A year ago today we shared this article, which proved to be popular with our e-news readers. We thought we'd offer it again, as you prepare your classrooms for September.
Here's why a "decoration blitz" is bad for kids
As you prepare your classroom for a new school year, you may want to consider leaving some walls bare: Research suggests kindergarteners taught in "highly
decorated" classrooms were more distracted and even scored lower.
An article from
The Hechinger Report describes the study and quotes other early education experts as well. For example, Gillian McNamee is director of teacher education at the Erikson Institute in Chicago: "When I walk into a classroom, often they are almost wallpapered with materials from head to toe. And, for an adult, let alone a child, it can make you dizzy and lose focus."
One Illinois teacher reports: "My personal approach is you don't put anything up if the children have not made some sort of prior connection to it." Another is quoted: "All the promotional stuff is more for the teachers and parents than it is for the kids. What's on the wall should only be useful and helpful to kids."
Click here to read about the 2014 study and learn more about what teachers have to say.
Note: photo above is a "stock" image that supposedly shows what a kindergarten classroom should look like.
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