CLASSROOM Environments

Behavioral Issues An optimally arranged environment may decrease

the likelihood that children will engage in challenging behaviors, as they attend to and interact with each other and in interesting and stimulating activities.

Children need an environment . . .

. . . rich in experiences . . . Things that invite the child, that awaken his curiosity, that invoke him to make sense of that multitude of experiences lying beyond, to make meanings, to interact . . .

Guideline # 1 Organize your space to create a feeling of

welcome. Each child should have his or her own cubbie, desk, or locker. The room should have inviting displays of color, activities, and materials.

Guideline # 2 Provide space and

furnishings that are appropriately sized for the size of students. Tables and chairs should be made comfortable for small people. Have good shelving, and plenty of it. Sinks and toilets should be low for younger children. Make sure the playground equipment is geared to the proper age and size of the children.

Children need an environment . . .

. . . rich in play . . . The world is “a great blooming confusion” (William James) and children make sense of it through play. Play is nature’s way of dealing with stress for children (and adults!)

Even older children need relax time, rest time, play time.

Guideline # 3 For classrooms with

younger children, define play spaces with clear boundaries. Suggestions for boundaries are:– Pegboards– Plants– Furniture– Fabric panels– Lofts or pits– Floor covering– Etc.

Guideline # 4Plan for smooth trafficflow between areas in the classroom. These pathways should be wide enough to accommodate wheel chairs or two-way traffic. Pathways should never cut through a learning center.

Children need an environment . . .

. . . rich in teaching . . . through exploration, experimentation, stimulation . . . they need a mixture of direction and freedom . . .

“We wove a web in childhood, a web of sunny air.” –Emily Bronte

Guideline # 5 Separate active and quiet play areas. Blocks and

dramatic play areas should be on opposite sides of the room from the library and science centers.

Guideline # 6 Locate spaces that need

easy access to water, light, and electricity. Art, science, cooking, and water play all need water. Good lighting is essential in library, manipulatives, and science. Natural lighting from a window is desirable in art and science. Electricity is needed for computers and music.

Children need an environment rich with . . .

. . . people . . . a diversity of people both enriches childhood and prepares children for a widening world.

Guideline # 7

Provide private spaces. Cardboard boxes, lofts, pup tents, block houses, located away from traffic and noisy centers yet easily supervised by the teacher.

Guideline # 8 Create softness in the

environment. Upholstered furniture, floor cushions and bolsters, tablecloths, plants, flowers, aquariums, fabric on walls, curtains, warm colors, shade on the playground, hammocks, etc.

Children need an environment where they

. . . are significant . . . where her concerns are paid attention to and where she is given responsibilities.

Guideline # 9 and # 10 Personalize space.

Display art work, personal treasures, photo displays, cubbies, etc.

Organize storage spaces to maintain and make the most of materials.

Guideline # 11 Accommodate children with disabilities by

making pathways wide enough for wheelchairs or strollers, and keeping the room free of hazardous obstacles or items in pathways.

Children need an environment with . . .

. . . places to call their own . . . things that are recognizable as MINE, YOURS, OURS . . .

NormalizationBring as few pieces of special equipment as possible into the classroom because they brand children who need them as too different. (Wolfensberger, 1996)IS THIS A CORRECT PRINCIPLE?

Normalize as much as possible CONSIDER:

– Self-help skills– Toilet facilities– Sleeping areas– SAFETY– Order and

organization– Outdoors– VISIBILITY– EASE OF

MOVEMENT

– Promoting independence

– Teacher availability– Choices available to

students– Novelty vs.

familiarity

What about these disabilities?

Visually impaired Speech problems Emotional disorders Hearing Impaired In a wheelchair Limb(s) missing Learning disabilities Deaf-Blind

Blind Deaf Autism Cancer

The end. Thank you for your attention.