“An environment is a living, changing system. It conditions how we feel, think and behave; and it dramatically affects the quality of our lives.” Jim Greenman
In Module three, we continue our exploration of the design of exciting, dynamic and responsive environments for young children. In our modern reality, our ELC programs are shifting from rigid plastic filled rooms of the past, to spaces that are aesthetically pleasing, with more natural materials and with connections to the children we are working with. We can see the impact and influence of Reggio Emilia, nature based programming and post-modern perspectives that put the child at the centre of our decision making. Many programs are now discussing the environment with the children and identifying the characteristics and elements that they value, using these ideas to inform their design decisions.
In your review of Chapter 12 of Dietze and Kashin, you will find information about providing spaces for different types of play, including sensory based play, symbolic and dramatic play, and constructive play. We also need to design the space for its tone and the feeling one has living and learning within it. Children require spaces for playing on their own, together with others in small or larger groups, for quiet exploration and relaxation, for noisy and active play, and for pursuing their interests and investigations as they learn about the world by interacting with people, materials and ideas. We covered this information in ELC 120, but it is a good idea to revisit the chapter and refresh the concepts in your mind.
We need to think about what we value in our space. Are there things you believe we should have in every space we plan for children? Take a moment and jot your ideas down.
What messages do we want our space to convey to the people who experience it? Record your ideas.
What are the important factors to consider in planning effective spaces for children? We need to consider the people who will use the space, the children, parents and educators.
Within this area we need to consider the following:
How much space do you have and how is it arranged? What do the child care licensing regulations require for specific ages and types of early learning programs? Considerations of independence impact the way we place materials for accessibility to the children. We keep traffic routes away from learning centres and avoid long open spaces that encourage running inside. We organize our programs into interest or experience centres such as blocks, books and reading, writing, dramatic play, large motor, table toys, creative art, music, science/math, sand/water, and woodworking.
We consider the ways that we can provide a beautiful environment that inspires everyone within it to appreciate and have a sense of wonder. We can use natural light, living plants, interesting materials, colour and texture in our environment to stimulate the senses. Carter and Curtis talk about aesthetics as “enhancing the ability to see, explore, appreciate, and find joy in the beauty of the world” (p. 60). Children are especially responsive to interesting sensory based materials and experiences and we can focus on how we can design our rooms with this in mind.
Following practice started in Maria Montessori’s time, we provide child-scaled furniture, equipment and bathroom fixtures. We bring the large empty space of high ceilings down with kites, mobiles, and banners.
We create aesthetically pleasing wall displays at children’s level and post our pedagogical narrations at child level as well. We are careful not to make it too busy and over-stimulating.
We need to consider how many people inhabit the space. Too many people lead to aggression or withdrawal and it is best to keep groups small. BC Child Care Licensing Regulations determine a 1:8 ratio of educators to children who are over 3 years of age and a 1:4 ratio for children under 3 years.
We also need to think about how we can provide private spaces for a child to be ‘alone’.
We need to balance children’s need for privacy with our responsibility for overall safety. How can we set up our environment so that we can easily scan the space and ensure that all is well? Breaking the space up with dividers such as low movable barriers, bookshelves, and bulletin boards, provides a clear view of the area and allows flexible use of the space.
Think about whether you envision children using the materials and space in a variety of ways? Are we comfortable with children bringing the play dough into the drama centre to use in their play or the drama centre spilling into the block area? How flexible or rigid are we in response to children’s use of the space?
We need to provide clear pathways and smooth floor ways for all children to ensure safety and also to make sure children’s play within interest areas is not disturbed. Children should be able to move freely from one area to another.
It is important to monitor noise levels and adapt the environment to reduce unnecessary noise. The use of soft materials, fabrics, drapes, carpets, cushions, etc., works well to absorb noise. It is also important to reduce areas of congestion which might cause noise.
Preserve areas of the room for quiet play, making sure to situate these areas away from loud and active play.
Some programs provide a loft or overstuffed chair, or perhaps a cozy corner with cushions.
Effective organization makes good use of space and situates shelves and cupboards where they are needed. Children should have independent access to clearly labelled storage which also allows them to return toys and materials effectively and independently. Use low, open shelves, containers on the floor and see-through containers to store materials in plain view.
We need to provide open materials and also provide approaches that are open to allow children to make decisions about what they choose to play with and how they will use the materials. We also balance this with some educator focused activities and events such as group discussions and teacher led explorations.
It is high priority to design and evaluate our space for safety. We need to:
We need to be clear about the atmosphere we want to create with and for children. Carter and Curtis talk about creating a home-like environment that welcomes families and begins and ends the day with the needs and interests of the children guiding the set up and materials available (p. 37). It is clear that our philosophy of early learning and care guides the way our room and program look. Carter and Curtis provide other examples of including children in the decision making about routines and schedules, and also the focus of the curriculum and the materials in the room. (pp 37-45).
The functional aspects of the environment provide the foundational building blocks of our spaces and it is necessary that we understand them and include them in our program design. Take a look at the document: “Dimensions of Children's Caring and Learning Environments” to find a summary and explanation of functional aspects.
We also need to be able to think from a child’s perspective and imagine if the spaces that we design allow for the following:
“I can see who I am and what I like to do here and at home.”
By Deb Curtis and Margie Carter, 2003
“There are comfortable places where my tired mommy or daddy, grandma or auntie can sit and talk with me or my teacher.”
“The natural world can be found here.” (Such as objects from nature, animals, and living specimens).
“There is something sparkly, shadowy, or wondrous and magical here.”
“My teacher leaves a special object out here every day so I can keep trying to figure out more about its properties and how it works.”
“There are materials here that I can use to make representations from what I understand or imagine.”
“I can feel powerful and be physically active here.”
“I can learn to see things from different perspectives here, literally and through assuming roles in dramatic play.”
“I see my name written, or I get to regularly write my name here.”
“I get to know my teacher here – what she likes, how she spends her time away from school, and which people and things are special to her.”
Elizabeth Jones talks about the roles of the educator in children’s play in her publication “The Play’s the Thing”. She describes one role of the ‘Early Childhood Educator as architect’ as including: evaluating the play space from the child’s eye view, adapting the space to the children’s play needs and interests, creating opportunities to explore light and shadow, sound, colour and texture, integrating outdoor and natural world elements into the indoor environment, and rearranging the environment to create new interest in each area.
Take a look at the article “Your Indoor Spaces”, a collection of photos and descriptions of creative indoor spaces that readers of Exchange magazine published in 2007. These images give us some ideas of how children and our passion can lead to interesting spaces that draw children in and engage them in exploration and a deeper level of play.
Your first assignment requires you to develop an indoor caring and learning environment design. The information in Topic one and two will present possibilities and considerations that will inform your design. Allow yourself to be inspired by the possibilities and design your ideal program.
There is a document in this module titled “Assignment One”, which will focus on explaining and clarifying this assignment.