Classroom organization goes hand in hand with predictable schedules, rituals and routines. These support the individual organizational skill development that is so critical to task sequencing and task completion.

Teachers will offer learning opportunities that support organizational skills. They will model which part of a task is first, second and last. Children will practice the stages of task completion by showing teachers what comes first before they move on.

Visual cues in the classroom — such as labels — support these skills by breaking down tasks into individual parts (Think, Draw, and Tell cues may be used in the story writing area, for example). By following the cues, or referring to them as needed, the children will complete tasks and meet learning goals with success.

IntendED classrooms are carefully organized around areas (or centers) of learning. These include the Meeting area; the Blocks & Construction area; Dramatic Play; Literacy; Library; Math & Games; Puzzles and Put-togethers; Discovery; Art; and Sensory areas.

The classroom becomes the “Silent Teacher” when it is organized and accessible to children. Educators carefully plan learning activities for all the areas in the Global classroom that engage children in critical thinking, social problem solving and generating creative ideas.

Too often, classroom walls are covered with many kinds of visual information including colors, shapes, letters, numbers and words — which can become a distraction for young children. Such displays do not add to a child’s understanding, but rather tax the sensory system, becoming confusing and disorienting.

In the IntendED classroom, walls are kept clear except for documentation boards. Each of the classroom’s documentation boards has a purpose. These include the Group Meeting Board, Planning Board, Curriculum Board, Discovery, Literacy, and Math Boards.