Creating a Literacy-Rich Class Environment

If money were no object and I could create and design a classroom, there are many things I

would include to foster a literacy-rich environment. To begin, I would focus on flexible seating

and the different items of furniture used in my room. As noted in “Elements of a Literacy-Rich

21st Century Classroom”, written by Erin Lynch, flexible seating is just one design element that

can be utilized in the classroom. Allowing students to move and choose what seating option

works best for them gives students the opportunity to advocate for themselves and how they

learn. Though I do already have many seating options in my room, I would love to bring in a

couch and a larger community table/workspace for my students. In the video, “Flexible

Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need”, you can see many different

styles of seating being utilized. In one shot, you see a canoe being utilized for student seating.

Another classroom has a bunk style day bed where students can climb a ladder and sit up top.

These are seating options that would excite and learner!

Within my current classroom, my room is set up so that our class of 6 students can meet as a

group daily. Our seats are arranged in a “U” shape to face the smartboard. This gives students a

sense of family. I also have different areas of the room utilized for small group, as well as a

cooldown corner for students to utilize. In the article “Adapting Classroom Environments for

Young Children with Special Needs”, they highlight the importance of providing all students

with a classroom environment that allows all students to be active participants in the room. Some

of the accommodations we have in our classroom to assist students include the use of soft music

throughout the day, adjusted lighting in the room as well as multiple seating options. If I could

decide my dream classroom, I would continue to work on providing a safe and effective

classroom for my students with disabilities.

 As I continue to learn and grow each year as an educator, I also believe it is important to

collaborate and share with teammates. Providing teams opportunities to give each other feedback

and brainstorm different ideas opens up the floor for learning and discussion. No matter what

area of instruction teachers provide, providing a literacy rich environment is essential to help

students learn and grow, across all areas. As educators, we should always be working towards

ways to better ourselves, but more importantly ensuring that we are providing our students with

appropriate instruction. This means we need to be changing and evolving in how we do things,

especially in the area of literacy. In “The Elements of a Literacy-Rich Classroom Environment”,

it challenges teachers to ask themselves, are they supporting learners as defined by the 21st

century literacy demands?

Even though money, or lack thereof, is something that we take into consideration in the

developmental of a classroom, educators can still create a literacy rich environment for students.

Things to consider, as mentioned in the article The Elements of a Literacy-Rich Classroom

Environment”, include the layout of your classroom, providing students with flexible seating

options, making your teacher workspace smaller, giving students access to technology as well as

many forms of text options! No matter the budget, it is possible to create literacy-rich

environment that promotes positivity and fosters learning for our students.