Good learning environments are beautiful, inviting and flexible. They encourage deep inquiry, collaboration and allow children to be actively involved in their own learning. They don't look like this!
Positive Learning Environments
A very important part of a play-based early childhood education program is the learning environment - how a room is set up. It can affect children’s interactions and behaviours. The social environment is also important.
The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education which inspires the teaching at HEY believes the environment is the 3rd teacher behind children’s families and educators.
Positive learning environments should have these features:
Beauty - comfortable and cozy spaces that create a sense of belonging. Really good environments feel like home.
Open ended resources/loose parts – these are materials that can be used for many different things and encourage children to make choices about how to use the materials. This often leads to deep learning for long periods of time. The children also often collaborate (work together) with their friends to learn things from the materials.
Meaningful and challenging experiences to encourage investigations and team work.
Large blocks of uninterrupted time for play - this encourages children to engage in deep learning without the need to be constantly packing up.
Enough space to explore and form small groups or hide away for some quiet time alone
A community of care – where the environment respects where children are in their development eg: smaller furniture, lower sinks/toilets. The environment should also support relationships eg: larger tables where a few children can work together, a place to eat together.
Routines - that support learning and helps children feel safe and secure eg: hello song, story time.
See Kate's Dinosaur Cubby Experience for an example of the environment being the 3rd teacher
Comentários