“The Importance of Display in the Primary Classroom”
by Tessa Thorn
1. can be used to record pupil and class progress, topics covered
1.1. might also record student awards
2. a stimulating environment makes for a stimulated child
2.1. cannot be emphasised enough
2.2. environment can have a large impact on children's learning
2.3. children who feel engaged in their classroom are more receptive
3. a well thought-out learning space makes children more likely to want to learn
4. an exciting environment makes for an excited child
4.1. children should feel loved, and felt loved by, the place in which they learn
5. locate displays meant for children at their eye level wherever possible
5.1. this gives the child a sense of ownership, especially if it is their work that is on display
6. show an awareness of the difference between a good display and a poor one
7. highlight the importance of creating a lively learning environment and of highlighting children’s achievements
8. include examples of display work
8.1. should be referred to in text
8.2. science display made interactive- good for kineasthetic learners - children were very interested
9. the value of a display lies in its ability to convey ideas and concepts in an attractive, effective and economical way
10. display as a learning tool
10.1. another key to making displays meaningful for children is to use them as learning tools, not just in their content but in their creation
11. child involvement in the process of creating a display
11.1. refer to displays during lessons
11.2. involving children in the process of making a display that ties into the lesson helps to enliven the classroom with the subjects being studied
11.3. can add to displays
11.3.1. this can reinforce the lesson and keep the display current and interesting
11.4. opportunity for colloaborative work
11.5. older children can be involved in putting up displays themselves
11.5.1. but need to be taught how to do this well and some supervision will be necessary
11.6. can increase children's sense of ownership and pride in the display
11.7. pupils should be given the opportunity to contribute their own ideas to making a creative and stimulating display
12. we live in a very visual culture
12.1. we can borrow some of these design strategies to make school displays more effective
12.2. all day long we are surrounded by advertisements and other images that are designed to catch and keep our attention
13. design guidelines
13.1. it is about clarity, defined intentions and about putting yourself in the position of the students
13.2. when you design a display you need to be clear what you want viewers to get from it
13.3. when designs are not well thought out, even though it may all look good from our point of view, pupils get frustrated, confused, or even angry
14. What is the purpose of display in the primary classroom?
14.1. to extend children's learning
14.2. celebrates
14.3. stimulates
14.4. informs
14.5. encourage children to interact with their environment
14.6. to be used as a learning resource for children
15. What considerations should govern the selection of topics and materials for display?
15.1. relevance of topic
15.2. does the topic capture children's interest?
15.3. does it relate to previous work?
15.4. can the topic be made cross curricular? - are there any cross-curricular links?
15.5. appropriateness of materials
15.6. does the display reinforce what the children have been learning?
15.7. the current focus of learning
15.8. children's interestes can be a topic for display
15.9. use of contrasting colours to catch children's eyes
16. How far should the teacher actually be involved in the creation of displays?
16.1. the teacher should be involved to a certain extent
16.2. the teacher should play a significant role in initiating and instigating the children's work
16.3. the teacher should inform the TA how they wish for the display to be displayed in the classroom and/or discuss this with the TA
17. What are the rules for creating visually satisfying displays?
17.1. colourful
17.2. attractive
17.3. visually stimulating
17.4. appropriate space
17.5. appropriate arrangement
17.6. engaging
18. Should work be created specially for display?
18.1. I argue that work should not be created specifically for displays
18.1.1. the proces that children go through when forming their pieces of work should benefit them in relation to gaining subject knowledge and understanding
18.1.2. needs to be a learning process for the children not just something they have to do to make the classroom look pretty
18.2. children need to recognise the purpose of the work
18.3. although forming work to create a display can encourage children to do their best work and concentrate on their presentation
18.3.1. however, it is important to note that the focus should not just be on the presentation, it should be mainly the content the children are producing
19. Should poorer or less visual work be included?
19.1. poor work should be included
19.1.1. should not exclude children's work if they have made the effort
19.2. could lower children's self-esteem if their work is never included
19.3. the display of children's work is an aspect of display that is so important that it deserves special consideration - requires careful consideration
19.3.1. it is a powerful way of showing children that their work is valued
19.3.1.1. it creates a sense of achievement
19.3.1.1.1. it can vastly enhance pupil motivation
19.4. the display of pupil's work needs to be approached sensitively
19.4.1. it is important that some students do not feel excluded or failures because their work has not been displayed
19.4.1.1. it should be a target to ensure that all students have a piece of their work on display somewhere
19.4.1.1.1. can be achieved by having an 'all class' display that includes one piece of work from each student OR a space for each student to display his or her BEST piece of work
19.5. displays should celebrate effort as well as perfect work
19.6. displaying pupil's work can help pupils to appreciate their own work and the work of others
19.7. whilst some children's work will be more visually pleasing than others..
20. teachers should create displays and use them effectively for educational, management, and other purposes
21. classroom display can be used to promote active learning
22. reasons for making displays
22.1. displays can be decorative
22.1.1. they can make the classroom brighter and a more interesting and stimulating place
22.1.1.1. this, itself can have a direct impact on pupil motivation and thus on pupil learning
22.2. display materials can include useful direct teaching aids
22.2.1. can help to make the teacher more effective
22.3. display materials can include supplementary teaching aids that simply enrich or reinforce what is being taught
22.3.1. helping to bring the subject "to life"
22.4. displays can take the form of useful reference material to support pupil learning
22.4.1. e.g. letters of the alphabet and number lines
22.5. display material can include information that is important for children to memorise
22.5.1. such as number tables, spellings and other important factual information
22.5.1.1. children also tend to learn the material simply because it is displayed and there for them to look at
22.6. displays can be used to 'set the scene' for a new teaching topic
22.6.1. an effective way to introduce a new topic
22.6.1.1. with the idea to promote pupil interest in the topic that is going to be taught and get them thinking about the topic
22.6.1.1.1. might be displayed before the teaching begins
22.7. can be a means of reporting on, and recording, the work that has been undertaken
22.7.1. used to form the central basis of a piece of class work or a topic
22.8. displays can be part of some ongoing work e.g. an investigation
22.9. displays can be used to stimulate and create pupil interest
22.9.1. also to enhance pupil interest
22.10. can be used to communicate to others what the class have been doing
22.10.1. other teachers, official school visitors, headteacher, paremts, etc