ABSTRACT
One of the first tasks for the Primary teacher at the beginning of each school year is to organise the physical layout of the classroom. Often this will be reviewed and altered as the year develops. The decisions that teachers make about the classroom environment reflect their approach to teaching and affect the quality of the children’s learning. This chapter reviews the issues that teachers need to consider when making these decisions and the evidence about the characteristics of effective classrooms, including issues relating to children’s emotional and social development and children with special behavioural, emotional, physical and intellectual needs. The importance of taking on board the children’s perspectives of the classroom environment and involving them in decisions is also emphasised.
