difficult to handle, and possibly contribute to sensory overload. It adds to their daily struggle in such things as being organized, the ability to concentrate, and in keeping their bodies calm and still. A room that is buzzing with visual stimulation may create unwanted behavior in the classroom and away from the child's learning process.

Scanning The Classroom

A teacher should try and imagine what it is like to be the student, perhaps sit in a chair and scan his/her eyes around the entire classroom. Another idea is to ask other adults how they feel when viewing the walls. When assessing his/her room, the teacher could ask himself/herself, "Is there any organization? Are there items that could be tucked away into boxes to make this space visually less cluttered? Are there posters that could be taken down for awhile? What is the purpose of each item on these walls? Even without the sound of the children, could these walls contribute to sensory overload? How do I feel in this room?" When the evaluation is made, then changes can occur.

Tips on Setting Up a De-Cluttered Walls and Space

Placing items on the wall or boards should be given proper consideration in how it affects the space. It is crucial that young children feel pride in their environment as they view their work on the wall. Teachers need to have relevant lessons in children's view for learning. Yet, at the same time, some steps can be considered when displaying pieces to help create a more soothing and pleasing presentation. There are many articles providing tips on how to decorate a bulletin board, here are some more things to consider when decorating a classroom:

• keep some wall space completely free of items
• choose an organized technique when displaying art with equal spaces in between to help create a visual flow
• avoid hanging artwork from the ceiling
• current items on walls should be relevant to the season and topics
• sometimes less is more
• consider paint on walls and choose a soothing background color
• when displaying the student's artwork, select pieces that are less busy and have similar patterns, for instance, handprints versus finger painting
• store away papers, books and such in closed compartments to limit visual clutter
• pick adjectives to describe your ideal room and try making the environment match those words

An organized, de-cluttered, calming and welcoming room is not only going to help the children with sensory and behavioral challenges, but the rest of the classroom and the teacher will benefit from this space as well.

Source: Eliason and Jenkins, A Practical Guide to Early Childhood Curriculum, 6th Ed., United States: Merill Publishing, 1999.

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Valentine's Panda Bear Craft

Valentine's Panda Bear Craft

Traditionally, Valentine preschool crafts involve red and pink hearts. For variation, this activity involves different shaped black and white hearts. With the shapes, the preschool children can create their very own panda bear or as a gift for someone they love.


Depending on the age of the children, the preschool teacher could prepare the different shaped hearts before hand. Alternatively, older preschool children could attempt to cut their own hearts (or circles) which fosters fine motor skills. Either way, a template of different shaped hearts helps with the preparation. Half a heart template works well with this age group.




This particular preschool craft could be demonstrated ahead of time at circle time to help the children with the steps. This art process encourages young children to follow direction, a skill that is important to develop for their success at school. At the same time, there is always room for open ended art...for the children to create their own creations with the material, wonderfully illustrated in the following photo taken from
Luv Pre-K

From Luv Pre-K Heart Art