Six Principles Common to Successful Primary Classrooms

A successful classroom is one in which children are happy and learn effectively. Whether they are located in inner-city schools, small rural schools, suburban schools, public or private schools, all successful classrooms have six common characteristics.

Learning is active. Children are doers--they are ready to explore the world around them to learn how things work. Active learning capitalizes on this eagerness to learn. Participating in activities such as handling materials, interviewing people, or taking trips deepens children's understanding and solidifies their learning. Hands-on experiences enable children to move from the concrete to more abstract levels of learning.

Learning is challenging. Challenging work is difficult enough to stretch children's abilities, but it is also within their reach. Work that is too easy for children fails to motivate them. Work that is too hard defeats them. But when work is carefully balanced to be challenging, it makes children feel confident and proud when they complete it. Challenging work takes time and should be accompanied by encouraging messages from teachers and family members: "You can do it. I will help you to succeed."

Learning is varied. Lessons and assignments should not all look alike or require the same kind of product. Children should have the experience of representing new concepts in various ways--by making charts or graphs, drawing pictures, creating computer designs or diagrams, building models, putting on skits, or describing something in their own words. As children create a variety of products, they increase their understanding and learn to use different skills to communicate. Providing varied learning also addresses different learning styles--what works for some children may not work for others.

Learning is meaningful. In successful classrooms, the projects assigned, topics studied, and lessons taught are both interesting and relevant to children. When children recognize the connection between content and the real world, they are more likely to have a positive attitude toward learning, a desire to discover more, and a strong retention of the new material. Research confirms that all of us remember more when we know why we are learning something and when we can connect it to what we already know.

Learning is collaborative. Collaborative learning takes place formally when children work with one or more classmates on a specific project or task. It takes place informally throughout the day when children, working at tables, turn to their peers for help or to share ideas. As they collaborate, they acquire social skills--taking turns, sharing, giving and getting help, listening to others. They also work on their academic skills--generating questions, discussing and trying out ideas, explaining their findings to others. In the process of interacting, children clarify their own thinking and can master new subject matter.

Learning is a shared responsibility. Sharing responsibility means that the family, the teacher, and the child all contribute to the learning process. Parents, who have been teaching the child since birth, share valuable information with teachers. The teacher provides a clear structure and serves as a guide, knowing when to challenge children to investigate on their own and when to teach specific skills. Children know what is expected of them and they plan and carry out their work with increasing independence. As a result, children begin to take charge of their own behavior and learn values that are basic to a democratic society. These values include self-respect, respect for others, and a sense of responsibility for the community and the environment.