Designing Environments

Designing Environments - Highlight

Presenter: Hello, and welcome to this short presentation on designing environments. This presentation will provide an opportunity to think about how to organize learning environments to optimize children's participation and make them areas for exploration, development, and growth.

Designing an effective and engaging learning environment takes careful thought and planning. A well-organized learning environment is interesting, orderly, and accessible. It helps children participate in activities and engage with the learning materials. This engagement, in turn, contributes to children's development and learning. It's all a part of helping children achieve success in school and beyond.

We want children to feel safe and comfortable in the learning environment. We want them to be interested in the activities you've planned and to take full advantage of the materials you've selected. It helps to look at the learning environment from a child's level. This can include getting down on their level and moving around to experience what is accessible.

Does it feel welcoming and inviting? Is there enough room to move, make choices, and stay involved with a toy, activity, or project? Does the room help children know what to do and what's expected? Are materials on low shelves or on the floor so infants and toddlers can easily reach and use them? Are modified materials or equipment accessible for children with disabilities or suspected delays?

There are all sorts of learning environments. They differ by size and shape, amount of light, and wall space, placement of sinks and counters, and amount of storage. Figuring out how to design the physical space to maximize children's interactions within a space takes time. Make a floor plan. Move things around. Take a look at other learning environments and see what works.

Here are a few things to think about when designing your space. Think about the number or types of interest areas that you want or need for the group of children. Arrange the space so noisy areas are separated from quiet areas. Locate areas next to needed storage or equipment. For example, the art area is close to the sink so children can wash their hands. Use furniture or other items to provide boundaries, but make sure the adults can see all of the areas in the room. Make a space where a larger group of children can gather as well as areas for smaller groups to play and learn.

Think about traffic patterns. Plan so children can move easily from space to space but also discourage running and wandering. Consider the space needed for any equipment a child might use, such as a walker or wheelchair.

The learning materials, toys, and other equipment are also important. Once again, it takes careful thinking and planning to make the space and content work together. Ideally, all of the materials contained in an interest area support children's development and learning, so think about how the materials relate to your curriculum and learning goals. Make sure they're culturally relevant and meaningful to children's lives. Provide enough variety and quantity, but not so much to overwhelm the children. Plan for integration of learning across domains as well as what you'll need to individualize for the children in your group.

Grouping is one more feature to consider when designing the environment for maximum learning. Educators and caregivers want to be intentional about how to group children, whether it's a decision made in the moment or as part of lesson planning. Match the size of the group with the purpose of the activity. Think about the children who will be in the group. Children birth through 5 benefit from opportunities to participate and learn with the whole group, with smaller groups, and they also thrive with a bit of one-on-one time with an adult.

The purpose of this presentation is to provide an overview of the important aspects of designing and engaging an effective early learning environment. Some of those aspects are the physical space itself, the content, such as toys, materials, and other objects, as well as how to organize and group children to encourage their meaningful participation and to maximize learning opportunities. You can learn more about designing your learning environment in our tips and tools and helpful resources that accompany this presentation. See examples and try out different ways to organize your own learning environment. Thank you for listening.