1. Getting Ready for Children

2. Ideas that guide our work  De-clutter to provide focus  Understand the impact of color  Consider the use of light  Use lines and shapes with intention  Give attention to details  Combine design principles with early childhood goals

3. Where we started

4. BeforeAfter

5. BeforeAfter

6. How do each of these environments make you feel?

7. Surrounding children with an assortment of random images and print distracts and interferes with their ability to focus.

8. A cluttered spacetransformed with attention to color and light.

9. De-cluttering spaceopens pathways to new possibilities.

10. Designing a space with a new purpose

11. Understanding color

12. Color impacts behavior How do the changes we made in this corner make you feel? Why?

13. Before After

14. How might this color impact behavior?

15. Use shapes, patterns and lines with intention Our goal is to guide the eye and develop visual literacy.

16. Shapes and repeating patterns

17. Use color to follow and enhance shapes and pattern

18. Notice the combining of shapes and repeating patterns.

19. Can you identify the repeating lines and shapes in this space?

23. Developing visual literacy (distinguishing shapes, lines, patterns) is a stepping stone for learning about letters and numerals.

24. Children learn about letters not only from print but from carefully placed lines and shapes in their environment.

25. Consider the use of light

26. Lights can softenbe cozyinvite mystery

27. Light can create a sense of wonder

28. Give attention to details

30. The relationship between color and repeating shapes can be seen in even the smallest of details.

31. Help children see details in the natural world.

32. Children are miracles. Believing every child is a miracle can transform the way we design for children’s care. We make it our job to create, with reverence and gratitude, a space that is worthy of a miracle. Anita Rui Olds.