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Aim

• To be able to set up and

arrange a classroom with
stimulating activities and
materials that motivate
children to become involved.

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Sub topics
Guide lines for
school setting

Positive and self-

Stimulated
directed Learning
Environment
Environment

Locating and Decoration and

Spacing Learning Colors as
Center Stimulators

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Guide lines for school setting

The program should have a safe and healthful environment that

provides appropriate and well-maintained indoor and outdoor

physical environments. The environment includes facilities,

equipment, and materials to facilitate child and staff learning and

development.

An organized, properly equipped, and well-maintained program

environment facilitates the learning, comfort, health, and safety of

the children and adults who use the program.

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What to look for in a program:

❑ The facility is designed so that staff can supervise all children by sight and sound.

❑ The program has necessary furnishings, such as hand-washing sinks, child-size chairs and tables, and cots,
cribs, beds, or sleeping pads.

❑ A variety of materials and equipment appropriate for children's ages, skills and abilities is available and
kept clean, safe, and in good repair.

❑ Outdoor play areas have fences or natural barriers that prevent access to streets and other hazards.

❑ First-aid kits, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and other safety equipment are installed and available.

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• Smaller group sizes and lower staff-child ratios have been found to be strong
predictors of compliance with indicators of quality such as positive interactions
among staff and children and developmentally appropriate curriculum.

• Variations in group sizes and ratios are acceptable in cases where the program
demonstrates a very high level of compliance with criteria for interactions,
curriculum, staff qualifications, health and safety, and physical environment.

PBS-140 - July 2003

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• References to study
• NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria
& Guidance for Assessment
• Overview of the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards

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The welfare standards of EYFS
Safeguarding and promoting
Children's welfare Providers must safeguard and promote the welfare of children. They must promote the
good h ealth of the children. Children's b ehaviors must be managed effectively.

Suitable person
Providers must ensure that adults looking after children are suitable to do so.
Checks to ensure suitability include an enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check.
Adults looking after children must have appropriate q ualities , t raining , s kills and knowledge.
Staffing must be organized to ensure children's s afety and meet their n eeds .

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Suitable premises
Environment and equipment, Outdoor and indoor s paces , f urniture , equipment and t oys must be safe and
suitable for their purposes

Organization
Systems must be planned and organized to ensure that every child receives e njoyable and c hallenging
learning and development experiences that meet their individual needs

Documentation
Providers must maintain r ecords , policies and p rocedures required for the safe and efficient management of
the setting and to meet the needs of the children.

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US department of state quality in early childhood education
1. Frequent, positive, warm interactions among adults and children
2. Planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development
3. Teachers and support staff who are trained and educated specifically in child development and early childhood
education
4. Enough adults to respond to individual children
5. Many varied age-appropriate materials and activities within the children's reach
6. A healthy and safe environment for children
7. Nutritious meals and/or snacks
8. Regular communication with parents who are welcome visitors at all times
9. Administration support based on an understanding that young children have unique needs and that an early childhood
program must reflect those needs
10. Ongoing, systematic evaluation of all program components and personnel
11. Teachers and support staff who stay up to date on current research about brain development
12. Teachers and support staff who use up to date information about brain development to provide a challenging,
nurturing, supportive environment for young children

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Positive and self-directed Learning Environment
What are Learning Spaces or Areas?

❑ Learning spaces or areas are the most

natural way to organize your classroom
and encourage children's active learning.

❑ A learning center can be an area within

the classroom, such as playing with
blocks or working with numbers, or a
game or activity that teaches a specific
skill.
Sets Up Stimulating Learning
Centers In Appropriate Spaces

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Wide Open Space

Run and Play

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 Narrow and short
route layout

A few children per

place, quiet and
limited access

Image Source: https://www.careforkids.com.au/image/centre/30233 Jens Martensson

Carpeted or matted
areas

Sit on the floor

Image Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/94/ce/dc/94cedc544ca39ebffcbd16283819b146.jpg Jens Martensson

Pillows near the
book area

Take a book and

relax.

Image Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2b/ab/99/2bab999c094ad341087f1a0dfceaef5c.jpg Jens Martensson

Things on the tall
shelf

Not for you to

touch

Image Source: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2b/ab/99/2bab999c094ad341087f1a0dfceaef5c.jpg Jens Martensson

Preschool and Elementary Learning Areas
• The Art/Creativity Area
• The Block/Building/Construction Area
• The Book/Reading/Library Area
• The Dramatic/Family/Role play Area
• The Manipulatives/Table Toys/Math Area
• The Music Area
• The Sand and Water Area
• The Science/Nature/Discovery Area
• The sensory play/ small world play Area
• Literacy/Writing Area
• Indoor Play/Gymnastics Area
• Outdoor Play/Open Area

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Locating and Spacing Learning Centers

Image Source: https://s3.amazonaws.com/wd-public/images/kindergarten-classroom-jonti-craft.jpg Jens Martensson

Image Source: https://ota-tech.info/res/docs/unusual-kindergarten-classroom-plan-classroom-environment-senior-kinderga-8134.jpg Jens Martensson 22
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Points to consider in placement of learning spaces in Pre and Primary
classrooms
• Place shelves for children's belongings next to or near the classroom entrance.
• Locate an area to do tasks that need water near the sink.
• To use windows and cupboards as aids to learning spaces.
• To separate each area with low dividers or shelves to keep children under supervision.
• The path in the classroom is open enough for children to easily access the learning areas.
• Noisy activities and quiet jobs are far apart.
• Avoid large areas where children can run and play.
• It is wide enough to allow children to move freely without running on short or winding
paths.
• Provide adequate numbers of learning spaces for children to engage and learn
comfortably.
• Avoid overcrowded placements with multiple learning areas.

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 Decoration and Colors as Stimulators
Heavily decorated classrooms can bombard students with
too much visual information, interfering with their
memory and ability to focus, a new study finds.

This is just the latest study to examine the relationship

between classroom environment and students' executive
functions, which include skills like memory, attention, and
self-regulation. While teachers have good intentions when
decorating, many classrooms end up being “sensory-rich” in
a way that “could hamper children's learning gains rather
than help,” according to psychologists Pedro Rodrigues and
Josefa Pandeirada, who coauthored the study.

Content Source: https://www.edutopia.org/article/dos-and-donts-classroom-decorations

When visual stimulation of the surrounding environment affects children’s cognitive performance – ScienceDirect
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 Classrooms should be engaging, not distracting
That's not to say that every wall must be bare. In
2015, a team of researchers in the U.K. analyzed
153 classrooms and found that students benefited
most when the walls had some decorations. “The
displays on the walls should be designed to provide
a lively sense to the classroom, but without
becoming chaotic in feel. As a rule of thumb, 20 to
50 percent of the available wall space should be
kept clear,” the researchers wrote.

More reading: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/heavily-decorated-classrooms-disrupt-attention-and-learning-in-young-children.html

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 Pair work
what do researchers say teachers should do?

1. Putting up images—and short stories or quotes—featuring heroes and leaders can help students gain a greater sense of belonging and
A. Display student work. aspiration, especially when their backgrounds and interests are represented. Strive for inclusion, but avoid token or stereotypical
representations—they can be damaging to students’ self-esteem (Cheryan et al., 2014).

2. Keep at least 20 percent of your wall space clear, and leave ample space between displays so they don’t look disorganized.
B. Visual aids Resist the temptation to keep adding decorations—it’s better to swap them out than to keep adding more (Barrett et al., 2015).

C. Avoid displays of 3. Many teachers use data walls to motivate students, and while they can work for high performers, they can backfire for struggling
student scores or grades. students, leading to feelings of shame and demoralization (Marsh et al., 2014).

D. Feature inspiring role 4. You don’t have to stick with four white walls—try having a single feature wall painted a bright color, with the rest being muted
models. (Barrett et al., 2015).

5. Students not only feel a greater sense of responsibility for their learning but are also more likely to remember the material (Barrett et
E. Let in natural light. al., 2015).

6. Don’t cover up your windows with decorations unless you have a problem with glare or outside distractions. Students who are
F. Balance wall colors. exposed to more natural light in their classrooms outperform peers who get less natural light in math and reading (Cheryan et al.,
2014). If you don’t have windows, making sure the room is well lit can boost achievement (Barrett et al., 2015).
7. like anchor charts, maps, and diagrams—are OK. Posters that reinforce a lesson, rather than distract from it, can boost student
G. Avoid clutter. learning. But don’t forget to take down ones that are no longer helpful (Carney & Levin, 2002; Bui & McDaniel, 2015).

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 Pair work
what do researchers say teachers should do?

Putting up images—and short stories or quotes—featuring heroes and leaders can help students gain a greater sense of belonging and
Feature inspiring role
aspiration, especially when their backgrounds and interests are represented. Strive for inclusion, but avoid token or stereotypical
models. representations—they can be damaging to students’ self-esteem (Cheryan et al., 2014).

Avoid clutter. Keep at least 20 percent of your wall space clear, and leave ample space between displays so they don’t look disorganized. Resist the
temptation to keep adding decorations—it’s better to swap them out than to keep adding more (Barrett et al., 2015).

Avoid displays of student Many teachers use data walls to motivate students, and while they can work for high performers, they can backfire for struggling
scores or grades. students, leading to feelings of shame and demoralization (Marsh et al., 2014).

You don’t have to stick with four white walls—try having a single feature wall painted a bright color, with the rest being muted
Balance wall colors. (Barrett et al., 2015).

Students not only feel a greater sense of responsibility for their learning but are also more likely to remember the material (Barrett et al.,
Display student work. 2015).

Don’t cover up your windows with decorations unless you have a problem with glare or outside distractions. Students who are
Let in natural light. exposed to more natural light in their classrooms outperform peers who get less natural light in math and reading (Cheryan et al., 2014).
If you don’t have windows, making sure the room is well lit can boost achievement (Barrett et al., 2015).
like anchor charts, maps, and diagrams—are OK. Posters that reinforce a lesson, rather than distract from it, can boost student learning.
Visual aids But don’t forget to take down ones that are no longer helpful (Carney & Levin, 2002; Bui & McDaniel, 2015).

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• Colour and decorations should be used to support the various functional areas in the classroom and centre,
provide needed stimulus change and variety, and develop different areas and moods in the room.

• Vibrant colours such as red, magenta, and yellow work well in the gross motor area; soothing blues and
green are good colour choices for hands-on learning centres; and whites and very colours are good for
areas that need lots of concentration and light.

• Soft pastels and other gentle hues, on the other hand, work well in reading areas and other low intensity
activities.

• Decorations should follow the same pattern, with an additional emphasis on changing them often, and
providing order around topics, projects, and themes.

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Stimulated Environment
• Rich in Teaching • Significant to Children
• Rich in Experience • Rich with People • Places Children Can Call
• Rich in Play Their Own

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Content from: Caring Spaces, Learning Spaces by Jim Greenman
• Rich in experience. Children need to explore, investigate, and learn basic knowledge through direct
contacts. Indeed, childhood is a time when we learn firsthand about the physical world: the feel of water,
the constant pull of gravity, the stink of rotten fruit, and the abrasive feel of concrete on a bare knee.
• Rich in play. It provides a way for children to integrate all their new experiences into their rapidly
developing minds, bodies, emotions, and social skills. Brain research supports this idea, stressing that
children learn best through an integrated approach combining physical, emotional, cognitive, and social
growth (Shore, 1997).
• Rich in teaching. The role of the teacher is critical in a child’s life. Children depend on teachers to be their
confidant, colleague, model, instructor, and nurturer of educational experiences.
• Rich with people. Clearly children need lots of exposure to other people in their early childhood years. One
of the greater weaknesses of modern society is that our children have less exposure to the diverse group of
people living in the local village – baker, farmer, gardener, carpenter, piano tuner, bricklayer, painter, etc.
• Significant to children. Young children need to feel important. In past eras children were responsible to
water the garden, do farm chores, and care for younger children. Children need to feel that what they do is
meaningful to someone besides themselves.
• Places children can call their own. A basic human need is the need to belong. Children need to feel they
belong, too. They need to be close to people they know, have familiar and comfortable objects, and be in a
setting that has a personal history for them.

More reading: https://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/learning-

library/articles/creating-indoor-environments-for-young-children Jens Martensson 31
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