How Do You Create An Efficient Kindergarten Classroom Clean Up?
• 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. • 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. • Label It. Make it extremely clear where everything goes. Label both with words and with pictures–kindergartners are developing reading skills. • Put Out Just the Right Amount. 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. • Make Clear What the Jobs Are and How to Do Them. Don’t assume the students know how to clean up at all–some may not ever have had this responsibility at home. G
