How to Create an Efficient Kindergarten Classroom Clean Up
Have a Place for Everything., Contain It., Label It., Put Out Just the Right Amount., Make Clear What the Jobs Are and How to Do Them., Establish a Clean-up Signal., A Clean Classroom is Everyone's Responsibility at All Times., Have Patience., Give...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Have a Place for Everything.
Clean-up is simpler if every object has a designated area.
In addition, there are zones for each kind of material: the art area, block area, book area, sensory table, drama loft, science area.
Clean-up is easier if objects do not generally go wandering throughout the room. -
Step 2: Contain It.
Make containers easy to manage containers, such as see-through plastic boxes that allow students easily find what they need without rummaging through a dozen boxes. , Make it extremely clear where everything goes.
Label both with words and with pictures--kindergartners are developing reading skills. , Avoid the temptation to put too many materials out at once.
Doing so may create so much of a mess that the students can become overwhelmed before even giving clean-up a try. , Don't assume the students know how to clean up at all--some may not ever have had this responsibility at home.
Go over these explicitly with the students.
The rules of clean-up at "free play" or "exploration time" should be made very clear.
A rotating job chart can be very useful in fair job distributions. , To let children know that clean-up time is approaching, it's important to pick an easily identifiable signal to use near the end of the work time: flipping the lights, a song, holding up one hand and using the other to cover your mouth, using a clapping pattern.
Have your students practice responding to the signal. , Emphasize that everyone needs to help keep a tidy workspace, not just at free play. , Kindergartners usually have a lot of difficulty with tidiness.
It's real work, often done when one is tired, usually not a lot of fun, and quite honestly, most young students do not really overtly care a lot about.
So have patience and compassion yourself. , The tell the children they did a good job, which will give them motivation to clean up again in the future. -
Step 3: Label It.
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Step 4: Put Out Just the Right Amount.
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Step 5: Make Clear What the Jobs Are and How to Do Them.
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Step 6: Establish a Clean-up Signal.
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Step 7: A Clean Classroom is Everyone's Responsibility at All Times.
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Step 8: Have Patience.
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Step 9: Give positive feedback.
Detailed Guide
Clean-up is simpler if every object has a designated area.
In addition, there are zones for each kind of material: the art area, block area, book area, sensory table, drama loft, science area.
Clean-up is easier if objects do not generally go wandering throughout the room.
Make containers easy to manage containers, such as see-through plastic boxes that allow students easily find what they need without rummaging through a dozen boxes. , Make it extremely clear where everything goes.
Label both with words and with pictures--kindergartners are developing reading skills. , Avoid the temptation to put too many materials out at once.
Doing so may create so much of a mess that the students can become overwhelmed before even giving clean-up a try. , Don't assume the students know how to clean up at all--some may not ever have had this responsibility at home.
Go over these explicitly with the students.
The rules of clean-up at "free play" or "exploration time" should be made very clear.
A rotating job chart can be very useful in fair job distributions. , To let children know that clean-up time is approaching, it's important to pick an easily identifiable signal to use near the end of the work time: flipping the lights, a song, holding up one hand and using the other to cover your mouth, using a clapping pattern.
Have your students practice responding to the signal. , Emphasize that everyone needs to help keep a tidy workspace, not just at free play. , Kindergartners usually have a lot of difficulty with tidiness.
It's real work, often done when one is tired, usually not a lot of fun, and quite honestly, most young students do not really overtly care a lot about.
So have patience and compassion yourself. , The tell the children they did a good job, which will give them motivation to clean up again in the future.
About the Author
Kenneth Perez
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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