Indicators of a Quality Early Learning Environment

The learning environment is an important and powerful teaching tool. Much of the early childhood teacher’s work is done before the children ever arrive. If the environment is set up with the knowledge of how children learn and develop it can positively support teaching and learning. A teacher experiencing difficulty with student behavior should carefully evaluate the daily schedule, classroom arrangement, materials within each learning center, and the curriculum.

Creating a positive learning environment enhances opportunities for young children to feel safe and supported. Teachers and child-care providers learn that careful planning and the effective arrangement of space and classroom equipment can facilitate learning experiences for young children. Children learn in and through their environment. Whether a child is in a formal early learning setting, a classroom, or at home, the environment plays an important role in learning.

The early childhood program environment should look and feel welcoming for all children and should reflect the diverse world in which we live. In addition to being bright, colorful, safe and clean, it should include children’s artwork and show the diversity of the world through the program’s abundant supply of age-appropriate toys, dolls, books, magazines, pictures and musical instruments. Because what is in the environment, as well as what is absent, provides children with essential information about who and what is important, every effort should be made to create a setting that is rich in possibilities for exploring diversity.

Environments that provide opportunities to explore cultural diversity include baskets, pillows, jewelry made from a variety of materials, puppets, rugs, wall hangings, eating and cooking utensils, recordings of music in many languages and other objects that reflect the world’s cultures. Children can explore diversity in family structure, gender roles, and abilities if their environment contains materials such as dolls, books, dress-up clothes, puzzles, manipulatives, and dramatic play materials that depict a variety of family structures, gender roles, and people with a variety of disabilities.

Best Practices in Early Childhood Education Learning Environments

In creating a positive early childhood environment, the following practices should be observed:

• The classroom should be organized to foster exploration with learning materials.
• Learning materials should be concrete and relevant to a child’s own life experiences (open-ended but purposeful).
• The classroom environment should be set up for choices.
• Learning experiences should be planned so teacher-initiated or child-initiated opportunities exist in small group contexts for acquiring new skills.
• Schedules should reflect active and quiet learning activities; large group, s mall group and individual learning.

There are three reasons why early childhood professionals structure the physical environment. First, adults try to anticipate children’s behavior. Secondly, adults structure on the spot to resolve problems as they arise. Finally, adults structure to teach the children how to make decisions themselves. They support children in making decisions, forming plans, implementing them, and evaluating their usefulness.  Freedom of movement in a safe environment allows children of all ages to explore what they can do as they investigate nature and practice their motor skills.

A supportive environment allows children to control their surroundings when appropriate and permits and encourages movement so that children can interact freely with objects and people. A supportive environment is arranged into learning centers, or areas that provide for individual, small group, or large-group activities.

Some questions to consider:

• Does the environment create a sense of belonging?
• Does it reflect the child’s family and culture?
• Is it safe and organized? Is it aesthetically inviting and engaging?
• Are the spaces flexible and accessible?
• Does the environment give the child opportunities to explore, wonder and try new things? Does it inspire curiosity?
• Is it appropriate for the child’s age and stage of development?
• Do materials for the child to play with allow a variety of uses? Are there different things to see, hear and feel – indoors and out?
• Does the environment encourage children to take initiative?
• Are there opportunities for the child to be physically active, and to use the hands and fingers?