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What to Look for in a Classroom

(PRINT ME! Your checklist)

Think of the classroom as another teacher. Room arrangement that honors the intended work for the children is crucial. You can learn a lot about a teacher’s priorities when glancing around their classroom.

What Should Be Visible

• Children’s work
  • Individual and unique work (vs. step-by-step copies of a teacher-directed project).
• Lots of print – both handwritten and type, visible as labels and through the alphabet.
  • Children’s writing as labels for the room is a great bonus.
• Children taking an active role in learning!
  • Preschoolers are not developmentally wired to sit still and do not learn by memorization.
  • Are children using their hands, asking questions and demonstrating thinking?
  • Do children have freedom of movement?
  • Do children have jobs and responsibilities in the classroom and is this visible?
• Peer diversity
  • “Children from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds and race / ethnicities can learn from peers who are different, and these benefits may be enduring and profound.”
• Safety and supervision
  • Are exits and doors open or shut? If open, how are they supervised and managed?
  • Are adults aware of the whole room, visually scanning and keeping close track of attendance?
  • Do you see safety hazards and how are they managed by the teachers?

Interaction with Adults

• Who are the teachers and other adults in the room?
  • What is the emotional tone of the room, the conversations and interactions?
  • How do teachers guide and/or correct behaviors and play?
  • Does it feel like a good fit for your values and for your child?
• Are the adults interacting with children at the children’s eye-level?
  • Trained practitioners will communicate and interact with children by engaging at children’s eye-level, either by crouching or sitting.
  • While some aspects of supervision require adults to stand up, look for teachers regularly working at children’s eye-level.
• How do teachers ask questions?
  • Do they expect one right answer?
  • Do they include open-ended questions and conversations?
  • “Look in the classroom and see who is asking the questions – the teacher or the students?” A profound and simple yardstick to apply to any learning environment.
• If you watch a transition (change from one activity to the next, often involving clean-up), how is it managed?
  • Do the children know what is expected of them?
  • Did they get a warning before it happened?
  • Watch this VIDEO to learn how teacher interactions affect learning outcomes.

How is Space Organized?

• Is there flexible seating?
  • Developmentally, preschoolers are not wired to sit at desks.
  • Learners have different ways in which they work. A quality program will provide areas to work and play both at tables and on the floor, as well as cushions, couches, and space to move.
• Is the room oriented at a child’s level?
  • A quality environment is tailored to the needs and level of young children.
    • Is furniture child-sized? Are toilets and sinks accessible to preschoolers without a step-stool? Are displays and images visible at the child’s eye-level? Are adults interacting with children at the children’s eye-level?
• Is there space for different kinds of groupings?
  • Is there a rug or place where the class can come together to have discussions and meetings?
  • Look for furniture set up to promote cooperative / group learning.
    • Has the teacher structured group learning to occur naturally with the use of tables that seat 4 – 6 kids?
  • Is there  a “Cozy Corner” or place to be alone?
    • Young learners often need space and time to re-center themselves, refocus and find calm amidst the high energy pace and stimulation of peers.
• Materials?
  • Are toys and materials well organized?
  • Accessible to children independently?
  • In good repair?
  • Interesting and inviting?
• Outdoor space?
  • The outdoor environment should look safe, interesting and engaging.
  • Is outdoor space accessible at all times, or during certain parts of the day? When? How often?
  • What kinds of activities and experiences are available outside?

How Does the Classroom Meet Developmental and Learning Domains?

Child development is traditionally thought of in 4 major domains:

• Cognitive
• Social and emotional
• Linguistic
• Physical development

• Many preschool classrooms are organized into “interest areas” focused on these domains. Regardless of how a classroom is organized, look for materials that invite development and learning.

Some examples:

• Cognitive
  • Mathematical thinking: puzzles, board games, blocks, manipulatives and items to count, sort and measure.
  • Critical thinking and curiosity: plants, animals, earth materials, non-fiction books and tools such as magnifying glasses, scales and sensory bins.
  • Symbolic thinking: Blocks, figurines, cars and animals to invite storytelling and imaginative play. Art materials like paint, collage or clay for children to express themselves and represent their world.
  • Look for materials that support learning through hands, which is an essential part of early learning.
• Social and emotional
  • Dramatic play: dress-up, a play kitchen or house and baby dolls to invite role play and pretend play.
  • Also, consider other important aspects of social and emotional development: Are there spaces for children to naturally group themselves? Do the children have jobs and responsibilities? Is there a “Cozy Corner”? How do adults interact with the children?
• Language and literacy
  • A library with books available for children to independently read, and for adults to read to children – often alongside cozy seating.
  • Developmentally appropriate materials for writing (e.g., large pencils, markers, crayons, etc.).
• Physical
  • Fine motor: Any material for activities that use and control fingers and hands (e.g., materials for drawing, playdough, small manipulatives, etc.).
  • Gross motor: Typically most visible outside. Gross motor development is shaped by running, climbing, jumping and using tools like bikes or swings.

*Note – In our opinion, this list will meaningfully reflect a great deal about a school and give you a strong indication of how it operates. However, this is not an exhaustive list.