Storing and Displaying Materials

Having an organized method of storing and displaying materials in your home or center will increase the quality of the program you offer.

It will:

• Set an example of care and respect for the materials
• Result in fewer pieces being lost or broken
• Cut down on the time staff spend helping children find an activity or its missing pieces
• Allow staff to group materials into areas, such as language, manipulatives, building, housekeeping, etc.
• Allow children to feel more independent and competent

Store materials with sharp, small, or otherwise dangerous parts out of reach of younger children and ensure older children pick up all small toys and put them away. You should have different levels of storage if multiple age groups share an area at different times of the day. And, remember to rotate materials to maintain interest and meet specific individual children's needs.

Also, containers and accessible storage shelves should have labels to encourage self-help. Ideas for labeling include:

• Putting a colored dot on a basket and the same colored dot on the shelf where it belongs
• Drawing the outline of an object such as a hammer on the pegboard showing where the hammer should hang
• As a language experience, write the name of the toy where it should be placed or label using two languages, for instance English and Spanish (paint/pintar)

Note: You may want to choose a container other than the original one to put out on the shelf. Open bins, baskets, or trays are often sturdier and allow children to see the pieces they want rather than dumping the entire contents on the floor or table.

A Simple Approach to Knowing the WAC's: Materials, Equipment, and Activities - 2 hours

A Basic Approach to a Clean and Healthy Environment - 2 hours

Child Oriented Spaces  (1 hour / .1 CEU)