Literacy

Classroom
Design

By: Leah Benson

This project shows my ideal literacy classroom. Not only do I expand on the
physical space, I also focus on how the classroom would function through a
daily schedule and what I would be incorporating in my classroom that goes
far beyond the design plans.
This classroom is designed for a grade one class.

Choice of Format

I have lost track of the number of times that I have built my dream classroom, as I have known that I

have wanted to be a teacher since I was about five years old. However, as I begin to learn and visit many

different classrooms I am able to determine what may work and what may not for my style of teaching, as well

as my students learning style. I have also learned that the way my classroom is set up may be completely

different from the neighbors across the hall, but if it works for my students then that is all that matters. My

classroom design showcases my teaching philosophy. Through collaboration and communication, all students

will be able to apply the six strands of language arts (listening, speaking, writing, reading, viewing, and visually

representing) across all subject areas. I believe that teaching literacy develops strong foundational skills for all

students to set them up for a lifetime of success. My classroom design and the schedule is purposefully designed

to foster a community of learners that are motivated and actively engaged in language arts. Each element that I

have included within my classroom was carefully selected to promote literacy, while also creating a welcoming

environment that is suited for all students. In this classroom, students are encouraged to make mistakes, as that

is how we all learn. No one is ever perfect and we cannot attain perfection on our first attempt at something

new. We must continue to grow and develop into life-long learners!

The reason I chose to display my classroom design in a binder is to showcase that my plans are forever

changing and I will be continually learning on what may work within my classroom. I have so many ideas

running through my head of what I want to incorporate in my literacy-rich classroom, but I cannot do it justice

with a simple design layout. So, what better way than to create a binder to house all of the items as a way for me

to record what I may want in my room for future, or to remind myself of why I chose to incorporate group

tables when my students will not stop chatting to each other. This format also allows for me to add my different


design layouts year after year and reflect on them to determine how I could improve my classrooms for years to

come.

As a first-year teacher, I understand that I may not be able to develop my dream classroom in the first

year of teaching, however, I can continue to add ideas to my dream plan binder. As I start to develop my own

way of teaching I will learn what will work in my classroom and what will not. Through this binder, I hope to

showcase all that I have learned about creating literacy-rich environments and to continue to add and develop

this binder as I go through my journey as an educator.

I hope you enjoy looking through my Literacy Classroom as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Table of Contents
My Dream Literacy Classroom
In this section, you will find the floor plans for my dream literacy classroom. Not only will
you be able to see the classroom from a Birdseye view, but also you will see the four walls,
and what each wall will consist of.

How do the Elements in my Classroom Incorporate the Six Strands of Language Arts?

The six best elements of my literacy-rich classroom will be included in this section with a
rationale provided for why I chose these items to be in my classroom. In this section, I also
explain how my classroom design and the elements that will be included within the
classroom incorporate the six strands of Language Art.

Daily Schedule
In this section, you will find the daily schedule of what will be going on each day. This schedule
will be kept on the board for students to see, and we will go through it every morning so
students are aware. The schedule is kept the same week after week, as this will develop a
routine for the grade one students and they will know what to expect. Not only will the
schedule include what subject we will be learning about, but there will also be visuals to guide
students, as well as a translated version if that is required for my students.

Whats next?

In this section, you will a list of ideas that I am hoping to incorporate into my classroom. As a first-
year teacher, I will not be able to include all of the wonderful ideas that I am learning about as it
will not be in the budget. However, I have kept a list of what I have in my shopping cart to
purchase for my classroom to help my students.

References: These will be included at the end of my binder to give credit to all who inspired this design.


How do the Elements in my Classroom Incorporate the Six Strands of
Language Arts?
As you can see by my classroom design, I have included many different elements. I have chosen the six
best elements that make this classroom a literacy-rich classroom and give a rationale of why I included them in
my classroom as well as how they are linked to the six strands of language arts. The six strands may be defined
or discussed separately, however, they cannot stand alone. It is important to recognize that by creatively
merging these six areas into a variety of activities will only enhance language arts in the classroom

Element 1: Classroom Library

To have a classroom library that is full of diverse text is every teachers dream. Well I know it is
definitely one of mine. A strategy that I will be implementing to create a language-rich classroom is to have a
classroom library. Having a classroom library allows for students to develop a love for reading and become
aware of all the different types/genres of books. In my classroom library, I will have many different types of
books (picture books, chapter books, informational books, poetry books, etc.) but also focus on the topics that
I have in my classroom. There will be many types of literature that focus on concepts across the curriculum, as
well as many different books will be included to introduce different topics in other subjects besides language
arts to my students. Ensuring that I am reaching out to all of my students interests and backgrounds. In my
classroom library, there will be a variety of culturally diverse literature, while ensuring that the literature is
culturally conscious (Tompkins, Bright, & Winsor. 2015. p. 48). My classroom library will be sorted by genre,
rather than by ability/level, as I believe that students should have the opportunity to have a choice in what they
read and they should not be deterred from reading a book because they are not at that level. A grade one
outcome in the program of studies for language arts states that students will be able to understand that library
materials are organized systematically (Alberta Learning, 2000, p.52). Showing students how I have organized
our classroom library to best suit the needs of our class will help for students to understand how books may be
organized and would allow for us to compare how our classroom library may differ from the school library, or
the public library.

Not only will I be very aware of the cultures that are in my classroom, but I will also be aware of the
differentiation that needs to occur to meet all of my students abilities. If I were to have a student that may be
challenged reading or have a vision impairment, I may set them up with an audiobook where they can listen to a
book that they choose. If I have a student who has English as a second language, I will include literature that is
culturally relevant to them (Tompkins, Bright, & Winsor. 2015. p. 63). A student with ADHD may need a book
that has only pictures and they need to create the story. This strategy would help improve a students viewing


skills. A classroom library is very important to have but it needs to be implemented so that all students can be
engaged and all have the same level of enjoyment with literacy.

Within my classroom library section of my classroom, there will be a bulletin board with a featured
book of the week. On Monday mornings, during our first block of Language Arts that is focused on reading, I
will introduce a book and only read a few pages of it. The students and I will discuss and predict what the story
may be about, for the rest of the week students will have the opportunity to read the book at their own time, and
then on Friday mornings during this time we finish the book. The goal of having a featured book of the week is
to motivate students to read, while also exploring a variety of different books. Having a variety of books
chosen from week to week may introduce students to a different theme or genre, or may also challenge the
reader to read the story if it is a more difficult text. Students will be given the opportunity to read multiple times
a day, especially if they finish an activity early. However, there will be 10 minutes set aside after the morning
recess for students to participate in D.E.A.R. DEAR is, a scheduled time for students to read what they want
and receive support that they need for further exploration of reading and reflections. D.E.A.R is a
variation of a readers workshop and was initially developed to give students the opportunity to transfer the
skills and strategies they were learning to genuinely read (Tompkins, Bright, & Winsor. 2015. p. 396). There are
many benefits to this strategy, a few being that it encourages independent silent reading, assigned reading
time builds vocabulary, improves writing skills and increases comprehension.

This space in our classroom focuses on the language arts strands of reading, listening, and speaking.
Students are able to practice aesthetic reading, where they are reading for enjoyment, and efferent reading,
where they are reading to take away information. Having a variety of books allows for students to choose their
own book that they feel is most appropriate. It is important that students have the opportunity to read books that
spark their interest as it motivates and fosters a love of reading in the student. This space will also encourage
students to use many types of reading. Such as buddy reading, choral reading, and independent reading. Having
multiple forms of reading will allow for students to discuss and make inferences with their peers on the text
they are reading, which encourages students to talk about their reading while also listening to what others have
to say. Students will also be able to strengthen their viewing skills when reading picture books as they will
begin to appreciate the illustrations in picture books and understand their meaning. This space in our classroom
is a space where all students are to be comfortable and to do what we readers
love to do: READ.

** Note, the different seating options within the classroom library section will be
explained in greater detail in element 6: Flexible Seating and Tables.


Element 2: Word Walls

My understandings of word walls have changed as I have been in more classrooms. At first, I thought
word walls were only to be in younger elementary classrooms and only to do with language arts. Boy, was I
wrong! Not only are word walls important in a language arts classroom, but I truly believe that they are
important in all subject areas for all students. Word walls are used as a reference material when students are
reading and writing, and can also be specific to content related to specific units of study. Students are able to
refer to the word wall when they are completing a writing task to guide them how to spell a word. Word walls
can be of assistance while reading a story if they are faced with a challenging word, the student may refer to the
word wall to compare prefixes or suffixes to determine how to sound out the word. In our classroom, the word
wall will be accompanied by an alphabet and number line, as students should be able to use a displayed alphabet
line, as a reference, when writing. (Alberta Learning, 2000, p.26).

There are a number of outcomes within the Language Arts Program of Study for grade one where word
walls would be of significance. An outcome is students are able to use personal word books, print texts, and
environmental print to assist with writing (Alberta Learning, 2000, p.26). Therefore, a word wall would be a
way for all students to have access to words that may benefit in their writing. Students also need to be able to
determine high-frequency words by sight, therefore having the high-frequency words on the word wall will
allow for students to become fluent with many commonly used words.

Word walls can be extended to involved different activities that relate to new words that have been
added. For example, a student could choose a word from the word wall and visually represent the meaning of
the word. Students could also dramatize the word and have to create a skit or develop an action that may
describe the word. This could be done in a game format similar to Guesstures, where students have to act out a
word in front of their peers and their peers have to guess the word they are acting out. These different activities
would be done during language arts class while students are working with words, or could also be done as a
review before a summative assessment.

Word wall work would be incorporated throughout all subjects but

would be especially significant in language arts. During our second block of
language arts, word work and writing will be completed. As a class, we will be
adding to our word wall all throughout the year. In regard to other subject areas,
we will be completing anchor charts that have specific vocabulary for that unit
of study. These anchor charts will be hung above or below the word wall so that
students can reference these materials at all times.


Below are just a few ideas of how I plan to incorporate words walls into each subject area:
Language Arts
Use word walls to help students build word skills
a word wall can illustrate patterns found in words
to Show prefixes, synonyms/ homonyms
Science
Science is very vocabulary- intense so creating
word walls for different units will increase
students comprehension and help them make
connections among concepts.
Different types of materials used for structures
Social
Give students a definition orally or on the board
and they have to find the word on the word wall
that corresponds to that definition
Vocabulary words that are related to the topic. For
example, my community, my family, my history.
Characteristics of a responsible citizen
Math
Word walls can provide visual cues as to what
symbol corresponds to what function
Using to explain mathematical terminology
(even/odd, addition, subtraction, equal to)
Using a word wall to show different shapes and the
different types within the same shape
What makes ten?

Element 3: Non-permanent Writing Surfaces

Peter Liljedahl has developed a new strategy of incorporating Vertical Non-Permanents surfaces into the
mathematics classroom. These surfaces allow for students to work collaboratively around the room at different
whiteboard stations on different math problems. The research says that students will take more risks in
completing a math problem because the problem can be easily erased without anyone knowing (Liljedahl,
2016). However, my question is, why is this strategy only used in mathematics? I want to use this to develop
some literacy skills! In a previous practicum, I had students work on their weekly words using whiteboards.
They would be practicing their spelling on their whiteboard, and they were less hesitant to make a mistake
because they could easily wipe the marker off. So, how do I plan on incorporating these surfaces into my
literacy-rich classroom?

Within my classroom space, I have been inspired by a school that we were able to attend, to include a
full wall of whiteboards. This wall will include the word wall, but will also have space for students to work on
their word work, developing sentences, visually representing a word or concept we have learned. Students will
also be able to create graphic organizers on these surfaces to summarize a concept we have been working on
within any subject. On my horseshoe table, I have included wall pops that are circular non-permanent writing
surfaces where students can work on their writing at the table, while being seated. I will also be including
mini whiteboards for students to use while doing station work, or while working on sentence building and
word work. These mini-whiteboards can be expensive, so if I do not have the funds to have these in my
classroom I could use clear sheet protectors with paper inside for each individual student to have.

A curricular outcome in grade one language arts is that students will be able to write simple statements,
demonstrating awareness of capital letters and periods (Alberta Learning, 2000, p.74). Using non-permanent
writing surfaces, students would be able to develop their sentence structure. Students would be more willing to
take risks while developing their sentences knowing that they can be easily erased. These surfaces can be used
to focus on their printing and their spelling words, or words that they have added to their word wall.


Element 4: Journaling

When I was a student I told myself that I would never be the teacher who made my students write in a
journal every. single. day. However, I take that statement back to some extent. Will I make my students write in
a journal every day? No. Will I make my students respond in a journal? Absolutely. A benefit to writing in
journals is that it develops strong written communication skills. (Schoenberg, 2017) There are many different
types of journals, however, in each type, the focus is on the writer, and the writing is often being done for a
specific purpose (Tompkins, Bright, & Winsor. 2015. p. 218). At the beginning of the year, our journals my
focus on a specific sentence My favorite color is_____ because____, or My favorite book is____, and
students can also then visually represent their sentence by drawing a picture to go with the sentence. These
sentences can begin to build throughout the school year, working towards developing thoughts into a few
sentences. Similarly, to a dialogue journal, I would collect them and give a comment to the student on their
creativity or their sentence structure, and provide them with feedback so that the students know that their work
is being valued.

Journal writing can be a challenge for some students, as they may not be interested in reflecting or they
may have a hard time deciding on a topic of what to write about. Within my classroom, I will incorporate many
strategies to foster a love of writing and to develop those written communication skills that will continually
help them in the future. Students will be able to visually represent their sentences and draw their thoughts on to
paper instead of writing them. Before students begin their journal writing, I will always give them an example
of what I did, how they need to create their own example, and we will do a quick talk on how they can express
their ideas or brainstorm a few ideas that they can use. After students have completed their journals, we will
have time to share a few stories, this could be done within small groups so everyone has a chance to share, or
may be done as a large group where students are able to sit in the share chair and share their creation. It is
so important to share students work in the classroom, as it celebrates all of the students hard work! These
journals engage students in all strands of language arts and links to the Language Arts program of students as a
grade one outcome is: students will be able to listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore
thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences (Alberta Learning, 2000, p.4).
I would like to incorporate journal writing in other disciplines too, such as math journals. Math journals
allow for students to reflect on a variety of topics that are math related. Incorporating math journals into my
classroom is a strategy that I can use to get insight into my students thoughts about math and their problem-
solving strategies (Watson, 2010). Angela Watson (2010) recommends using three different types of prompts
within math journaling: prompts that assess attitudes prompts that assess learning, and prompts that assess
process. As an educator, this allows for me to see their attitude towards math, their understanding of content,


and any possible areas of confusion. Having math journals in younger grades are an excellent way to get
students excited about math, but in order for the journals to be a success, I will need to model exactly what
students should be doing. Having a discussion prior to writing about what we have been learning about will set
the stage for the journal prompt. Giving students an example of what I wrote and visually represented will give
students an idea of how they can create their own entry. For example, if we are learning number sentences that
add up to ten, I would give the students the topic such as Tell a story that represents the number sentence
3+5=8. Students would then write the number sentence in their journal, a possible sentence or visual
representation describing the number sentence. An extension to our math journals would be to have students
share their number sentence. Having students share their math journals with their peers allow for students to
share their knowledge and celebrate their understanding. The overall purpose of math journals is for students to
reflect on their thinking in mathematics and to develop written communication skills within mathematics.
(Watson, 2010)


Element 5: Technology

To become fully literature in todays world, students must become proficient in the new literacies of the
21st-century technologies. As educators, we have a responsibility to integrate these new technologies into the
curriculum (Tompkins, Bright, & Winsor. 2015. p. 19). So, how will I incorporate technology into my literacy-
rich classroom?

I have incorporated into my design layout, laptop and iPad carts for students to use. My initial thought
process for incorporating these was to act as an added feature to my classroom so that I could have students
using the technology rather than using pen and paper all of the time. My first idea to incorporate technology was
with the use of translator apps. Google translate, Microsoft Translate, and iTranslate Converse are great
devices that can translate text while reading, making it accessible in other languages. The use of a translator app
encourages students to read in their mother tongue, while also learning the translation from their native
language to English. While in my classroom, I have books that incorporate student languages, I have signs and
visual cues that aid students, that still isnt enough, which is why I wanted to introduce translating apps to my
students. This also allows for other students to welcome different languages into our classroom, as they may
want to hear different translations of stories. Another idea I had to incorporate technology is to have students
read and write on the computers or an iPad. There are many different programs online that incorporate
reading and writing that can motivate students. A program that was being used in a classroom I was in for
practicum was Accelerated Reader, which is an online program for students to read the story and then answer
questions at the end. The students work towards a goal of achieving the next and as the levels increase so does
the text difficulty. While this isnt a program that may be used for assessment, it may motivate students to read
because they are seeing the progress and receiving a reward while doing so. There are also many different apps
that promote literacy through different games that could be used during station work, or as a sponge activity.
My final thought was to incorporate audiobooks into my classroom as they are an excellent resource to support
readers. Audiobooks allow for students to focus on their listening skills and to develop their comprehension
from an oral reading, which many students can be challenged with. These types of books allow for students to
follow along with the paper copy in front of them, and allows for them to read a story that they may not be able
to read independently yet. Not only are audiobooks an excellent tool for all students to use, but can be very
beneficial for our English Language Learners as well.

While all of these ideas sounded great and I still have full intentions of using my iPads and computers
for those purposes, I still wanted to explore further on what my students could do with technology to really
develop some key literacy skills. Students could conduct research on the computer to find out information on
content that we are learning and create a PowerPoint from the information that has been collected. This may be


a challenge at first in grade one but through modeling, to the students of expectations, they will be able to do it.
Another strategy I wanted to incorporate is the use of pen pals through email, as this will teach students how to
properly write an email or a letter to someone who may live far away and what should be included in our letter.
Technology allows for students to create a video of them reading a story, which builds on their storytelling
skills while they are also creating a visual representation. Other students could view and listen to their peers
story.

An outcome in the Program of Study for grade one is that students will be able to explore and use the
keyboard to produce text. Students will be able to use the iPads and computers to develop a journal entry or a
story to become familiar with the keyboard. Using a keyboard will allow for students to be able to work on
producing their ideas fluently. Using technology also helps students who may have fine motor difficulties as it
will be easier for them to type the words, rather than focusing on writing. I will also be incorporating into my
classroom lessons of media literacy and teaching my students how to be literate when it comes to media and to
be aware of all the messages around them. This may be seen through viewing commercials, looking through
advertisements, and watching videos. There are many benefits to using technology as a tool to promote literacy
and to enhance student learning, I am very much looking forward to incorporating as much technology into my
classroom and to learn new ways to do so!


Element 6: Flexible Seating and Tables

My teaching philosophy focuses on a student-centered approach and within my classroom design plans,
as well as my daily lessons, I ask myself: How can I engage my students?, What is best-suited for my
students learning style?. While conducting research on how to engage students best, I was often led to the
answer of flexible classrooms. A flexible classroom empowers student choice, increases student engagement,
and improves student participation (Edutopia, 2015). With that being said, I knew I had to incorporate flexible
seating and tables into my literacy-rich classroom that promotes collaboration, communication, and student
choice.

I have incorporated tables into my classroom rather than individual student desks because tables
promote interaction. Within our table groups, students can have group discussions, they can work
collaboratively on an assignment or project, while also still having the opportunity to work individually.
Therefore, these tables promote students to talk and listen with their peers. Another feature of the tables is that
they are at different levels. In the classroom, we have lower tables where students can sit right on the ground or
on a pillow, we have tables where students would sit with a chair, as well as tables where students can stand to
work. A standing table may be useful when students are working with manipulatives and want to have the
freedom to stand to work with them. I have included a horseshoe table that can be designated as an area for
small groups to work with me. I have also included a group work table, where students can use if they need a
larger area to work or can be used during station activities.

Not only are the tables flexible within the classroom but so are the seating options. There are chairs for
students to sit on to work at the tables. We have yoga balls, yoga mats, bean-bags, milk-basket couches, wobbly
stools, and chairs, for students to choose from when they are working. If students choose to sit on a comfy chair
or pillow, I have provided clipboards so they have a firm surface to work on. Having choice in where they are
sitting motivates students to work in an area that they are comfortable. If sitting in the book boat, in the
classroom library, motivates the student to read more than just sitting on the chair, then why cant the student sit
in the boat? There is also a cushion couch/bench in the classroom library where students can sprawl out and
read on the couch. Important classroom guidelines will be given at the beginning of the year for students to
understand that they need to choose their own seating based on their own learning needs and styles.

While there are all of these options for students to use, there will be times where direct instruction is
needed and students cannot be spread out all over the classroom. Therefore, I have implemented a few different
areas rugs for my students to all sit on while I am either teaching a direct concept or if we are completing a
whole-class activity where desks and tables are not required. I have incorporated a rug in front of the word
wall/whiteboard as an area for students to sit on while we need the whiteboard or if we are working on our word


wall. I have also included a rug in front of the smartboard so that students have the choice to sit on the rug or at
their tables if we are working with the smartboard. There is also a rug in the library corner to create a
comforting a welcoming space for our classroom library, where students can sprawl out and read.

I have tried to implement as many possible ideas in regard to creating my classroom flexible that
allow for students to collaborate and discuss, while also considering times where there will be independent
work. My classroom design was created in hopes that I could make an impact on each and every student to
create a love of learning. My ultimate goal in using flexible seating in my classroom is that students will take
ownership of their learning and behavior while becoming invested in their education.

Daily Classroom Schedule

Day starts @ Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

8:35

8:35- 9:00 Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning

Routine Routine Routine Routine Routine

9:00-9:40 Language Language Language Language Language

Arts Arts Arts Arts Arts
9:40-10:20 Language Language Language Language Art
Arts Arts Arts Arts

10:20-10:30 Recess Recess Recess Recess Recess

10:30-10:40 DEAR DEAR DEAR DEAR Numeracy

10:30-11:10 Language Language Language Art Math

Arts Arts Arts

11:10- 11:50 Phys. Ed Phys. Ed Phys. Ed Phys. Ed Phys. Ed

11:50-12:28 Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch Lunch

12:30-1:10 Prep Library Prep Math Health

(students are (students are
in music) in music)
1:10-1:50 Math Math Math Math 1:15
Dismissal

1:50-2:00 Recess Recess Recess Recess

2:00-2:40 Social Studies Social Studies Social Studies Science

2:40-3:20 Science Social Studies Science Science
**This is based off of the schedule that my PS1Teacher Associate used for her grade one classroom.

Classroom Schedule Rationale

Alberta Education has released some requirements as to how much time should be allotted for each
subject. From looking at my previous schedule, you are able to see what our day looks like in grade one, but
you may not know why it looks that way. Below, I give a rationale for why I scheduled our grade one classroom
this way. A note that I would like to add is that although Alberta Education has provided educators with these
requirements, there are still opportunities for cross-curricular teaching. This means that I may combine an art
and science class into one and teach an art outcome and a science outcome with one project.

Morning routine: Greeting each student with a high-five at the door as they come in from the bus. Students
come in after having put their backpack hanging in their cubby outside of the classroom. They bring their home
folders and their agenda and put them in their mailbox, and they pull out their silent reading books until all
students have arrived in the classroom. When all students have entered the classroom, we then move to the
carpet for calendar and we discuss what we are learning today. The bulletin board beside the calendar is titled
What are we learning today?, and it has an I can statement of what students will be able to do in that subject
when the class is over. During this time, as we move into our first language arts period, students are able to
share personal stories of their weekend, the prior evening, or something that happened this morning. Students
are working on their listening and speaking skills as we complete this activity.

Language Arts: In grade one, Alberta Education recommends that 30% of the possible teaching time is
allocated to language arts. For our days in grade one, I have chosen to include language arts first thing in the
morning. The reason why I chose to schedule the day this way, is literacy is a very important component and it
sets the basis for understanding in many other subjects. Students brains are alive and awake in the mornings so
if we spend the morning working on our basic literacy skills, and starts our day off with a great start! The first
block of Language Arts will focus on reading in many different forms (read to self, buddy reading, whole class),
the second block of Language Arts will focus on word work and writing, and the third block will be working
through an activity that combines many of the six strands of language arts, whether that be journaling-
pictorially and written, auditory listening, visually representing, or station work with a little bit of everything
that may include a guided reading station so that I can focus one-one with a student or with a smaller group of
students.

Math: Alberta Education recommends that 15% of the possible teaching time is allocated to math. Being a
math major I wish I could teach math all day to my students! I have placed math at the beginning of our
afternoon as math can be very hands-on and active, and so when students are full of energy before recess,
students are still able to stay engaged with what we are learning. On Fridays, I have included a numeracy
portion to our day, even though we will always be working on our numeracy skills, this gives us 10 minutes to
do a short activity to show what we have learned this past week in regard to numeracy. Students will also be
given time at least once a week to write in their math journals.

Science: Alberta Education recommends that 10% of the possible teaching time is allocated to science. Science
may require some prep work or may require students to get their hands dirty, such as learning about color with
paint or building the Three Little Pigs houses in our building unit. Having science at the end of the day allows
for the creative, crazy messes, and alleviates from the clean-up that could go into the next period block. Rather
than having science every day, I chose to incorporate one day a week that is a double block of science. This is to
aid in the se up and clean-up of the projects that we may do, as well as give students the adequate amount of
time to critically think about what we are learning and the project that we may be doing. Within science we will
be incorporating many books to introduce topics too. Anchor charts will be completed to summarize a concept
we have learned about. An example of an anchor chart that will be created will discuss the structure and
materials used to build each pigs house in The Three Little Pigs. We will do many creative writing and visual
representations in science such as describing the life cycle of a butterfly, why animals hibernate, as well
describing colors that we have created or learned about.

Social: Alberta Education recommends that 10% of the possible teaching time is allocated to social. I find
social similar to language arts in the fact that it is calming for students. I often find myself incorporating
literature into my social classes, and our class often would have more of a discussion, group-based class rather
than students sitting at their desk working on an activity. Having these relaxed, yet powerful discussions are
perfect for after the final recess of the day as students tend to come back into the classroom exhausted. Many art
projects will be created to discuss how we, grade ones, are responsible citizens. Graphic organizers and anchor
charts will be used to show different parts of our community and our world.


Art and Music: Alberta Education recommends that 10% of the possible teaching time is allocated to art and
music. Students will attend music class twice per week, but that does not stop us from incorporating music into
the classroom. In Language Arts, we will be listening to music while writing, we will be listening to what the
lyrics are trying to tell us. In math and science, we will be creating our own songs to remember different steps
of a process or different key terms. Art will definitely be incorporated across the curriculum. However, it is
important to take the time for students to create a masterpiece of their choice for a theme or holiday. Art is in
the schedule towards the end of the week, so students are able to complete the project, I can hang it on our
bulletin board for the next week, and then they can take it home.

Health and PE: Alberta Education recommends that 10% of the possible teaching time is allocated to health
and physical education. However, Alberta Education also recommends Daily Physical Activity for students. I
truly believe that it is so important for students to be active and in Phys. Ed. as there are so many exciting ways
to introduce cross-curricular concepts. An example of incorporating literacy is to have the students to dribble a
ball around the gym to find the letters of their name. Not only does this practice a required skill, but also
develops their literacy skills.

Library: There is no requirement for library time, however, I feel it is very important that students have the
opportunity to visit the school library and pick a book of their choice that they can take home and read with
their family. Visiting the school library provides students with even more options than our classroom library
and meets the needs of all of our readers in our classroom. Allowing students to have a choice in what they
read, motivates the students to read more.

Whats Next? My Shopping Cart is still Full!

As a first-year teacher, I realize that I may not be able to incorporate all of the different elements that I would
like to have in my literacy-rich classroom. Therefore, I have created a shopping list that I can attend to in order
to determine what I could add to my classroom. I have also created a Pinterest board so I can add any ideas that
other teachers have used in their classroom. Below is my wish list of what I would also like to include in my
classroom, or possible updates to elements that are already included in my classroom.

1. Having Unique Flexible Seating (Bean Bags, Papsan Chairs, Yoga Balls, Wobble Stools, Couches)
2. Unique Desks and Tables
a. Stand Up Desk
b. Kinesthetic Learner Desk
i. This desk allows for students to sit on a bike and pedal while working.
3. A variety of manipulatives and board games
a. This may seem like an easy task to incorporate into my classroom. However, I would like to
continue to expand and search for many different manipulatives and board games that I can use
across the curriculum.
4. Easel Whiteboard/Chart Paper Duo
a. This upgrade would allow for students to use this as an independent station, we would also be
able to create anchor charts as a class. Since it is on an easel, it can easily be transported around
the classroom.
5. Expansion of my classroom library
6. Individual mini whiteboards for all students
7. Unlimited selection of Fidgets for all of my students to use
8. The Unlimited amount of Ikea Shelving
9. Moveable walls so I can create separate spaces in the classroom. This will help students who may need
to a space with minimal distractions to work. This may also be used as a space for a student to de-
stress.
10. And of course, to end off the dream wish list, I would love to have an endless supply of supplies for my
students. All the markers, crayons, pencils, erasers in the world so there was never any worry of running
out.
Check out my Pinterest board here! (https://www.pinterest.ca/leahbenson14/literacy-rich-
classroom/)

References

References

Alberta Learning. (2000). English Language Arts K-6 [Program of Studies]. [Edmonton], Canada: Alberta
Learning.

Flexible Classrooms: Providing the Learning Environment That Kids Need. (2015, August 04). Retrieved
November 27, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/practice/flexible-classrooms-providing-learning-
environment-kids-need

Guide to education, ECS to Grade 12. (2015). Edmonton: Alberta Learning.

Schoenberg, J. (2017). 35 First Grade Journal Writing Prompts [Blog post]. Retrieved November 26, 2017,
from https://www.journalbuddies.com/prompts-by-grade/first-grade-journal-writing-prompts/

Liljedahl, P. (2016). Building Thinking Classrooms: Conditions for Problem-Solving. Posing and Solving
Mathematical Problems,361-386. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-28023-3_21

Tompkins, G., Bright, R., & Winsor, P. (2015). Language Arts Content and Strategies (7th Canadian edition).
Toronto: Pearson Canada.

Watson, A. (2010, August 16). Everything You Need to Know About Math Journals [Blog post]. Retrieved
November 26, 2017, from https://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/math-journals/

Images:

https://stluciastar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Literacy.jpg

http://www.deskideas.net/kindergarten-classroom-desk-setup/attractive-photo-classroom-layout-designer-images-regarding-
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https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5c/80/50/5c80500bb06e45e1abd6b0c2d6d10c58--classroom-organisation-classroom-libraries.jpg

https://ctnbq.org/english-language-arts-ela/

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https://www.wikkistix.com/educational-resources/word-wall/

http://schools.spsd.sk.ca/curriculum/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Math-Word-Wall1.jpg


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https://i.pinimg.com/236x/fe/20/b1/fe20b126a60d5d8b924b03b1eedc7e0e--preschool-charts-anchors.jpg

https://mslwheeler.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/vertical-nonpermanent-surfaces-vnps.jpg?w=584

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fd/38/f8/fd38f86715c282bef052b4f8d1bd2ac6--guided-reading-areas-reading-groups.jpg

http://onderwijsenzovoort.blogspot.ca/2014/08/0305-instructietafel.html

http://www.fusionclassroomdesign.co.uk/images/classroom-whiteboard-wall-paint.jpg

http://missvanmarensfantasticfirstgrade.blogspot.ca/2013/08/math-journals-that-go-with-go-math.html

http://smilingandshininginsecondgrade.blogspot.ca/2013/09/math-journal-prompts-for-second-grade.html

http://cdn.teachhub.com/cdn/farfuture/u0mzYrw5x2DCIQAxe1t3ioLhb2YtIp17K_p0xZXbXeI/mtime:1443706465/sites/default/files/f
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