With summer coming to an end and back to school right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about classroom décor. The way we set up and decorate our classrooms is essential. After all, it’s where we and our students will spend 35 hours per week learning, laughing, and growing together over the course of the year. Although there are countless ways to decorate a classroom, I believe there are 10 must-have classroom decor items that every elementary teacher needs to start the year off right.
So, whether your style is to decorate with a matching theme, use a DIY approach, or enlist your students in the co-creation of your classroom décor, you’ll find these 10 decorations essential to setting up a welcoming room that is thoughtfully organized and student-centered.
They do more than look great, they help you teach, organize, and motivate. And to help you get started, I have a free back-to-school bulletin board display to share with you as well.
1. Classroom Decor Welcome sign
A welcome sign in large letters displayed prominently in your room sets the friendly tone you want students and their families to feel on the first day of school. A bulletin board in your classroom is a great place to put up your welcome sign and if you plan ahead you can customize it to highlight one of your first projects. That way, within the very first week of school, you’ll have a beautiful welcoming bulletin board display that students can take pride in.
If you need a simple and fun first week activity that makes a sweet bulletin board display, check out my free Back to School About Me craft with a bright crayon theme here.
2. Positive affirmation posters
Although learning new things is fun and engaging, it can also be challenging for many students. How students learn to handle challenges and setbacks is an important part of their social-emotional development and something we need to address as teachers. That’s why I advocate for displaying positive affirmation posters in your classroom and reviewing these affirmations frequently with your students. Engaging in positive self-talk can help students stick with challenging tasks, develop executive function skills, and build confidence.
3. Name labels
When your students enter on the first day of school, they will be full of excitement and nervousness. But when students see their cubby (or desk, mailbox, etc.) labeled with their name, they’ll feel a sense of relief that comes from familiarity and structure.
And here’s a pro tip I learned from another teacher: Print extra name tags on mailing address labels for students to label their water bottles, lunch boxes, and backpacks.
4. Birthday and lost tooth celebrations
Somewhere in your classroom decor you’ll want to have a birthday chart display. It doesn’t need to be very big, but it’s important to know (and remember!) everyone’s birthday. It’s also a great idea to have your birthday tokens, whether it’s crowns, pencils, or other prizes, already made and labeled before the first day of school and stored in an easily accessible place.
And don’t forget about a lost tooth display! As teachers of elementary school children, lost teeth and toothless smiles go hand in hand with learning to read and write. You can integrate math into your lost tooth display by turning it into a graph or keep track with tallies.
5. A daily schedule
Displaying a daily schedule provides order and structure for your students and helps organize the day’s activities. Providing a picture to go along with each written activity and the time (analog or digital) teaches reading and math skills.
6. Classroom job chart – Classroom decor
A great way to build classroom community and teach students about responsibility is to have classroom jobs. You can even have students fill out a job application and list their skills and what jobs they would most like to have and why.
7. Alphabet/phonics posters
A staple in every elementary classroom are alphabet or phonics posters displayed across the top of the wall. There are so many clever and cute styles to choose from and they can be tailored to fit your grade level and class theme. To help students who struggle with letter reversals, you might want to consider posters that use a kid-friendly font designed specifically for students with dyslexia or visual discrimination challenges.
8. Word wall
A word wall is essential in a K-2 classroom and these days there are so many unique ways to set them up. You can use velcro or magnets on the back of the words to make them easily accessible for students to take to their desks. Another idea is to hole punch all the words and keep them on metal rings grouped by beginning letter. This takes up much less space and when students need a word, such as “what,” they just grab the ring under “w” and search for the word.
9. Supply labels
If you want to have a neat and tidy classroom, my best advice is to label everything. I have also found it helpful to put matching labels on the shelves, so students know exactly where to return items when they are done using them. A picture to go along with each label is also helpful for students who are learning to read and special education classrooms.
10. Calendar
The grade you teach will influence the type of activities you do with your calendar. Calendar activities can include predicting calendar pattern cards, observing and recording the weather, learning the days of the week and months of the year, and marking special school holidays and of course, student birthdays.
→ In truth, these 10 must-have classroom decor are much more than just decorations. They are learning tools that help you structure and organize your room and make students feel welcomed, valued, and excited to be in your class!
→ If you need a print-and-go, all-inclusive classroom décor kit that includes these 10 must-have decorations and much more, check out my Growth Mindset Jungle Safari, Galaxy, Bright Crayon, or Camping classroom décor bundles. They are all editable so you can make them uniquely yours.
→ I’d love to hear what your favorite classroom décor themes are in the comments below.
⭐ Make sure to read Classroom Decor – How to Use It for Student Success!
I wish you a great start to the new school year!
Happy Decorating
