The Early Childhood Learning Environment Fundamentals -Created by I. Abdelnour

What do children learn? Literacy Literacy - vocabulary and language, phonological awareness, letters, words, print, comprehension, books Mathematics Mathematics – numbers, patterns & relationships, geometry & spatial awareness, measurement, organization Science Science – the physical properties of objects, living things and the earth and environment Social Studies Social Studies – how people live, work, get along with others and are shaped by their surroundings

The Arts The Arts – dance, music, dramatic play, drawing and painting Technology Technology – tools and their basic operations and uses Process Skills Process Skills – observing and exploring; problem solving; connecting, organizing, communicating and representing information.

What is the physical environment?? It includes: Size of the room

Color of the walls Type of flooring Amount of light Number of windows

What are interest areas?

Interest areas allow children to 1.Explore 2.Make things 3.Experiment 4.Pursue their own interests

What are some important interest areas?

Blocks Dramatic Play Toys and Games Art Library Discovery

Sand and water Music and movement Cooking Computers

Space Planning  Establish traffic patterns for entering the room, putting belongings in cubbies, using the bathroom and moving from one area to another.  Clearly define areas that need protection, such as block building and a soft space reading nook.

Social-emotional Social-emotional – Children negotiate who gets which blocks. – Exchange ideas/learn to respect others’ opinions (what does a zoo look like?) Physical Development Physical Development – Small muscle development placing blocks – Large muscle development improves eye- hand coordination so blocks don’t tumble

Cognitive Development Cognitive Development – Children form mental pictures of what they see. – Playing with blocks gives them an opportunity to recreate these mental pictures in concrete form Language Development Language Development – Children are generally very willing to talk about there constructions. – They increase their vocabularies by doing this.

Setting Up a Block Area Location Away from the line of traffic – preferably in a corner of the room Ample space so children can build without getting in each other’s way Near other noisy areas such as the dramatic play area Set up Smooth, flat carpeting on the floor if possible One area for blocks, one for props

Eberhartsexplorers.com

Physical Development Physical Development – Children develop small muscle skills when they button and snap dress-up clothes and dress the dolls. – They practice visual discrimination skills when they put away the props and materials (hats go here, shoes go there…) Cognitive Development Cognitive Development – When they pretend, children create pictures in their minds about past experiences and situations. – These images are a form of abstract thinking.

Dramatic play…continued Language development Language development – Children use language to explain what they are doing and ask and answer questions. – They choose the language that fits the role they have selected. (fire talk, doctor talk, mommy talk )

This area includes manipulatives, puzzles, matching games and other activities that children can play at a table or on the floor. They offer a quiet activity that they can do alone or with others.

Social-emotional development Social-emotional development – Children learn to cooperate with others by sharing and taking turns. – They develop confidence when using self- correcting toys like puzzles, sorting boards and stacking rings. What is self-correcting in this case? Physical development Physical development – Children practice eye-hand coordination while lacing cards or placing pegs in a pegboard – When stringing beads they refine small muscle skills.

Cognitive development Cognitive development – They experiment with construction, invention and use creative problem-solving skills – They also expand emerging math skills such as counting spaces to move, matching, etc. Language development Language development – They can use words to describe how they are putting together a puzzle. – They develop reading skills such as left-to-right, matching similar objects.

Social-emotional Social-emotional – This is a natural way for children to express their feelings – Children reflect their thoughts and emotions through their choices of color, texture and media. – Children can also express their individuality

Physical development Physical development – As children tear paper or use scissors to cut, they refine small muscle movements – Art is all about fine motor skills Cognitive development Cognitive development – They use their thinking skills to plan, organize, select media and show their impressions. – Adapted from Creative Curriculum, Fourth Edition

Language Development Language Development – Children often talk about what they are doing and respond to questions about their work – It also fosters language development as children learn technical vocabulary such as sculpture, palette, easel, etc

This is like an oasis in your space – soft furniture, beautiful picture books and area to relax.

Social-emotional Social-emotional – Children are often comforted learning that others have their same experiences or fears as them. – They develop empathy for those who have struggles and challenges. Physical Development Physical Development Children strengthen their hand and eye muscles by turning pages and by following pictures and words on a page. Cognitive Development Cognitive Development – Children learn about the world around them. – They learn to make predictions such as what comes next. Adapted from Creative Curriculum, Fourth Edition

– Children make connections about things they already know. “Oh, that happened to me too!” – They can also learn basic skills such as counting, number recognition, colors and shapes. Language Development Language Development – When children hear stories, they learn new words and their meaning. – They learn phonological awareness when they hear and explore sounds and rhythm of language. – Adapted from Creative Curriculum, Fourth Edition

This is an area stocked with interesting things that invite children to explore and investigate. What might be in this area? Animals and food (fish, hamsters etc.) Balancing scales Discovery tools like magnifying glasses, eyedroppers, tweezers, tongs Container and trays for sorting, mixing and measuring Magnets and assorted objects Collections: seeds, shells, rocks, leaves Books, magazines and posters relating to the displays

Some open-ended questions for adults to use in the Discovery area: What do you think will happen if…? How do you think that happened? How do you think we can find out? Can you tell me about…? How do you think ____ and ____ are alike? Different? How do you feel about…? Can you think of a way to…?

Sand and water involve sensory experiences that appeal to young children. Other materials may be used such as…what do you think??

Social-emotional development Social-emotional development The fact that playing with these materials can calm a child who is agitated or upset has been well documented. When children play with sand or water, they often express their thoughts and feeling.

Physical Development Physical Development – Children strengthen their small muscles as they mold wet sand and scoop water. They develop fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination working with funnels, sifters, and squeezy containers. – They build large motor skills carrying water and sand Cognitive Development Cognitive Development – Children discover that as a liquid, water can be splashed, poured and frozen. – They discover that as a dry solid, sand can be sifted, raked and shoveled.

– When they combine the two, both change: the dry sand becomes firm and the water becomes cloudy. – They learn about volume and capacity when they pour water and they learn what sinks and what floats. Language Development Language Development – Children expand their vocabularies: grainy, sprinkle, shallow, wet, cool, dry – They use these new words to describe tactile and visual observations.

Music naturally delights and interests children. Music and movement experiences help develop both sides of the brain – found in recent brain research- and contribute to social-emotional; physical, cognitive and language development.

Social-Emotional Social-Emotional – This can make children feel part of the group. – Different kinds of music can affect children in different ways (calm, excited, lively…) – They use their bodies to express different kinds of emotions. Physical Development Physical Development – Children explore all the ways their bodies can move. – They can improve small and large motor skills

Cognitive Development Cognitive Development – They create patterns with the words they sing, with the movements they make and with instruments. – They learn about number concepts as they clap their hands and stomp their feet. – They think symbolically when they pretend to walk like an elephant or hop like a bunny. Language Development Language Development – They learn new words and concepts (head, shoulders, knees and toes) – They discover phonological awareness

Cooking and computer are other interest areas which depend upon your set up and ability to use certain equipment.

Material adapted from: Creative Curriculum, Fourth Edition Eberhartsexplorers.com Photos courtesy of – Christina Nelson, Mountainview Day Care, N. Troy, Vermont – Elsa Oppenheimer Bosma, Puddlejumpers Child Care, Shelburne, Vermont