ABSTRACT
The organization of the classroom environment, both in management of time and materials, is an important part of life in a reception class. Hamilton’s account (1977) of first days in school show how, during this time, much of the teacher’s concern is with procedure. These procedural routines are an integral part of the transition from being an individual at home to being one of a large group at school. A young child’s capacity to grasp the organizational procedures of the classroom has an influence on the learning process. As Cook-Gumperz (1986) says,
…familiarity with the subtleties of classroom social organization is a pre-condition for gaining access to learning opportunities. (p. 60)
The following incident showed how one child missed learning opportunities because of her unfamiliarity with the procedural routines of the classroom.
