Math PK-2

Uncluttered Environment

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Overview

Spaces that are structured, organized, and clean provide increased room for collaboration and active learning. Decreasing visual stimuli and disorder also supports learners who have difficulty regulating sensory input and allows all learners to concentrate on classwork.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch a teacher gives a tour of her uncluttered classroom and shares the impact the space has on her students.

  • By being intentional about the amount of visuals and the classroom instruction they support, teachers can help learners focus on their math skills. Teachers can also, through small modifications like clustering tables as small group learning centers, restructure their classrooms with ample space to support student engagement, collaboration, and development of Social Awareness & Relationship Skills.

    • Design It into Your Product

    Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.

    Learn how mobile polling products like Kahoot have a very simple interface. Notice how Kahoot focuses on consistent shapes and colors with few distracting visual stimuli.

  • For developers, an uncluttered classroom can translate to the online learning environment. For student interfaces, the dashboard can have simple and self-explanatory buttons with a clean overall design, helping students with Self-regulation.
    • View References

    Resources

    Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.

    10 Calming Strategies

    Sensory methods for teachers to help calm students

    20 Things to Know about Learning Spaces

    Considerations for what learning spaces should look like

    Creating a Kid-Friendly Space

    Six different spaces in an elementary classroom

    Dos and Donts of Classroom Decorations

    Decorating classrooms to be engaging not distracting

    FloorPlanner

    Free classroom design tool to see how space can be rearranged

    Importance of School Facilities

    The impact of school facilities on student outcomes

    Physical Environment of Your Classroom

    Module by Sanford Inspire

    Self-Regulation

    Subtopic that explores children's developing ability to regulate their behavior on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Tips on Decreasing Clutter

    Four tips on how to declutter a classroom

    Factors Supported by this Strategy

    Numeracy and Mathematics
    Cognition
    Attention
    Inhibition
    Sensory Integration
    Visual Processing
    Social and Emotional Learning
    Emotion
    Self-Regulation
    Student Background
    Adverse Experiences
    Physical Fitness
    Safety
    Socioeconomic Status

    More Physical Space Strategies

    Dim or Natural Lighting

    Dim or natural lighting provides a calming environment.

    Individual Spaces

    Having space where students can go supports Self-regulation and [individual deliberate practice][1].

    Mobility & Flexibility

    Multiple tables and chairs on wheels allow for setting up the classroom to support the desired learning outcomes of each activity.

    Multiple Display Boards/Screens

    Multiple display spaces help develop oral language skills as well as Social Awareness & Relationship Skills by allowing groups to share information easily as they work.

    Multiple Writing Surfaces

    Multiple writing surfaces promote collaboration by allowing groups to share information easily as they work.

    Quiet Classroom/Pockets of Quiet

    Decreasing extra audio input provides a focused learning environment.

    Rich Resources: Audio & Braille

    Math games and manipulatives for vision differences support math development for learners with visual needs.

    Rich Resources: Children's Literature

    Children's literature can be a welcoming way to help students learn math vocabulary and concepts.

    Rich Resources: Diversity

    Multicultural resources, such as posters with different types of people and word problems based in different settings, allow all students to see themselves in their math work.

    Sound Level

    Providing ways for students to adjust sound level supports individual auditory needs.

    Temperature

    Providing ways for students to meet their individual temperature needs supports focus and Self-regulation.

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