Organized by Color

As I look around my classroom, I see color-coded things everywhere.

I wonder . . .
What would teachers do without color-coding?

My classroom library book baskets are color-coded.

The white baskets are for books by a specific author. The green baskets are for non-fiction books about a specific topic.

The students' book bags are kept in color-coded containers.

The containers match the table colors. 

I even color-code name tags.

We use these when we go on field trips. The students wore these when we went to the Ocean Institute. It makes it easier to make sure that everyone is accounted for in a group.

The list could go on and on. I know most of you have similar color-coding systems. But this year, I added a not so common new one.

Now at first glance you probably will think it's "over-the-top" color-coding, but just hear me out. I originally got the idea from Geninne's Art Blog. She posted that she had organized her books into groups by the color of the cover/spine of the books. When I first saw it, I thought, "WOW!" 

So, of course, I had to try it with my quilting magazines. And that led to this:

These are some of my language arts resource books that are shelved in my classroom. They are grouped by color and I love the organization. Many of the books overlap topics, so it's hard to group them by topic. I now remember the colors of the books I use most often, so I'm able to find them quickly. I also do this with my math resource books. Books that I can group by topic are grouped that way. So, there's a purpose to this organization, and it's aesthetically pleasing. You might want to try it and see if it works for you.

I wanted to share a new blog I found. It's Donna Boucher's Math Coach's Corner. She's got some great information on math. Her most recent post is about kindergartners' understanding of halves. You'll have to check it out!

And speaking about color, I have a new color list writing product in my store.

It's a great activity for a literacy center or part of  Daily Five writing. Students write lists of things that are a specific color and things that are never that color. I use the worksheets as partner activities. The activities promote a lot of thinking and discussion. You can get them here.

Another product just posted:

This packet includes worksheets that students complete using clipboards. Students "cruise" the classroom and find words on the walls with specific sound spellings. The worksheets are correlated to the Houghton Mifflin Reading program (Nation's Choice edition). Use them throughout the year for review and practice at a literacy center. You can get them here.

I'd love to hear how you organize by color.

Enjoy your evening,