The Basics: What Children Must Have to Learn and Grow Creating Safe, Secure, & Supportive Environments: Well Designed Physical Environments Module 1B

Welcome

Logistics Agenda Amenities Outcomes Follow-Up

Objectives After participating in this workshop, participants will be able to: describe the relationship between environmental variables and children’s challenging behaviors and social emotional development. identify strategies that can be used to design environments that promote interaction and success

Core Competencies & Florida Child Standards Core Knowledge Area (CKA): Child Development and Learning Key Elements (KE): Use developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging early learning environments Tier/Level (T): II Core Competency (CC): Provide a warm, caring, and responsive environment where children initiate and extend their learning through play

Group Agreement and Consensus As a group we will develop a group agreement chart First we will brainstorm one to two statements per group to add to the chart. We will then seek consensus on an agreement that explains how we, as participants, are expected to interact with one another to keep the learning environment respectful and productive.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” - Benjamin Franklin 1)What does this statement mean to you as an Early Childhood Educator? 2)What are some ways you “prevent” challenging behaviors in your classroom?

Few Children Some Children All Children The Pyramid Model: Promoting Social and Emotional Competence and Addressing Challenging Behavior

Strategies to Promote Safe, Secure, and Supportive Environments 1.Well-designed physical environments 2.Scheduling routines, transitions, & activities 3.Implementing rules and rituals 1.Well-designed physical environments 2.Scheduling routines, transitions, & activities 3.Implementing rules and rituals

Well-designed Physical Environments

Well-Designed Physical Environments 1.Promote engagement. 2.Reduce the likelihood that challenging behavior will occur.

Well Designed Physical Environments: Traffic Patterns 1.Minimize large open spaces in which children can run 2.Minimize obstacles and other hazards 3.Consider the needs of children with physical or sensory disabilities or delays

Well-Designed Physical Environments: Learning Centers Clear boundaries Visibility Visual prompts when centers are not an option Adequate number of centers Size and location of centers Number of children in centers Organization of materials Preparation of centers

Creating Meaningful and Engaging Learning Centers Materials need to be meaningful and relevant to children’s needs, interests, and lives. Centers need to be highly engaging and interesting – children’s interest. Provide a variety of materials in each center. Change the materials or themes in centers on a regular basis.

Practice Strategy Do you see what I see?

Discuss these two writing centers. Physical Environment Strengths? Concerns?

How can this Circle Area be Improved?

Circle Time

Classroom Arrangement and Design Activity With a partner, sketch a classroom. Revise your sketch of the environment and then share major changes with other participants at the table. Ask participants to think of one child who has more significant challenging behavior. What might need to be done to the environment to support that child? For additional ideas, refer to the Inventory of Practices.

Summary The single best way to promote positive interactions in young children is to take steps to decrease the likelihood that problems will occur. Focus on the strategies we discussed: –Look closely at the physical environment –Evaluate the space and materials –Make changes that improve children's ability to get engaged and stay engaged

Implementation Planning Homework Fill in the grid with ideas of what you are going to do to create a safe, secure, and supportive environment. Consider the resources or supports you might need to make these changes.