From the moment the children arrive in your classroom until they leave at the end of the lesson, they need to feel comfortable. The more comfortable they feel, the more they will be ready to learn.
So what can we do to create this positive learning environment? Of course, a lot will depend on where you teach, the space you have, if the room is shared and other factors. However, there are a number of things a teacher can do to create a positive learning environment for Young Learners.
Here are ten ideas:
1. Create space
Ensure the room is arranged so that you can accommodate all the children. Ask yourself if there are enough chairs and space for the children to be able to move and be creative. Wherever possible, avoid having children sitting at tables for long periods of time, if at all.
2. Have a quiet area
Have a “quiet” area, maybe with a few cushions and story books in English to look at, for when the children arrive and before they leave.
3. Display children’s names
Have the children’s names up somewhere in the room. It will help them feel they belong in the class and are part of a group.
4. Display children’s work
Where you can, display things your Young Learners produce on a wall, or have an area where the children can choose what they would like to display and let them put things up independently. Even just a line drawn with a piece of coloured paper stuck to it will mean something to the child who created it. It doesn’t have to be a perfect work of art! Everything produced should be celebrated together and should always be the children’s “work”.
It also helps to explain this to parents – it is the process and the fact that it is the children’s creation that is the most important point, not the end product.
Do you need Young Learner Lesson Plans? Have a look at our Resource Packs:
- Fun, easy-to-follow lesson plans for 3-5 year olds and 5-8 year olds
- Rhymes and Songs Packs for Young Learners
5. Create a tidy, clutter free space
Keep your Young Learner/Kindergarten room or space tidy and clutter-free and always ensure resources are complete and put away. Check for broken resources, both for reasons of health and safety, and also because a torn book or a puzzle with a piece missing is not appealing.
From day one, get into a routine of tidying up with the children, both during and at the end of each lesson. Make it fun, not a chore! For example, invite the children to “race the timer”. Or, use a song or a specific piece of music that you always play when the classroom needs to be tidied. This gives a clear signal to the children that they quickly become familiar with. Routines are very important for Young Learners, because it helps them to understand what is going on around them.
6. Marbles in the jar
This is a simple and effective positive reinforcement strategy for the whole class. Draw a large jar, invite the children to decorate it, and stick it on the wall near the class rules (see point 8 below). Invite the children to help make small coloured circles and place these next to the jar, ready for use. You could also use other shapes/ideas, for example, animals, stickers… and use the activity to build vocabulary.
Ensure you give “marbles” to put in the jar (i.e. stick to the picture of the jar) every time you see positive behaviour, for example for good listening or great tidying up. The children love being given the “marbles” and counting how many they have in total. Counting them together as a class also reinforces numbers. Decide on a target number to collect. Ensure to choose different children to place the “marbles” in the jar. There is no need for a reward once the children fill the jar – they simply enjoy the fun challenge of completing this together.
7. Ensure all children have a turn
To ensure all children have a turn when playing games, invite them all to write their names on a lolly stick (or on a piece of paper, rolled up) and place them in a container. Support with the writing as necessary. Then, when needed, close your eyes and choose one name at a time. Show children the name and invite them to say it to you. Once that child has been chosen, their name goes into another container until all the children have been chosen and had a turn at something. This ensures nobody is unintentionally left out. (This activity will also help the children recognise their own names and also help them quickly learn each other’s names too.)
8. Agree on class rules
One of the first and most important things to do when teaching a new group of Young Learners is to make class rules or “essential agreements”. Depending on their English level, this can be done as part of the lesson with the children making suggestions.
You might have to demonstrate some of the “essential agreements” to start with, but this will contribute to a safe, positive learning environment, where everyone understands what is expected in terms of behaviour. For example, if one of your agreements is “always walk”, demonstrate this, and invite the children to demonstrate too. The children will laugh, which immediately starts to build a positive teacher/student relationship.
Have visual aids to help you (pictures or photos) and/or invite the children to draw pictures themselves to represent the agreements, depending on their age.
Some examples of essential agreements are “hands up” (instead of shouting out), “good listening”, “help tidy up”, “always share”, “be kind”, and you will probably think of others suited to your own particular teaching environment.
Make your essential agreements clearly visible where you can quickly refer to them during any lesson. This is very important, particularly at the beginning of the year when children will probably need the visual aids to understand.
Use intonation and actions when saying the essential agreements together and they will soon become familiar. Say them quickly, slowly, standing, crouching down… in any fun way you can think of!
Do you need Young Learner Lesson Plans? Have a look at our Resource Packs:
- Fun, easy-to-follow lesson plans for 3-5 year olds and 5-8 year olds
- Rhymes and Songs Packs for Young Learners
9. Use signals
Have a signal of some kind to let the children know when you want their attention and expect them all to stop and listen immediately. This could be putting your hand up or ringing a bell. At first, praise those who immediately stop, and the rest will usually quickly follow.
Be inventive: make a shaker from an empty yoghurt pot filled with rice and sealed with tape that you always use for getting the children’s attention. From day 1, this sound means everyone should stop what they are doing immediately and be looking at and listening to the teacher.
Sometimes you can invite different children to shake the pot or put their hand up, whatever the chosen signal is. The children really enjoy doing this and being the “teacher!”
10. Be fair and kind, but with clear boundaries
Be fair and kind at all times, but ensure you have boundaries for the class, for the health and safety of all. Stay calm, never shout and listen well at all times.
If you need to speak to a child about their behaviour, ensure they understand it’s the behaviour that’s not acceptable and not the child himself/herself. Always get support to translate as and when necessary and don’t let a lesson end with something unresolved and negative. The issue could simply be a misunderstanding due to a child being unable to express themselves. Talk to parents too. This is very important.
Taking the time at the beginning of the year to ensure the environment is a positive, safe place for all will have a huge impact on the children and their learning.
