The Wallpaper Effect
Can we talk about displays please? Scrolling through Instagram recently, I’ve seen many posts showing classrooms being ‘September ready’. The display boards are covered in perfectly cut out, laminated resources; key words, phonics friezes, maths working walls covered in prompts all ready for the new class in September.
There has been lots of research into displays (I won’t bore you with the theory, but a quick Google will bring some up) and it has concluded that children don’t look at or refer to these kinds of displays, they don’t ‘see’ the resources; I call this the ‘wallpaper effect’.
Displays which reinforce or support learning (working walls) should be created, added too, used and referred too during teaching, and their use modelled with the children in the context of learning. If they’re are involved in the process it will mean they will refer back to it when they need that content to support them in their independent learning.
Displays should be one of two things (and you need both in your room)
Children’s work
This is obvious - children love looking at their own work. Not a selection of the ‘best’ work, the ‘neat’ copy, the work they had to complete while itching to get back to their friends at the water tray. Their. Independent. Work. Celebrate it, tell them you’re proud of them, tell them why you like it, and tell them that after school you’ll back it and put it up. The next day when they arrive, point out where you’ve put it up; I promise, you’ll make their day!
Working walls
Many working walls I’ve seen are full with number lines, part-part-whole, huge laminated coins, clocks, vocabulary, greater than and less than crocodiles and so on… Working walls should start with nothing on. When I teach, I always model the activity or concept, and I do this on a large piece of sugar paper. The children are involved in this and as soon as I’m finished, it is Blu Tac-ed up on my wall. This way the children know what it is, where to find it, and how to use it; it’s related to their current learning.
Let me tell you a little bit about my classroom right now. The walls are completely bare. I don’t even have my phonics frieze up as I put a letter a day up once I’ve taught it during phonics. The only display board that has anything on is the home corner wall which has frames hanging, but even they’re empty ready for the children’s family photos.
‘September ready’ is a blank canvas ready for the children to make it their own.
So, what will your display boards look like on the first day of school?