Storage for Mark Making Opportunities

Many of us have a separate space within our setting designated for mark making and writing opportunities. This might act as a central space for children to collect their mark making equipment from and take into an area of provision. Over the years I have had this as part of my classroom set up in both nursery and reception classrooms. I always think it's important to reflect on this area and decide if it's working for you and your cohort. If it's taking up a a large space and no-one is ever at it, consider removing it. 

Here is a list of some of my favourite continuous provision for this area obviously this will vary depending on the age and stage of the children you have):

• Pencils
• Crayons
• Chalks
• Whiteboards
• Paper (different colours, types sizes, lined, unlined, squared)
• Envelopes (of different sizes)
• Alphabet books
• Name cards
• Stamps
• Notebooks
• Card
• Wipeable boards
• Home made books (zig zag books)
• Crayon rocks
• Bark pencils
• Ink stampers
• Gell pens
• Charcoal
• Sand paper letter cards
• Drawing pencils
• Hole punch
• Sellotape
• Paper clips
• Paper ties 

It's also worth considering how you're displaying the resources in a way so children can easily self select what they need. You might even involve the children in creating their own labels for the pots. 

You might use a lazy susan to display a book in the middle of the table around an interest the children have. 

I have also used photo clip trees to display key words for older children at the end of reception or in KS1. 

Opportunities for mark making and writing should also be available throughout our provision and provided in a meaningful way. Including allowing children to work on a variety of scales, vertical and horizontal surfaces. Providing easels, long rolls of paper as well as opportunities to sit at the table and mark make. I have also added plain backing paper to the walls behind a role play area to allow children to create their own backdrops. 

Young children will not feel encouraged to explore early mark making if they have to spend ages hunting for some paper or a felt tip that works. I've also found over the years that many children choose not to write in a designated writing or mark making area. Instead they are more spontaneously excited to practice and try out their new skills when they see a purpose for it. For example a child working in the home corner might decide they need to write a birthday card to someone special if they have seen their family do this at home. Or perhaps use a post it note to write a shopping list onto. 

It's also worth remembering that children take inspiration for their play from normal every day life. Below shows a child who had made a name badge after being inquisitive about the school staff's ID badges. 

I find having little baskets (cutlery baskets can be very good for this!) and trays set up around the provision that are well stocked up with equipment allow children to take the mark making to where they need it. I like to add a variety of notepads, sticky note pads, clipboards, different types of pens and pencils to keep it interesting.  Perhaps adding some useful reference sheets (e.g letter formation cards, alphabet strips) into these as well. 

If working in a smaller environment or perhaps out of your own home then you might be short on space. You might decide to create a mark making trolly that can be stored in an under stairs cupboard and pulled out each day as a central store for children to access. 

Or perhaps have a cupboard/ shelf in your sideboard that children are allowed to access independently when they need to take the lead in their learning. This is what my member Becca has done in her practice. 

It's also worth considering if children have a special and safe place available to store their mark making to come back to later. If you have space in your setting a cubby hole for each child in their cloakroom area works well or a tray for each child. This helps to create a sense of belonging. 

If you're short of space could you use a washing line to not only display any work but also to keep it safe?

 When thinking about the outdoor learning environment and how you might organise mark making storage you could have a shed of mark making equipment that children can self select themselves. Here I try to offer different types of mark making opportunities than what's available inside. For instance;

• Mark making with sticks in the mud
• Large rolls of paper
• Chalk
• Water pots and paintbrushes
• Mark Making Trugs
• A natural alphabet
• Cork clipboards around the provision (A4 and A5)
• Writers tool belts
• Spotter sheets

Why not develop a collection of bags each with different outdoor themes. Perhaps an explorers one with maps, travel books, plane tickets. Or a mini beast spotter one with bug spotter sheets, bug viewers, notepads. These also work as great grab and go bags for taking learning into the wider outdoor area or forest school. 

For more support with your provision and literacy opportunities do check out my short courses here. In particular check out Creating Literacy Opportunities in the Outdoor Environment.