On Creating a Language-Rich Classroom Environment

It’s that time of the year again—back to school. Around the internet on places such as Pinterest and in teachers’ groups on Facebook, teachers and home educators are discussing how to set up and decorate their classroom walls to facilitate an environment that celebrates language and learning. Questions tossed about include

• Should I decorate the wall for the entire year all at once?
• My school won’t allow me to put anything on the wall, so what should I do?
• I share my classroom space with other teachers, so how can I create a language-rich environment?
• How can I get my students interested in reading?
• What activities help my students expand their vocabulary?

These are all excellent questions. Teachers and teaching parents strive to create educational and inspiring environments that promote language acquisition. This acquisition derives from the four language arts: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. According to Andrew Pudewa, at the core of successful reading and writing are the skills of listening and speaking. Students who are able to grow their proficiency in listening and speaking almost certainly experience growth in their reading and writing skills.

A few years ago, Andrew Pudewa presented a webinar entitled?“Language-Rich Classroom Culture,”?where he offered concrete ways teachers and teaching parents can build multisensory classrooms that elevate and emphasize the language arts. During the webinar he delineates four ways to build this classroom environment:

1. Create a visually and auditorily supportive environment.
2. Memorize poetry and prose.
3. Read aloud.
4. Discuss.

He continues on to describe specific ways teachers can accomplish these four elements, all of which contribute to creating a classroom that is rich in language. Focusing on these elements throughout the year immerses students in language with the result being that students expand their communication skills by leaps and bounds.

While this webinar is helpful for all IEW users, it is especially useful for those teachers in a classroom setting. Be sure to watch it to learn how you can create a language-rich, multisensory classroom that inspires and grows your students. The presentation is loaded with a wealth of ideas to support you. All of us at IEW wish you a school year filled with excited students developing their language skills. We are pleased to be able to partner with you in this worthy quest!

Written by Jennifer Mauser