How to Create an Ideal Class Meeting Area for Read Alouds

It is incredibly important to create a space in your classroom that is specifically designed for read-alouds, whole group instruction and class meetings.

How will you set up a class meeting area in your classroom? There are so many different ideas on Pinterest and educational blogs. It can be overwhelming! Read below to gather answers to the most common questions related to how to set up a class meeting area.

This blog post will…

explain what a whole group meeting area is and the purpose of it
suggest factors to consider when designing the space
recommend furnishings, supplies, safety precautions, and other tips

You will learn how to create your ideal class meeting area by reflecting on the following questions:

What is a class meeting space or whole class meeting area?
What factors should you consider when planning your class meeting area?
What is the purpose of a whole class meeting area?
What furnishings and supplies do I need to set up my meeting area?
What if there is no shelving in my class meeting area?
What safety precautions should I take into account?
What other tips and ideas should I consider when setting up my class meeting area?

What is a classroom meeting space or whole class meeting area?

The class meeting area is the hub of the classroom. It is where you and your students will come together as a community to learn, share, problem solve, and celebrate success. The meeting area will consume a large fraction of the square footage of your classroom, so it is important that it is designed to be a multi-functional space.

What is the purpose of a whole class meeting area?

This area will be a multi-purpose space, so do not hesitate to allot as much square footage as possible. Below are just some of the uses for the meeting area. Think about each as well as additional ways you may use a large space in your classroom.

read aloud
morning meeting
whole class instruction
hosting visitors and guest speakers
welcoming guest readers
literature discussions
conflict resolution gatherings
a place for students to read lying down
an area for working on STEM projects
building with blocks and Legos
puzzles
cooperative learning projects
playing games
math workshop activities

What factors should you consider when planning your class meeting area?

Determine your purpose(s) for gathering the students together.
Assess the room for any permanent fixtures (such as outlets or a mounted interactive board ) that will need to be taken into consideration.
Think about both the number of students in your class and the typical physical sizes of the students at your grade level to know how much area they will need to fit comfortably.

When planning your whole class meeting area, you should consider three key factors:

Determine your purpose(s) for gathering the students together.
Assess the room for any permanent fixtures (such as outlets or a mounted interactive board ) that will need to be taken into consideration.
Think about both the number of students in your class and the typical physical sizes of the students at your grade level to know how much area they will need to fit comfortably.

What furnishings and supplies do I need to set up my meeting area?

Many teachers include some or all of the following:

a chair for the teacher to sit on
a shelf to organize instructional materials
a large area rug
carpet squares or something to define student spaces
seating for the students (benches, chairs, etc.)
an easel or whiteboard
dry erase markers
chart paper and a place to hang an anchor chart
a timer
sticks with the students’ names written on them to use for calling on children randomly and equitably

What if there is no shelving in my class meeting area?

You’ll want to have all of your teaching materials accessible when leading whole group lessons, class discussions, or reading books aloud to your class. If you are not able to include a built-in shelf or a bookcase in your class meeting area, you could utilize a mobile cart to hold your instructional materials.

Another option is to use a plastic caddy or a tote bag that you can easily move around the classroom. Ideally, it should have pockets for smaller items such as manipulatives, markers, scissors, or anything else you’ll need for modeling activities. It should be large enough to hold teacher guides, lessons plans, printable student pages, and books.

What safety precautions should I take into account?

Make sure the meeting area you select is safe. All surrounding furniture should be secure and not be at risk for tipping if a child leans against it. Shelves should be free of heavy objects that could potentially fall. If the children will be sitting near electrical outlets, you may want to plug them with safety caps. Rugs should not be placed over electrical cords as the friction forms a fire hazard.

What other tips and ideas should I consider when setting up my class meeting area?

All children should have a clear view of instruction and of the pages of a book being read to the class. This is a community area so the students should also be able to look directly at their peers when they are speaking.

If you have a smaller-sized classroom, you can save space by using tiered seating in your classroom meeting area. This design will allow all children to see the books you read and the lessons you model. Tiered seating can easily be achieved by having some students sitting on chairs and the others sitting on the floor in front of them.

Define personal spaces by using carpet squares, tape, pillows or chairs.

If your school and local fire codes allow it, you can make the area feel more personal by including a couch, pillows, rug, lamps, etc.

Have your seating area serve double duty by including benches that provide storage. You can purchase sturdy wooden shelves and turn them on their sides to create a bench with compartments underneath. This is a great option as it also provides a work surface for kids sitting on the floor during other points in the day.

Avoid storing items around the group area that children can access and play with when they are in a class meeting. If you have open baskets of math manipulatives nearby, chances are a student will turn them into a distraction.

Learn how to set up your whole class meeting area from this blog post. It gives elementary teachers tons of practical tips and ideas for how to create an ideal whole group area for read alouds so your read aloud time will become your favorite time of the school day. #readaloud #teaching #classroom #classroommeeting