Environments That Inspire Author(s) Susan Friedman So.docx

Environments That Inspire
Author(s): Susan Friedman
Source: YC Young Children , May 2005, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May
2005), pp. 48-55
Published by: National Association for the Education of Young
Children (NAEYC)
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Burlington Little School, Seattle, Washington
Cindy Hayertz, Preschool teacher
Environments
That Inspire
Compiled by Susan Friedman
Many young fantastic classrooms children opportunities to
offer
fantastic opportunities for
young children to explore,
learn, and grow, but in

some environments the expectations for
learning and development are especially
clear. In this piece we share photographs
from a few schools and centers across
the country and in overseas Department
of Defense Dependents schools (DoDDs).
We asked directors and teachers to share
their thoughts on the
environments shown
in the pictures. Each
setting is different,
yet what they have
in common is the
great care taken in
creating an environ-
ment that sets the
stage for learning
and growing.
NAEYC staff member
Susan Friedman, MEd,
serves as Editorial
Associate for Young
Children and coordinator
of Beyond the Journal.
Building with sticks

In our big yard we try to
re-create the feeling of
freedom children once had
when they would play
outdoors for hours on their
own. Our designated stick-
building area is very
popular. We keep our eye
on the area, but we try to
let the children work on
their own. The older
children do this well; the
four-year-olds need teacher
assistance now and then.
We installed several
bracers to make a sturdy
starting point for children's
stick creations. The
children work together to
create incredible struc-
tures. We offer other materials they can use in their buildings -
cloths,
strings of beads, boughs from fir trees with the greens still on
them. A
group of girls created the structure in this photo and used it in
their
dramatic play about fairies. Adding cloths and beads

encourages the
girls to build with the sticks as well. It's not just for the boys.
Sometimes people ask us if letting the children build with
sticks is
safe. We have an excellent teacher-to-child ratio so we can
really
supervise the area. We cut off the smaller branches from large
sticks
so that children won't get poked. We have
used these sticks for years, and the children
have never had more than a minor mishap.
Beautiful places
Children deserve beauty and so do adults.
We like to give children beautiful, magical
things to interact with. We offer a few theme-
based setups for the children to use and
interact with in the classroom. The materials
in this photograph reflect a springtime theme
that gave the children a few ways to explore
how plants grow. A setup is an arrangement
of interesting materials for the children to
explore. It might be a display of prisms
hanging in the window or a tray of smooth,
round rocks alongside pictures of different
ways to arrange them. Children are incredible
designers - especially when they use natural
materials. Setups provide an opportunity for
a child to take a break and explore, move
things around, and interact.
48 Young Children • May 2005

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Photos © Margie Carter
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Chicago Commons Child Development Program,
Chicago, Illinois
Denise Romo , Professional Development Coordinator
Light table
The light table allows children to explore color, light,
and shadows.
They can look
at shadows,

draw on
transparent
paper, and
explore how
light affects
color. They
manipulate
colorful objects
and experiment
with transpar-
ency and
shadow. The
light table
offers children
a different
perspective on
the light and
color they see
in the world
around them.
Entryway loft
The loft is the
first thing chil-
dren and families
see when they
enter this build-

ing. This area
provides highly
interactive
activities for
children to
explore; it is
meant to stimu-
late the senses.
Inside the loft,
children are
surrounded with
different levels.
There are musical
instruments and
many opportuni-
ties for dramatic
play. Children can
bring a book into
the loft, sit on the
stool, and read.
ENVIRONMENTS
Child Development Center II,
Fort George G- Meade, Maryland
Nancy Motonaga, Center director

Viewing window
Army Child
Development
Centers were
designed with
windows in the
hallways to see
into all of the
children's class-
rooms. These
windows bring a
sense of sharing
and community to
the center. The
windows elimi-
nate dark, hidden
areas, which
decreases the possibility of false child abuse allegations.
Families, staff, and visitors can observe without disturb-
ing children and teachers. The windows help children and
parents with separation by allowing them another
glimpse of each other before parents leave for work.
Toddler painting
Low tables with chairs that allow children's feet to rest
on the floor give children independence. Children can sit

down and get up whenever they want. The seating
arrangement also allows several children to participate in
an activity at one time, reducing children's waiting times.
With this arrangement, the teacher can easily supervise
activities and the safe use of materials by a group of
young children.
Young Children • May 2005 49
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Photos © NAEYC
Child Development Center III,
Fort George G. Meade, Maryland
Ethel Davis-White , Center director
Flexible space
We created a defined area for nonmobile infants, parti-
tioned on each side with low movable storage units. An
assortment of soft toys, mobiles, and cushions are avail-
able. The windowsill
has a rounded edge
and is low to encour-
age young infants to

practice pulling them-
selves up to a stand-
ing position.
This area creates a
sense of security for
young infants, who
can spend some pri-
vate time lap sitting
as a caregiver sings
or softly describes
the activities of the
other children in the
room. For infants just
starting to crawl, it
offers a place for
motor exploration
away from more ac-
tive toddlers. When
needed, to accommo-
date children's chang-
ing skills, the storage units can be rearranged.
Children First, Durham, North Carolina
Early literacy for babies
The book area in the infant/
pretoddler classroom is in a cozy
corner of the classroom on a soft
carpet. A variety of soft plastic,

cardboard, cloth, and tactile
books sit on low, open shelves.
Infants and toddlers can reach
the books themselves, look at
the pictures, turn the pages, and
explore the wonderful world of
books. They can also enjoy
looking at books with a
caregiver.
Donna King, Director
Space for families
With all the learning opportunities we would like the
room to provide the children, we have found it hard to
cede any of the space to furniture for adult bodies. At
the same time, we have learned that if we want parents
to read documentation, if we want them to connect
with all the children in the program and with each
other, they need a space in which they can stay and
relax for a while. Without a space for families, no matter
how many ways we said, "You are welcome!" our
classroom itself shouted, "No, you're not!" We cleared
out a small area where parents and children enter in
the morning. From this "snuggle spot," parents can
view their children's portfolios. They can stay a while
to interact with their child and with each other.
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Photos © Donna King
Clayton Schools' Family Center,
St. Louis Reggio Collaborative, Clayton, Missouri
Lori Geismar Ryan , Director
The ministudio
Our school environment is a balance of physical and psycho-
logical space that is grounded in best practice and the
fundamen-
tals of the approach to early childhood education known as
Reggio Emilia. The photograph below gives a multilayered
look
into this classroom, showing the relationship between the
ministudio and the other elements of the environment.
In the ministudio, children have access to a variety of high-

quality colored pencils, markers, papers, glues, paints, brushes,
wires, ribbons, and yarns
that support self-expres-
sion and creativity. Mate-
rials are arranged on low
shelves so children can
easily access and use
them throughout the day.
As teachers we encour-
age children, beginning
in infancy, to represent
themselves through
many media and through
the languages of paint,
wire, clay, drawing, and
collage.
We believe that children's learning thrives on the energy of the
dynamic, ongoing relationships and exchanges between areas
throughout the classroom. The ministudio plays a central role,
often serving as a hub to support children's expression of learn-
ing throughout the classroom and the school.
ENVIRONMENTS
Hilltop Children's Center,
Seattle, Washington
Ann Pelo , Mentor teacher
Drama play area

Our nontraditional drama area combines blocks
with other open-ended materials. Boys and girls
become deeply engaged in making up stories that
involve both adventure and family caretaking.
Together they act out their themes for long
periods^often more than an hour and sometimes
even over several days.
The structure in the photo shows how children
use open-ended, interesting things in many differ-
ent ways. We put out baskets filled with natural
materials, like small stones, pieces of wood, even
cinnamon sticks, and children use them as props
in their play scripts and to create beautiful de-
signs in their block buildings.
Mailboxes and mail table
In the same room as the family
snuggle spot, there is a designated
space where children can write and
receive messages. Children's mailboxes
are located on the same shelf unit where
families and teachers have their mail-
boxes. Each mailbox is labeled with a
child's face, name, and sign (a unique
image chosen by the child to use as an
alternate signature). Writing supplies
and children's journals are kept on the
shelf above the mailboxes. A few steps
away, the children's writing table faces a
bulletin board filled with meaningful

words (like "thank you," "I love you,"
"Mom," and "Dad"). The board also
includes reminders such as a note about
someone who needs a get-well card.
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Giessen Elementary School, DoDDs,
Glessen, Germany
Melinda Stevens, Sure Start teacher
Reading pool
To create an inspiring classroom environ-
ment, we use a project approach to learning.
When children can influence the direction of
the curriculum, they stay motivated and
engaged. The class becomes quite industri-
ous during our investigations.
In this photo a child is curled up in the

"aquarium" section of a zoo project our class
created. As part of this project, the children
decided to put a wading pool in the corner
and fill it with "coral" - colored beanbags.
The bookshelf is within arm's reach and is
filled with literature about animals and zoos.
This child is reading a book by Dr. Seuss.
The previous day the entire school had celebrated his birthday.
Here she can relive and revisit his stories in a
safe, cozy corner.
Illesheim Elementary School, DoDDs, lllesheim, Germany
Janice Langford , Sure Start teacher
All About Me books
We focus on the family and each individual child with
the All About Me books and display. These books cel-
ebrate each child's uniqueness, encourage literacy, and
communicate that families are essential partners in learn-
ing and daily classroom life.
I provide a template for the All About Me book to each
family during the initial home visit before the school year
even begins. I ask the parents to work together with their
child to provide information about their family. They can
include any pictures or information the child feels are
important about his or her likes, family experiences, and
other things that capture the uniqueness of the child. We
bind the books at school. If any additional support or
materials are needed, we welcome the families into the
school to access resources.

Children can share their books with each other during
class meeting times. The books are placed on a special
display bookcase that also contains other class publica-
tions. These books, as well as other reading materials,
are accessible to the children throughout the day.
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Indian Island School, Early Childhood
Program, Old Town, Maine
Karen Thomes , Teacher
Universal design
Our program is inclusive and universally designed
for all abilities. We choose equipment and materials
with intentionality. We believe families, schools, and
communities include people of varying abilities and we
need to plan ways to include all people from the start.
When making purchases, we evaluate how the item can
be used for all children. For example, we make sure
furniture is adjustable and suitable for children of
differing heights and physical needs. We ask, Does the
space provide materials and work and play areas for a
wide range of competencies and abilities? We make
sure the floor space and storage units can be arranged
and organized for mobility and accessibility.
(cont'd on p. 54)
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Indian Island School (conťd)
Sensory materials
Our seating choices include chairs of varying heights,
rocking chairs, therapy balls, inflated cushions, and
equipment to help children develop balance, such as a
seesaw, swing, hippity-hops, and scooter boards. A
variety of sensory and play materials is available to all
children throughout the day.
Painting chair
and writing
board
Different types
of drawing, paint-
ing, cutting, and
writing tools
support a range
of fine motor
abilities. Equip-
ment is readily
accessible, multi-
purpose, and can
usually be used
by all children
with minimal
adaptation.
Martin Luther King Day Home Center,
Seattle, Washington

Deb Curtis , Toddler teacher
Staying connected with families
I ask families to bring in photos so we can create family
posters to display in the classroom. Children visit them
all the time; they are an integral part of the day. When the
children see them they say, "Mommy! Daddy!" and go up
to the posters and kiss the pictures. When one girl was
playing with water, she went over to her poster and
"washed mommy" with a sponge. The family posters are
one way to keep children connected with their families
during the day. Rather than focusing on separation, I
focus on keeping them connected.
Open-ended wooden materials
It's hard to find good toys made of natural materials for
toddlers. I go to a local thrift store to look for interesting
things. Tod-
dlers love the
wooden bowls
and spoons
that lots of
people get rid
of. 1 also col-
lect wooden
massage tools
with wheels.
I'm always on

the lookout for
interesting
textured ob-
jects that don't just beep at you - things the children can
use to manipulate and create.
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ENVIRONMENTS
Outdoor Nursery School,
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Barbara Hutchinson and
Susan Miller ; Directors
The outdoors as a classroom
Offering art outdoors reflects our school's philosophy
that outside is the best classroom for children. When

children have the sense of freedom and relaxation that
can come from being in a big open space surrounded by
natural light, we find they will experiment with natural
materials and make more observations about their art-
work.
Some of the art we do outside may reinforce a theme
the class is studying that week. The children in this
picture have been studying the
galaxies and the differences be-
tween day and night skies. A visit
to the planetarium helped in-
spire the children to create their
own night sky with chalk on
black paper. Children who are
not working on art projects enjoy
other outdoor play.
Easels and art tables are set up
in each of the four woodland
play yards, but equipment varies
and each yard offers different
opportunities for the children to
explore, run, and climb. The
yards feature wheel toys, tire
swings, climbing trees, nature
trails, climbing walls, slides, large building blocks, sandboxes,
and a train.
Vllseck Elementary School, DoDDs, Vilseck, Germany

Bernadette Kollbrand , Sure Start teacher
Reading with small groups
Here, a small group of children is in the library area.
They are highly engaged in the reading process and
eagerly await the opportunity to share their experi-
ences and ideas. The teacher facilitates, accelerates,
and validates each child's development by letting
children know that their ideas are interesting, impor-
tant, and worth sharing.
In a small group setting, each child can choose and
share books that are of interest. Because of this, both
the teacher's and the children's responses tend to be
more personal and focused on the individual child.
Copyright © 2005 by the National Association for the
Education of Young Chil-
dren. See Permissions and Reprints online at
www.journal.naeyc.org/about/
permissions.asp.
��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
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Contentsp. 48p. 49p. 50p. 51p. 52p. [53]p. 54p. 55Issue Table
of ContentsYC Young Children, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May 2005) pp.
1-112Front MatterA Note to the Membership from NAEYC's
Governing Board, Executive Committee [pp. 8-8]READERS
WRITE: Separation [pp. 10, 109]Environments That Support

Exploring, Learning, and Living[Introduction] [pp. 12-
14]Designing the Environment to Build Connection to Place
[pp. 16-22, 24]It Doesn't Just Happen! Essential Contributions
from Playgrounds [pp. 26-30, 32-33]Rethinking Early
Childhood Environments to Enhance Learning [pp. 34-
38]Dancing with Trees: Infants and Toddlers in the Garden [pp.
40-46]Environments That Inspire [pp. 48-55]Resources on
Environments That Support Exploring, Learning, and Living
[pp. 56, 58]NAEYC ACCREDITATIONEarning NAEYC
Accreditation: What Should Programs Expect? [pp. 59-
61]NAEYC 2005 Annual Conference &Expo [pp. 62-
65]PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTNAEYC Explores
Parental Perspectives on Early Childhood Education [pp. 66-
68]NAEYC'S 14th National Institute for Early Childhood
Professional Development [pp. 69-69]NAEYC BUSINESS [pp.
70-71]A Lesson From Red Lake [pp. 71-71]OBSERVATIONS
AND REFLECTIONS [pp. 72-72]In MemoriamGreta G. Fein
[pp. 74-74]Understanding Asian Indian Families: Facilitating
Meaningful Home-School Relations [pp. 75-78]Advocates in
ActionBuilding Your Advocacy Capacity [pp. 79-
79]VIEWPOINTTaking a Stand: Strategies for Activism [pp.
80-85]When Teachers Are Learning, Children Are Too:
Teaching Teachers about Assessment [pp. 86-92]Collaboration
as a Foundation for the Project Approach in Family Child Care
[pp. 93-99]þÿ�þ�ÿ��K��y��l��e��
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d��r��e��n�� [��p��p��.��
��1��0��0��-��1��0��4��]Using
Picture Books to Help Children Cope with a Family Member's
Alzheimer's Disease [pp. 105-109]The Reading Chair [pp. 110-
111]New books [pp. 112-112]Back Matter
Case Study Examples
Ladeiras, A., Mota, A., & Costa, J. (2010). Strategic tourism
planning in practice: the case of the Open Academy of
Tourism.
Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes,
2(4), 357. (UNT library)
Links to an external site.
Metaxas, T. (2009). Place marketing, strategic planning and
competitiveness: The case of Malta.
European Planning Studies,
17(9), 1357-1378. (UNT library)
Ruhanen, L. (2010). Where's the strategy in tourism strategic
planning? Implications for sustainable tourism destination
planning.
Journal of Travel and Tourism Research,
10(1/2), 58-76. (UNT library)
Weinberger, D. (2008). Authenticity: Is it real or is it
marketing?.
Harvard Business Review. (UNT library)
Case Study_Mid Report_Sample I.docxDownload Case
Study_Mid Report_Sample I.docx
Case Study_Mid Report_Sample II.docxDownload Case
Study_Mid Report_Sample II.docx

[removed]
Designing the Environment to Build Connection to Place
Author(s): Carol Anne Wien, Annette Coates, Bobbi-Lynn
Keating and Barbara Christine
Bigelow
2005), pp. 16-22, 24
Children (NAEYC)
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Designing
the
Environment
to Build
Connection
to Place
Carol Anne Wien,
Annette Coates,
Bobbi-Lynn Keating, and
Barbara Christine Bigelow
LI ow do teachers respond first to a crisis in their center,
H I then to a larger crisis in their city? And how do these
H H crises affect the design of an environment for three- to
-R- -R- five-year-olds? This article shows how an environ-
ment's design shifts, evolves, flourishes, and builds
connections
among children, staff, and place as teachers respond to local
crises.
Peter Green Hall Children's Centre serves 91 children, from in-
fants to after-schoolers, and is located on the ground floor of a
14-story apartment building for families at five local
universities.
Under director Barb Bigelow, the staff since 1996 has been

influ-
enced by the ideas and practices of the Reggio Emilia approach
but
has not copied them. Rather, they take Reggio ideas and
practices
as points of departure for rethinking their own practices.
Aspects
of the Reggio Emilia approach with particular resonance for us
include these concepts: children as rich protagonists in their
own
experiences, with knowledge and creativity to contribute;
teachers
and children as collaborative partners in long-term learning;
mak-
ing learning visible through documentation; and the impact of
vi-
sual aesthetics on the functioning of the environment. We have
long
recognized that a beautiful, caring, sensitively organized
environ-
ment has a major impact on the sense of belonging, comfort,
safety,
and capacity to be responsible and productive of all
participants in
a setting (Kritchevsky & Prescott 1969; Edwards, Gandini, &
Forman
1998; Cadwell 2003).
A crisis in the center
In September 2003 the center faced a crisis. All three staff
mem-
bers in the senior room (children three-and-a-half to five years
of
age) were leaving (one for a job opportunity, two for maternity
leave), and no suitable candidates had applied for the positions.

Barb wanted to move either Annette Coates or Bobbi-Lynn
Keating - the two teachers in the junior room - to bring
stability to
the senior room. But Bobbi and Annette work well as a team
and
were unhappy at the prospect of giving that up. After an intense
day of discussion, the agreed-upon solution was that both
Annette
and Bobbi would move to the senior program. Appropriate
accom-
modations were made for the junior room.
Carol Anne Wien, PhD, is an associate professor in the Faculty
of
Education, York University, Toronto, Canada. She is the author
of Develop-
mentally Appropriate Practice in "Real Life": Stories of
Teacher Practical
Knowledge and Negotiating Standards in the Primary
Classroom: The
Teacher's Dilemma. She has been a frequent educational
consultant to
Peter Green Hall Children's Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Annette Coates, BFA, BAAE, BD, teaches in the senior
program (for ages
three-and-a-half to five) at Peter Green Hall Children's Centre.
She has
worked in the field of early learning and child care for eight
years.
Bobbi-Lynn Keating is a senior room teacher at Peter Green
Hall
Children's Centre. She has worked in the field of early learning
and child

care for 16 years - the last 11 being at Peter Green Hall, which
she
considers a privilege.
Barbara Christine Bigelow, BCS, has served as executive
director of the
Peter Green Hall Children's Centre for 15 years. Her career in
the field of
early learning and child care extends over the past 28 years.
Photos ©Annette Coates.
1 6 Young Children • May 2005
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The challenge
The challenge for Annette and Bobbi in their new class-
room took two forms: the physical space and the state of
the children when the two teachers took over. The room
is a big, 600-square-foot box (approximately 20 by 30
feet), with hard surfaces and harsh fluorescent lighting.
By far the biggest challenge was noise levels. Bobbi
thought it the "worst acoustic room" she had ever been
in; Annette thought she would go crazy; and Carol Anne,
when she visited, felt like her ears
were full of shards of glass. Re-
search into noise levels in child

care centers shows they are often
so noisy as to cause auditory
fatigue in children, because deci-
bels are much higher than the 30-
30.75 optimum for recognition and
processing of speech (Munro in
Willis 2000). The room also has
little natural light because of the
eastern exposure of all its win-
dows. The acoustics and harsh
fluorescent lighting affected the
children's behavior. We hypoth-
esized that the impact of continu-
ous high noise levels was debili-
tating and a drain on their energy.
When Bobbi started working in
the room, her initial approach was
"to ride the waves," absorbing the
room's disordered functioning.
Annette's approach was to ex-
plore: she opened a cupboard,
and things fell out. Their first
discussion acknowledged their
sense that the children "did not
have respect for themselves, the
teachers, or the materials." Some-
thing about the climate in the
room suggested that much posi-
tive energy had drained from it.
How should they begin? Bobbi says, "We knew from our
previous environment that the children needed a connec-
tion with the room; we knew they needed to be part of

what it was going to be."
First actions: Stripping the setting,
clarifying the schedule
There may be as many ways of facing challenges as
there are styles of teaching. Bobbi and Annette's first
response was to strip the environment, to aid their own
understanding of the classroom dynamic, and to clarify
the schedule to bring a more predictable order to the
children's day.
ENVIRONMENTS
Stripping the environment
"We have to be able to work" was the teachers' feeling.
Annette conducted a giant sort and clean of everything in
the room over the weekend, throwing away broken items.
Next, they removed furniture that reduced sight lines and
created sound and aesthetic problems. A storage shelf
that was too high was cut down to child height. The
teachers began a new organization for materials stored in
cupboards, acquiring recycled plastic bins for small mate-
rials and putting a photograph
of the contents on the front of
each bin. The room was
cleaned and painted.
Part of the stripping involved
removing damaged doors from
two plywood cupboards. In one

the doors were replaced with a
curtain, to help soften sound.
In the other the teachers dis-
covered a beautiful set of nar-
row floor-to-ceiling shelves.
The shelves were perfect for
the display of many interesting
items in transparent jars, which
the children could explore and
use in making things. Bobbi and
Annette believed that if the
environment was clean and
organized, they could see their
next steps.
Clarifying the schedule
"We had an appreciation for
some exciting aspects of the
program," Bobbi says, which
included a long, uninterrupted
playtime. The schedule, how-
ever, had been loose, with
lunch occurring spontaneously
as children expressed Hunger.
Bobbi and Annette felt that this lunch hour flexibility led
the children to seem anxious and occasionally aimless,
and that it contributed to the disorder. Annette says, "We
sat down and thought about how every minute of the day
should be in terms of the children's comfort, and how
efficiently it should work."

We sat down and thought about how
every minute of the day should be in
terms of the children's comfort, and
how efficiently it should work.
Young Children • May 2005 1 7
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One of their first responses was to create a stable, pre-
dictable schedule for themselves and the children. They
kept the long playtimes in both morning and afternoon
but fixed lunch at noon and nap from one o'clock to two.
"We knew we wanted a good family-style lunch - a social
event. So we have tables where each child and teacher
has a place: it's like a dinner party."
For the transition from lunch to teeth brushing to nap,
each child has a small activity tray. The children and
teacher who arrive earliest in the morning choose beauti-
ful materials to put on the trays for each child to explore
after lunch. Each day the trays are different and are a
surprise for the children. They might contain a mix of
materials such as several small rings, colorful ribbons,
and some small animals.

The teachers decided to keep consistent work shifts.
The same teacher would always be there early in the
morning, and the same one late in the day. This decision
required some sacrifices on their parts, as only one
teacher ever goes home early, but they believed it neces-
sary to assist the stability of the program.
It was not long before the children responded posi-
tively to the consistency in the schedule.
A big vision for the environment
Influenced by the Reggio philosophy, Bobbi and Annette
knew they wanted natural elements in the classroom but
did not yet know what direction this value might take.
They also wanted their classroom environment to reflect
a sense of the geography and culture of the place.
During the stripping, cleaning, repainting, and reorga-
nizing of time and space, the teachers and children went
on outings. One field trip took them to Halifax's famed
Point Pleasant Park, 85 acres of forest on a peninsula
jutting into the ocean harbor. The teachers noted the
children's avid interest in the things they had seen in the
park - mushrooms, red squirrels, birds, trees with many
leaves. They thought the forest might provide the vision
around which to develop their environment.
They discussed their ideas at length. Annette went
through magazines, cutting out pictures that fit their
vision, then sketched a two-page spread that showed
images of forests, colors of golden stone and gray boul-
ders, sun and shadow, various greens, and a pergola
made from tree trunks and branches. Based on their ob-
servations of the children, Annette and Bobbi knew the

major areas they wanted to create in the classroom, and
they mapped them into their design for an interior forest.
The idea map indicated trees, a water feature and a river-
bed, a glade, a sandy beach, a bridge, and an organization
of space allowing organic rather than purely geometric
shapes. The pictures and the idea map show the vision,
the dream for what they could make of this environment.
These events took place in early to mid-September.
A crisis in Halifax
The night of September 28-29, 2003, Halifax was struck
by Hurricane Juan, a class 2 storm that caused class 3
damage. The last hurricane to hit Halifax had occurred in
1893 - before our time! We had no idea a storm could
wreak such destruction. Trees were toppled over streets,
and power in the city was out for days, even weeks.
The hurricane had slammed into Point Pleasant Park,
snapping and toppling 75 percent of the trees. The park
was closed, not to reopen until the following June. When
the children went on an outing to another park, they
crawled among the toppled tree roots. The teachers
found the children very concerned about the trees: "They
wanted to take water to save the trees," and they poured
water on the roots and patted them with bits of sawdust
"so they would come alive again."
The children, of course, were not the only ones in shock:
so was the entire population of Halifax. How do teachers
respond in such conditions?
Annette and Bobbi responded by finding "trees" to take
into the classroom. Several were limbs from trees in

Bobbi's yard, and several were from the neighborhood,
reclaimed from the curbs where they had been set out for
garbage collection. There are now seven trees in the
classroom, seven-foot high branches stripped of their
leaves and cemented into green plastic pots. The trees
soften the interior space, adding a filigree of organic
forms in the upper spaces.
Annette said, "The children were very concerned about
the toppled trees, so creating a forest in the classroom
The children were very concerned
about the toppled trees, so creating
a forest in the classroom was the
right direction to take.
1 8 Young Children • May 2005
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was the right direction to take." Using toppled branches
as trees for the classroom acknowledged and made vis-
ible the children's concern. It also served as a small act of
purposeful construction in the face of the grief everyone
in the city felt over the loss of so many beloved old trees.
Changes to the classroom

The harsh elements of noise and lighting required
attention.
Improving light and sound levels
Annette's experiences in theater led her to believe that
lighting gels (color transparencies to filter spotlights)
might soften the quality of light in the classroom. She
spoke to a lighting expert (sound and light technicians for
rock concerts or local theaters are good sources of exper-
tise), and together they are experimenting with orange
and green filters over the fluorescent tubes to create a
more incandescent effect.
In researching solutions to the sound problem, the
teachers found that the high-tech solutions available
would cost the center $3,000. This was too costly. But in
the process, Annette and Bobbi gained insight into what
was needed and found technical experts willing to offer
advice.
Two walls of the
room are faced with
gray melamine below a
thin chair rail. The
melamine, while easy to
clean, contributes to
high noise levels. To
counteract this, the
walls above the rail are
now covered with a

four-foot-high horizon-
tal band of fabric-
covered panels in a
warm beige tone.
Smaller panels fill the
spaces between win-
dows, and window
valences are covered
with the same fabric.
The beige panels are
sound absorbers.
The two teachers constructed the panels, covering half-
inch fiberboard with eggshell foam and topping it with
fabric. The fabric was purchased at a local fabric store,
with the usual pleading for financial mercy by public
child care centers with no funding for capital expenses.
Volunteers installed the panels.
Two noteworthy points about the panels are the cost
and the efficiency. The total cost was $250, plus 18 hours
ENVIRONMENTS
volunteer labor. Most significantly, sound no longer rico-
chets off the walls, and voices can be heard with ease.
Display and documentation
Carol Anne commented to Annette and Bobbi that the
room used to be full of documentation (panels that in-

clude samples of children's thinking and feeling in many
media - for instance, photos of their activity, snippets of
conversation, and drawings) on the upper walls. The
walls now hold the bare acoustic panels. Bobbi said the
bare walls represent a conscious choice to restore order
and calmness. Annette said, "The empty space helps
make it tranquil." She said the walls would stay bare to
allow the eye a place to rest. Bobbi said their use might
change in response to the dynamic of the room. They
smiled at each other, comfortably tolerating the tension
of this difference in opinion.
The documentation in the room currently is displayed at
lower heights, sometimes on the back of a materials shelf,
sometimes in three-dimensional form on top of a shelf, or
in the entryway. The entryway includes a communication
center - a cut-down music stand that holds the senior
classroom program book. The program book documents
each day's activities with a page of description and a
page of digital photographs taken during the day. When
parents arrive, they look at it with their children.
The top shelf of the wide art shelves at child height
contains an interesting display of work by the children.
On mini-easels are paintings of cats. In front of these are
small plasticine figures of lions and cats the children have
constructed. Beside these is a photograph of Nova Scotia
folk artist Maud Lewis and one of her paintings of a cat.
The interest in cats arose when one child was looking
after kittens for the SPCA. The display clearly states that
things that are carefully made matter, and that grown-ups
as well as children make such things.
A map of the room (see p. 20) shows eight areas. The
entryway extends along the short wall of the room, with

Young Children • May 2005 1 9
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one wall covered with cubbies. From
here the children enter either the
library near the windows or the art
area. Further into the room, on the
window side, is a sand/water/table-
top area and opposite it, housekeep-
ing and dramatic play. In the far cor-
ner on the window side is an open,
carpeted area for blocks and meet-
ings. Across from it is a pathway to
the bathroom, with the large guinea
pig cage against the wall. While
Bobbi and Annette had plans for the
guinea pigs to be elsewhere in the
room, this is the spot Tuft and
Smoothie prefer - at eye level with
the children and with a wall at their
backs.
The art area
The art area, a rhomboid shape, is at the heart of the

classroom. It is the first area children enter after saying
goodbye to parents. The area is framed by two sets of
shelves, with two worktables inside. One of the tables is
small and low, with a teacher-made tree "growing"
through the middle. The tree table is the children's favor-
ite place to work. It evolved from a table that was about
to be discarded. Annette and Bobbi cut the table in half,
positioned it around the tree, and nailed it back together
to try out the idea of having a table under a tree: "We
wanted to see if the children appreciated the idea, if it
was worth it. It turned out to be the most popular table.
We hypothesize about why that is." Perhaps it is the
stools or the lowness to the ground; or perhaps the sense
of enclosure and quiet breathing space created by the
feeling of being under a tree.
The forest pergolas
The most compelling forms in the classroom are two
large pergola-like square constructions. At first glance
they look a bit like canopies one might find on rustic four-
poster beds. Four small branching tree trunks (about four
��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
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ENVIRONMENTS

inches in diameter) define the corners in each space. The
branching treetops are joined by a framework of large
twigs. One structure has an open top and frames the
housekeeping area. The other has a loose, organic lattice-
effect top of branched twigs. It frames the stage area.
Each space creates a sense of enclosure, with a clearly
defined inside and outside. Yet they are transparent and
easy for adults to monitor. Both pergolas offer possibili-
ties for multiple uses suggested both by children's inter-
ests and by the teachers' delight in furthering those inter-
ests through their own ideas.
Housekeeping. The housekeeping area includes a tiny
hutch with beautiful dishes, a table and chairs, a tiny
stove with a white enamel kettle, and an array of house-
hold utensils hung against a coding scheme on a peg-
board. A wicker baby carriage and a doll sit nearby, and
hooks on the posts hold occasional accessories such as
purses. The area is free of clutter even as the children
interact inside it.
The stage area. This area is an empty space left free
for claiming by children's imaginations. The stage area
has a bare floor. A portable stage or a small carpet can be
placed in the area. Children or teachers hang scarves,
masks, hats, and dress-up possibilities from nodules on
the pergola trunks. Wicker baskets offer props. They may
tie large fabric pieces between branches to act as walls or
backdrops. They can drape a gauzy soft green curtain
over the front of the pergola to create a stage facing the
carpeted area, so an audience can participate.
The two structures were made over a three-day week-
end in an astonishing burst of creativity. Inspired by the
pergola in Annette's design sketch, Annette and Bobbi
built them in a pioneer-like process. Driving a truck into

the Nova Scotia woods (with permission), they sought
trees of the right size that had been felled by the hurri-
cane. They hand-sawed them to transportable dimen-
sions, piled the trees on the truck and brought them to
the center. That was the first day of the weekend. On the
second day they built the two pergolas. On the third day
they maneuvered them into place. As they moved them,
the stage structure happened to be turned at an angle, in
a diamond shape, next to the housekeeping structure.
They thought it was more interesting at an angle, sculpt-
ing several spaces around it, and the shape has withstood
the test of the children's use and interest.
Ongoing design and assessment of
the environment
Which areas of the room are the teachers most pleased
with in terms of how they function, and which do not yet
function as they might wish? They are delighted by the
children's response to the stage area and to housekeep-
ing, and they are intrigued by the children's love of the
tree table. In general, the art area functions well. Once an
area works well, Bobbi and Annette tweak it to get it "to
do more." An example in the art area is the new system of
palettes and jars for choosing paint. The children enjoy it.
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The teachers like the library with its adult-size park
bench, rack of books, and fish tank for observation, but
they think it isn't "soft enough." Nor does the bench func-
tion as they expected: no one sits there. They notice and
think about this.
The tabletop/sand/water area awaits its transformation
by bringing the forest indoors, according to the design.
Annette's vision includes a sandy shore next to the win-
dow and a dry riverbed leading into the window side of
the block area.
The block area has accessible materials, a large build-
ing area on a carpet, and ample and carefully ordered
storage. It is safe and clean, and it looks like block areas
in other programs. Yet the teachers say it is the least
defined area at the moment. Annette feels it is not aes-
thetically pleasing.
Does it matter whether an activity area has more than a
utilitarian design? Annette argues, "If things are presented
in a beautiful way to the children, then they have more
respect for them. They interact with them in a different
way." The teachers plan to cut a 12-foot-square forest-
green carpet into a curving, organic shape. Plans are
emerging for the dry riverbed of small stones, the water
feature, the bridge, and the cave.
How do the teachers know when they have got the
design right? How can they tell when an area, and the
room as a whole, works superbly? This question pre-
sumes that teachers, who operate with tacit expertise
implicitly guiding their decisions, can make explicit to

outsiders all the multiple strands, ideas, and reasons
(both rational and intuitive) that make up the discerning
judgment that is the mark of any professional practice
(Polanyi 1966; Schon 1983; Wien 1995). Bobbi says she
knows if an area works well based first on how children
use it - "if there are no experiences of conflict that break
down" into disrespect for self, others, or materials. Sec-
ond, if the area allows children to create and to act pur-
posefully, with concentratiorl and enthusiasm, if it helps
their ideas flourish into expression, the teachers believe
the design works. These essential criteria are presently
fulfilled, in their judgment, in the housekeeping area, the
stage area, and the art area.
For these teachers, the block area has not yet been
designed ; that is, it has not yet been brought into connec-
tion with their forest vision for the room. It has not been
made into a bigger gift from the teachers to the chil-
dren - acknowledging to the children their care for the
trees that were lost in the hurricane.
Reflections: Balancing a predictable
schedule and freedom to choose
Carol Anne sees an important tension in the design of
both space and time in the classroom. Uses of time and
space, and possibilities for curriculum in this room, all
coalesce into a matrix of experiences that hold children
safe during their day - safe to investigate, collaborate,
generate ideas, make things and friends, and fall in love
with the world and its possibilities.
Time

Outside several fixed points in the schedule, the chil-
dren and teachers participate together in creating the
structure of their days. They make spontaneous deci-
sions, such as including in an outing to the library a visit
to a nearby store. The children know their ideas are taken
into account in the decision-making process. Paradoxi-
cally, the design of time is both highly stable and predict-
able for basic needs, and highly participatory and mal-
leable - even spontaneous - during activity times. It is an
example of the "both/and" thinking that successfully
replaces the "either/or" thinking of earlier developmen-
tally appropriate practice (Bredekamp & Coppie 1997).
If things are presented in a beautiful
way to the children, then they have
more respect for them. They interact
with them in a different way.
(cont'd on p. 24)
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Space
A similar tension operates for the design of space. In

some ways, the design is fixed and stable. Areas are de-
fined by their function. Materials are stored in specific
places and always returned there. The teachers control
the quantity of material so that while much is available,
there is no sense of clutter. In some areas, like housekeep-
ing, there is a one-to-one matching map of items and their
storage. Many items are stored in baskets, which are a
lightweight, natural material, yet easy to clean. Other
items are stored in glass jars on narrow, beautiful shelving:
the shelves look like they hold jewels, and they pique the
children's interest. Simultaneously, within areas, there is
tremendous room for and expectation of children's creative
exploration of their own ideas and much material with mul-
tiple possibilities for use. Every area is for making things,
and all areas suggest the use of imagination, whether play-
ing Mommy and Baby in housekeeping or fishing in the stage
Questions to Ask about
What range of activities do children need to experi-
ence in this space/time, and what is the range of
choices and possibilities available?
To reduce children's stress, how can teachers offer
the fewest transitions and the most uninterrupted
time?
Different areas of a classroom have different powers
of stimulation. How do children use each area?
Where do they go? What areas do not entice them?
Where do negative behaviors occur, and how does
the environment contribute to these responses in
the children? How can teachers change the environ-

ment to promote positive interaction?
What would make each area more beautiful and
inviting?
What energy do you feel in the environment? What
contributes to that energy?
How are local culture and the geographical location
of the center reflected in the environment?
In what ways do you see the children, families, and
teachers present in the environment?
What do you see if you change your perspective,
viewing the room from floor level, child height, from
a ladder? What's apparent that you don't see from
adult height?
What connections to the environment do the children
make? How can they be enriched, along with
enriching relationships and attachment to place?
area, building a city in the block area, making lions and cats
in the art area, or reading in the library.
Goals
What is the ultimate goal in the center? Barb says hers
is to give teachers the power to do everything necessary
to create strong relationships among children, families,
the community, and the center. In this center, teachers
have a high degree of freedom to decide what to do in
their classrooms. Barb gives the teachers the same free-

dom that she wants teachers to give to children and fami-
lies. One result is staff stability - many have stayed over
10 years. Bobbi's goal is "to create a place where children
learn they have good ideas - and they can make those
ideas real." Carol Anne sees this as the cultivation of the
imagination. It includes all the chilďs capacities for think-
ing, feeling, and valuing.
The teachers' design of space and time provides mul-
tiple languages, to borrow a term from the educators of
Reggio Emilia (Edwards, Gandini & Forman 1998), with
which these thoughts, feelings, and values might find
representation and expression. This cultivation is held
within the larger vision of bringing the forest into the
children's lives in the center. It illuminates how teachers
model "the having of wonderful ideas" (Duckworth 1996)
and create structures that reflect those ideas. Cultivation
of the imagination is spurred by the actively engaged
imaginations of two teachers who find in each other a
complementary collaboration that takes design of envi-
ronments to new heights of originality and connection to
children's love of place.
References
Bredekamp, S., & C. Coppie, eds. 1997. Deuelopmentally
appropri-
ate practice in early childhood education. Rev ed. Washington,
DC: NAEYC.
Cadwell, L.B. 2003. Bringing learning to life: The Reggio
approach
to early childhood education. New York: Teachers College

Press.
Duckworth, E. 1996. " The having of wonderful ideas" and
other
essays on teaching and learning. 2nd ed. New York: Teachers
College Press.
Edwards, C., L. Gandini, & G. Forman, eds. 1998. The hundred
lan-
guages of children: The Reggio Emilia approach to early
childhood
education - Advanced reflections . Rev. ed. Greenwich, CT:
Ablex.
Kritchvesky, S., & E. Prescott. 1969. Planning environments
for
young children: Physical space. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Polanyi, M. 1966. The tacit dimension. Chicago: University of
Chi-
cago Press.
Schon, D. 1983. The reflective practitioner: How professionals
think
in action. New York: Basic.
Wien, C.A. 1995 . Developmental appropriate practice in " real
life": Stories of teacher practical knowledge. New York:
Teachers
College Press.
Willis, S. 2000. The impact of noise in the child care
classroom.
Connections 4 (l):l-2.

Education of Young Children.
See Permissions and Reprints online at
www.journal.naeyc.org/about/permissions.asp.
��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
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Contentsp. 16p. 17p. 18p. 19p. 20p. 21p. 22p. 24Issue Table of
ContentsYC Young Children, Vol. 60, No. 3 (May 2005) pp. 1-
112Front MatterA Note to the Membership from NAEYC's
Governing Board, Executive Committee [pp. 8-8]READERS
WRITE: Separation [pp. 10, 109]Environments That Support
Exploring, Learning, and Living[Introduction] [pp. 12-
14]Designing the Environment to Build Connection to Place
[pp. 16-22, 24]It Doesn't Just Happen! Essential Contributions
from Playgrounds [pp. 26-30, 32-33]Rethinking Early
Childhood Environments to Enhance Learning [pp. 34-
38]Dancing with Trees: Infants and Toddlers in the Garden [pp.
40-46]Environments That Inspire [pp. 48-55]Resources on
Environments That Support Exploring, Learning, and Living
[pp. 56, 58]NAEYC ACCREDITATIONEarning NAEYC
Accreditation: What Should Programs Expect? [pp. 59-
61]NAEYC 2005 Annual Conference &Expo [pp. 62-
65]PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTNAEYC Explores
Parental Perspectives on Early Childhood Education [pp. 66-
68]NAEYC'S 14th National Institute for Early Childhood
Professional Development [pp. 69-69]NAEYC BUSINESS [pp.
70-71]A Lesson From Red Lake [pp. 71-71]OBSERVATIONS
AND REFLECTIONS [pp. 72-72]In MemoriamGreta G. Fein
[pp. 74-74]Understanding Asian Indian Families: Facilitating
Meaningful Home-School Relations [pp. 75-78]Advocates in
ActionBuilding Your Advocacy Capacity [pp. 79-

79]VIEWPOINTTaking a Stand: Strategies for Activism [pp.
80-85]When Teachers Are Learning, Children Are Too:
Teaching Teachers about Assessment [pp. 86-92]Collaboration
as a Foundation for the Project Approach in Family Child Care
[pp. 93-99]þÿ�þ�ÿ��K��y��l��e��
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��1��0��0��-��1��0��4��]Using
Picture Books to Help Children Cope with a Family Member's
Alzheimer's Disease [pp. 105-109]The Reading Chair [pp. 110-
111]New books [pp. 112-112]Back Matter
Consider the Walls
Author(s): Patricia Tarr
2004), pp. 88-92
Children (NAEYC)

��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
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A
Jm s a university professor in a teacher preparation
program, I regularly visit kindergarten and primary
classrooms to observe student teachers. One spring
day, as I observed a student teach a science lesson to
a group of 25 first-graders, my gaze wandered around
the room.
From a small chair in a corner, I counted 19 different,

decorated, scalloped borders segmenting portions of
the bulletin boards lining the walls. The boards were
filled with words: a word wall, class rules, calendar,
alphabets, numbers, shapes, and colors, and a plethora
of cartoon people and animals, each with a message
and at least 50 of them with horseshoe-shaped smiles
rather like a capital U. Blue-and-white snowflake bor-
ders hemmed in a group of winter paintings - white
paint on blue paper - adding to the visual busyness.
St. Patrick's Day mobiles created from brightly painted
rainbows and black-line masters hung from the ceiling
just above the children's heads. Rainbows, leprechauns,
and pots of gold jiggled before my eyes. Almost mute
amid the visual din were children's drawings and
written work on the walls.
I wondered what it would be like to be a child in that
classroom day after day. Would I refer to the texts on
the walls? Would I daydream or tune out to escape the
cacophony of imagery? As an adult, I wondered about
the messages embedded in the extensive use of smiling
cartoon figures and stereotyped designs. 1 wondered
Patricia Tarr, PhD, is associate professor in the Faculty of
Education at the University of Calgary, Canada. As an art and
early childhood educator she has been interested in the Reggio
Emilia approach since the early 1990s.
Photos courtesy of the author except as noted.
how long the images had been on the walls. At what
point would the texts and images fade from conscious-
ness? 1 pondered the impact of this visual environment
on children who have difficulty concentrating and
staying focused on their work.

This classroom is not unique. Commercially produced
borders, posters, and informational materials have
become part of an accepted visual culture of North
American early childhood classrooms. It is assumed
that scalloped borders (which even line some of the
bulletin boards in the faculty of education where I
teach), commercial alphabets, and posters for shapes,
numbers, and colors are essential components of a
kindergarten or primary classroom.
Teachers who take a different approach may even feel
pressure from other teachers or parents to decorate so
that their room looks like a classroom should look. One
teacher who begins her year with very little on the
walls told me that her principal had tactfully inquired
about her classroom walls. She assured the principal
that the walls were deliberately bare, awaiting the rich
work the children would soon be creating.
As 1 began to think in more depth about classroom
walls and to explore some of the literature on environ-
ments, I found little that directly relates to wall space
other than how-to-books on creating attractive bulletin
boards. The Accreditation Criteria and Procedures of the
states, "The environment should be attractive, colorful,
and have children's work and other pictures displayed
at children's eye level" (NAEYC 1998, 49). While these
standards are designed for preschool and kindergarten
rooms, not primary classrooms, in my experience, kin-
dergarten programs typically contain the same commer-

��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
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ciai materials as this primary classroom. The Early
Childhood Environment Rating Scale gives positive rat-
ings to classrooms in which "most of the display is work
done by the children" and is relevant to their current
experiences (Harms, Clifford, & Cryer 1998, 14). Highest
rated on the scale are displays that feature work in
which children select the media or the subject and cre-
ate a personal response rather than a formula response.
At face value, the classroom in my example was
colorful and did have current children's work displayed
at a child's eye level. The room might have been rated
satisfactorily according to these standards. What seems
to be missing from these criteria are guidelines that
help teachers consider the purpose of displays, evalu-
ate commercial materials, or think about classroom
aesthetics.
The Reggio Emilia approach stresses the "environ-
ment as the third teacher" (Gandini 1998, 177). Reggio-
inspired teachers are beginning to look more critically
at their classrooms and reconsider all aspects of
teaching environments, including the purposes of
display and classroom aesthetics. For example, follow-
ing her visit to Reggio Emilia, Hertzog wrote, "I can
strive for more aesthetically pleasing environments in
our classrooms. 1 can ask teachers to examine their

classrooms for clutter" (2001, 7).
This article critically examines classroom walls from
four perspectives: reading the environment, walls that
silence, the purpose of display, and aesthetics. I offer
some suggestions for teachers to consider when
purchasing materials and in planning how to use
classroom walls to enhance the educational setting.
Reading the environment
Classroom environments are
public statements about the educa-
tional values of the institution and
the teacher. Arrangement of space -
including desks, tables, materials
available, and what is displayed on
the walls- conveys messages about
the relationship between teaching
and learning, the image of the child
held by the teacher, and the expec-
tations for behavior and learning
within that setting (Simco 1996; Gandini 1998; Rinaldi
1998). More specifically, there is the question of the
value of commercially produced materials on classroom
walls and whether educators understand the messages
they convey (Shapiro & Kirby 1998).
The message I read in the classroom described above
was that there was a great deal of information to be
consumed by children through a transmission model of
learning. It was clear that children were expected to

know specific kinds of information - numbers, colors,
shapes, and so on - that may or may not have had any
relationship to what this particular group of children
actually knew or was relevant to them at this time. The
displays read as a standardized - and unquestioned -
assortment of materials that ought to be in the room. I
also suspect that the majority of these first-graders had
learned much of this long before they had entered this
classroom; it is precisely the kind of lessons that many
two-, three-, and four-year-olds learn in their homes or
preschools.
The atmosphere created by so many cartoon figures
with smiling faces spoke to me about the intended
atmosphere for learning. I assumed that the intent was
to create a fun atmosphere - a cheery, colorful environ-
ment, where children's attention would be captured by
these smiling figures and their messages. However,
what I saw were cute and trivialized images of children
and childhood. The stereotyped images suggested a
dumbing down of the environment based on adults'
conceptions of what children like.
Where such imagery is part of the educational
environment, children learn to value and accept stereo-
typed images as part of classroom culture (Rosario &
Collazo 1981), even though the displays may not be part
of the explicit curriculum. These images serve to
perpetuate a distinctive cultural aesthetic of school -
think of designs of school buses, apples, little school-
houses, and so forth (Tarr 2001). Such images do not
honor children's potential to respond to the world's
rich and diverse heritage of art forms (Feeney &
Moravcik 1987; Tarr 2001).
Neither do didactic commercial products

necessarily reflect children's real interests;
they often do not invite engagement, won-
der, or imagination, making them that much
easier to be ignored at the conscious level.
The image of the learner embedded in these
materials is that of a consumer of informa-
tion who needs to be entertained, rather
than a child who is curious and capable of
creating and contributing to the culture
within this environment (Dahlberg, Moss, &
Pence 1999; Rinaldi 2001; Tarr 2003).
Walls that silence
In that first grade classroom, I was struck by how the
displays of children's work were lost amongst the many
visual images on the wall. The snowflake designs on the
borders surrounding the winter paintings made it
difficult to appreciate the quality of the individual chil-
dren's responses to painting a winter scene. Likewise,
Classroom environ-
ments are public
statements about
the educational
values of the institu-
tion and the teacher.

��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
00:54:36 UTC��
the scalloped borders and cartoon figures overpowered
the penciled texts; rather than honoring children's
words, they rendered them invisible.
Work that follows formulaic schémas, such as pre-
scriptive worksheets or the St. Patrick's Day mobiles
hanging from the ceiling, stifles the true capabilities of
young children and consequently silences imagination
and creativity. So too does the mass of commercial ste-
reotyped images silence
the actual lived experi-
ences of those individu-
als learning together.
An overload of commer-
cial materials leaves
little room for work
created by the chil-
dren - another kind of
silencing. Finally, chil-
dren are muffled when
what is displayed does
not accurately reflect

who they are in terms
of gender, culture, and
ethnicity but rather in
stereotyped ways.
Purpose of display
The challenge for
early childhood educa-
tors is to think beyond
decorating to consider
how walls can be used
effectively as part of an
educational environ-
ment. In Reggio Emilia
the walls display
documentation panels
of projects that children
are engaged in. These
become the basis of
ongoing research and
dialogue between the
children, teachers, and
families. Panels of
photos, artifacts, and
text make "learning
visible" to participants
and to outsiders
(Rinaldi 2001).
Documentation dif-

fers from display in that
it includes explanatory
text and children's own
words, helping the viewer understand children's think-
ing and their processes rather than just end products.
Documentation is ongoing and part of planning and
assessment. It encourages children to revisit an experi-
ence and to share a memory together. It can provide
opportunities for further exploration or new directions
(Gandini 1998).
Here are some questions teachers can ask themselves:
• What is the pur-
pose of the materi-
als I am putting on
display? Who is the
display for? The
children? Families?
Other visitors?
• What image of a
learner is conveyed
by the materials
displayed?
• Does the display
honor children's
work or has the
work become sim-
ply decorative by
being cut up into

shapes contrived
by an adult?
• How can the
walls reflect the
lives, families,
cultures, and
interests of the
learners within?
• Do the posters
invite participation
and active involve-
ment or passive
reception of infor-
mation (Shapiro &
Kirby 1998)?
• What is the atmo-
sphere of the class-
room? How do the
materials on dis-
play contribute to
this atmosphere?
• What are the
assumptions about
how children learn,
and how are these

reflected by the
classroom walls?
��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
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Kindergarten and primary teachers are under in-
creased pressure to support literacy development. Lit-
erature in this area suggests that teachers create class-
rooms that are rich in print, incorporating such things as
word walls (Houle & Krogness 2001),
signs, labels, bulletin boards, and
more. However, Neuman, Coppie, and
Bredekamp caution that "More does
not mean better. In a room cluttered
with labels, signs, and such - print for
print's sake - letters and words become
just so much wallpaper" (2000, 38).
If a word wall, alphabet, or other
material is intended as a reference, is it
located where children can actually use
it? Perhaps alphabet strips for desk use
are more helpful to children than
alphabets hung high above their heads
(Neuman, Coppie, & Bredekamp 2000).
If this applies to alphabets, could it also apply to other
didactic materials, such as number charts? Could the

wall space be used to better educational advantage?
Another question that should be asked: "Is the
information on posters and charts accurate?" Tracey
(1994) argues, for example, that children should use
mathematically correct terminology from the beginning,
replacing words such as diamond and oval with the
terms rhombus and ellipse (although oval and diamond
may be the common terms used on
posters marketed for young chil-
dren). Similarly, there are many
variations of tints and shades of
color - is a chart illustrating
primary and secondary colors too
simplistic a description?
Do children have any input into
the design of displays? British
educator Penny Hegarty (1996)
links children's involvement in
creating classroom displays with
curriculum goals in the area of
visual literacy and visual communi-
cation. Not only might children be
involved with selecting work that
goes on display, they also can be
part of the process of creating the
display.
Finally, are commercial materials
a wise investment? Teachers fre-
quently spend their own money on
materials to decorate their class-

rooms. Rethinking what is put on
the walls may help teachers make
thoughtful choices and save money.
Aesthetics
Feeney and Moravcik (1987), concerned about the
aesthetics of classrooms, suggest that one of the ways
that educators could enhance the
aesthetic education of young children is
through the design of the environment.
This idea has been taken up more
recently in literature from Reggio Emilia,
particularly in Children , Spaces , Rela-
tions: Metaproject for an Environment for
Young Children (Ceppi & Zini 1998), that
looks closely at educational environ-
ments that support children's learning
through conscious use of design
elements of light, color, texture, sound,
and smell. Curtis and Carter (2003)
spotlight North American classrooms
that have consciously used these
design elements to engage children's curiosity and
wonder. Their Designs for Living and Learning: Trans-
forming Early Childhood Environments is an excellent
reference for any teacher wishing to reconsider class-
room aesthetics.
While much of the early childhood literature suggests
that rooms for young children be colorful, color is too
often used for its own sake rather than deliberately

chosen to enhance a particular area or to create a sense
of unity throughout the room. Walls painted in neutral
Not only might
children be involved
with selecting work
that goes on display,
they also can be part
of the process of
creating the display.
��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
00:54:36 UTC��
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colors create a sense of calmness and allow other
features in the room to stand out. Observe how color is
used in homes, commercial buildings, public spaces,
and museums. Consider what
makes a particular place
attractive and interesting.
Notice how color is used to
create a supportive environ-
ment for objects and images
on display.
Children's work usually
shows to best advantage on
neutral walls or against
backgrounds that do not
compete with the work. Brightly colored borders or
picture frames often detract from children's work.
In the first grade classroom observed, there was no
empty space to allow the eyes to rest. The feeling was

of visual chaos and clutter. A balance was needed
between filled and empty spaces. The winter paintings
would have been much more visible and enjoyable had
they been displayed without the snowflake borders and
cartoon figures. Some empty space between each piece
would have allowed viewers to see each work as a
single entity as well as part of a larger group project. A
cleaner palette also would have freed space for some
text that described the winter project and included
children's voices about their experience.
Conclusion
I am not suggesting that
teachers should never
purchase commercial
materials. Many art repro-
ductions and visuals are of
educational value and
appropriate to hang in a
classroom. I am, however,
encouraging teachers to step
back and critically examine
the quality and quantity of
commercial materials on
their walls to determine whether they actually contrib-
ute to children's learning or whether they ultimately
silence children. We should respect children as active,
curious learners with ideas to communicate.

References
Ceppi, G., & M. Zini, eds. 1998. Children, spaces, relations:
Meta-
project for an environment for young children. Reggio Emilia,
Italy: Reggio Children.
Curtis, D., & M. Carter. 2003. Designs for living and learning:
Trans-
forming early childhood environments. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf.
Available from NAEYC.
Dahlberg, G., P. Moss, & A. Pence. 1999. Beyond quality in
early
childhood education and care: Postmodern perspectives.
Philadel-
phia: Falmer Press, Taylor & Francis.
Feeney, S., & E. Moravcik. 1987. A thing of beauty: Aesthetic
devel-
opment in young children. Young Children 42
(6): 7-15.
Gandini, L. 1998. Educational and caring spaces.
In The hundred languages of children. The
Reggio Emilia approach - Advanced reflections,
2nd ed., eds. C. Edwards, L. Gandini & G.
Forman, 161-78. Greenwich, CT: Ablex.
Harms, T., R. Clifford, & D. Cryer. 1998. Early
childhood environment rating scale. Rev. ed.
New York: Teachers College Press.
Hegarty, P. 1996. A child's eye-view: The devel-
opment of children's perceptual skills through
display. In Display in the classroom , eds. H.
Cooper, P. Hegarty, P. Hegarty, & N. Simco, 78-

93. London: David Fulton.
Hertzog, IN. 2UU1. Reflections and impressions from Reggio
Emilia:
"It's not about art!" Early Childhood Research and Practice 3
(1).
Online: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n 1/hertzog.html.
Houle, A., & A. Krogness. 2001. The wonders of word walls.
Young
Children 56 (5): 92-93.
NAEYC. 1998. Accreditation criteria and procedures of the
National As-
sociation for the Education of Young Children. Washington,
DC: Author.
Neuman, S., C. Coppie, & S. Bredekamp. 2000. Learning to
read and
write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young
children.
Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Rinaldi, C. 1998. The space of childhood. In Children, spaces,
relations: Metaproject for an environment for young children,
eds.
C. Ceppi & M. Zini, 114-20. Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio
Children.
Rinaldi, C. 2001. Documentation and assessment: What is the
relationship? In Making learning visible : Children as
individual
and group learners, eds. Project Zero & Reggio Children, 78-
89.
Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children.

Rosario, J., & E. Collazo. 1981. Aes-
thetic codes in context: An explo-
ration in two preschool class-
rooms. Journal of Aesthetic
Education 15 (1): 71-82.
Shapiro, B., & D. Kirby. 1998. An
approach to consider the semiotic
messages of school science learn-
ing culture. Journal of Science
Teacher Education 9 (3): 221-40.
Simco, N. 1996. Whose work is it
anyway? Display in a negotiated
classroom. In Display in the class-
room: Principles, practice and
learning theory , eds. H. Cooper, P.
Hegarty, P. Hegarty, & N. Simco,
78-93. London: David Fulton.
Tarr, P. 2001. Aesthetics codes in
early childhood classrooms: What
art educators can learn from Reggio Emilia. Art Education 54
(3):
33-39. Online: www.designshare.com/Research/Tarr/
Aesthetic_Codes_l .htm.
Tarr, P. 2003. Reflections on the image of the child:
Reproducer or
creator of culture. Art Education 56 (4): 6-11.
Tracey, D. 1994. Using mathematical language to enhance
math-
ematical conceptualization. Childhood Education 7 (4): 221-24.

Education
of Young Children. See Permissions and Reprints online at
www.naeyc.org/resources/journal.
color
create a supportive
environment
��72.2.1.34 on Fri, 28 Oct 2022
00:54:36 UTC��
Contentsp. 88p. 89p. 90p. 91p. 92Issue Table of ContentsYC
Young Children, Vol. 59, No. 3 (May 2004) pp. 1-96Front
MatterFROM OUR PRESIDENT: Leadership and Change [pp. 6-
6]READERS WRITE [pp. 8-8]E-LEARNING FOR
EDUCATORS[Introduction and Resources] [pp. 10-11,
44]Leave No Grown-up Behind: Coming to Terms with
Technology [pp. 13-20]Innovations in E-learning: New Promise
for Professional Development [pp. 22-25]Educating Early
Childhood Teachers about Computers [pp. 26-29]E-pals:
Connecting with Families through Technology [pp. 30-
32]Technology-Based Professional Development: A Meaningful
Alternative [pp. 34-40]World Class Learning [pp. 42-43]2004
Annual Conference &Expo November 10-13 [pp. 46-49]Using
African American Children's Literature to Support Literacy
Development [pp. 50-54]Will I Lose a Tooth? Will I Learn to
Read? Problem Posing with Multicultural Children's Literature
[pp. 56-62]PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTSchool
Readiness: More Than ABCs [pp. 64-66]NAEYC'S 13th
National Institute for Early Childhood Professsional

Development [pp. 67-67]NAEYC BUSINESS [pp. 68-
68]OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS [pp. 69-69]NAEYC
ACCREDITATIONMoving into the Next Phase: Developing
New Accreditation Assessment Tools and Addressing Questions
[pp. 70-72]VIEWPOINTAmerica's Other Divorce Crisis [pp. 74-
76]Brown v. Board of Education at 50: Reflections on Plessy,
Brown, and Our Professional Conscience [pp. 77-79]Teachers
on TeachingI Spy a Community of Learners [pp. 80-
81]Teaching Science to Kindergartners: How Can Teachers
Implement Science Standards? [pp. 82-87]Consider the Walls
[pp. 88-92]New books [pp. 93-93]Index of Advertisers [pp. 94-
94]FAMILY TIES: A Child's Stories [pp. 94-96]Back Matter
Week 8: Creating Environments
Introduction
Note: During this week, try the following exercise-
If you are not a practicing educator in an early childhood
setting, during this week try to step back and observe the
indoor environment with objective, fresh eyes. If you are not
currently practicing, think about an early learning space you are
familiar with. Focus your attention to the way the furniture -
table, chairs, cupboards - are set up, the kinds of materials that
are available and how is it presented, what is displayed on the
walls, what is the floor made of, are there floor and window
coverings?. Sit on one of the small chairs and try to view the
space from a child's point of view. How does this change your
impression of the environment?
Now - repeat this exercise in the outdoor space. What materials
are present? How are the spaced? Are they accessible for all? Is
there an element of nature present? Is there connectivity
between the indoor space and the outdoor space?
The early childhood environment is both the context for
learning and a participant in learning. It is a place for active,
creative, investigative search for knowledge, understanding, and
meaning. The environment is not static it acts back and

responds to children's actions. Children form significant
relationships with their environment, which includes people,
materials, visuals, symbols, furniture, colors, texture, windows,
light, and cultural tools such as language. Environments have
direct relationships with children's learning, as well as with
their cognitive, social, emotional, aesthetic, and physical
development.
In ECE theory and practice the environment is given
great significance. Throughout the history of ECE pioneer in
the field have given recognition to the role of the environment
in the education of young children. For instance, Froebel
invented educational toys and activities, Montessori designed
child-size furniture, and in Reggio Emilia teachers describe the
environment as a "third teacher." By this they mean that the
environment goes far beyond providing a safe and stimulating
setting for children's learning; the environment in Reggio
Emilia schools reflects the values and identity of the school and
its community.
Creating the environment
Most educational settings for young children in North America
have organized the physical space around basic principles and
ideas. For example, most preschool and kindergarten spaces are
arranged in a way that allows children to choose their activities
by placing materials and toys on low accessible shelves.
Another principle that supports choice is that the classroom is
often divided into different learning centres. The division is
done by arranging tables, chairs, carpets, and cupboards (or
shelving units) in a way that creates a natural boundary between
spaces. Typically, a large floor space is designated for large
group activities, such as the morning circle, story reading, and
other full class activities.The learning centres that are most
commonly found in an early childhood classroom are:
Art centre (includes: an easel, a long table, chairs, and
art materials - paints, water colors, clay, pencils, brushes, glue,
assorted paper, scissors),
Discovery or Science centre (includes: water and or

sand table, classroom pets, natural materials, magnifying
glasses, mirrors, scales, variety of measurement tools and
equipment),
Dramatic play area (includes: child-sized furniture,
dress-up clothes, dolls and accessories, cooking utensils, hats,
mirrors, music and dance props),
Blocks and manipulative area (includes: many size
blocks, models of peoples and animals, puzzles, stringing beads,
vehicles, board games),
Language centre (includes: books, dictionaries, writing
materials, flannel board, language games, tape recorder),
Outdoor space (includes: large building toys, balls, sand
and water toys, workbench, climbing equipment).
Contemporary thought in ECE has challenged early childhood
educators to go beyond the traditional thinking about learning
centres as described above. Rather than creating teacher-based
(often with adult's goal in mind) learning centres, educators are
challenged to think how centres in the classroom can become a
response to children's inquiry and curiosity. In an article that
you are asked to read this week, Pat Tarr challenges educators
to rethink the use of children's art display on the classroom
walls. Tarr asks educators to think beyond the idea of
'decorating' the walls to using the walls as a place to express
educational concepts and values.
In this module, through a series of videos (see below) and the
weekly assigned readings, we will consider the early learning
environment through the pedagogical principles of welcoming,
creating invitations for learning, collaboration, communication,
and beauty.
Visit the follwoing web resource
Think, feel, act: lessons from research about young
children | Ontario.caLinks to an external site. and watch the
short videos titled:
1.

Supporting curiosity and investigationLinks to an
external site.
2.
Taking risks, building competenceLinks to an external
site.
3.
Rethinking the spaceLinks to an external site.
4.
Rethinking timeLinks to an external site.
Welcoming Environments that creating a sense of belonging
How can educators create and maintain an environment that
sends a welcoming message to children and their families; one
that gives a sense of community and tells children "You belong
here." Does the environment express a sense care? Does it give
value to children's expressions and creations? Is the
environment inclusive? Do children have a personal space with
their photo and/or name on it? (i.e. a cubby, a special box, an
individual binder). Is children's work displayed on the walls
respectfully? Is there documentation of the life in the classroom
on the walls? (i.e. images and a narrative that describes the
process of the learning). How are families represented in the
classroom? (i.e. a panel with a family story from each child).
How does this environment reflect the unique group of children,
their families, and their community? What is the identity of this
particular class that is different from all other groups who used
the same space but gave it a different meaning?
Environments that support creativity and inquiry:
Invitations for learning
Does the environment send a message that creativity and inquiry
are welcomed and expected? Does the environment allow for
choice and accessibility to a variety of materials and learning
tools? (i.e. materials are displayed on low shelves, educators
add and renew materials periodically to invoke exploration and
inquiry). Do materials provoke curiosity, awaken imagination,
and trigger thinking? (i.e. a variety of open-ended materials that
invite different ways of responding such as constructing, taking

apart, moulding, sculpting). Are there tools available for
children to represent their knowledge and understanding? (i.e.
pens, pencils, paint, paper, markers, clay, scissors, glue,
notebooks). Is inquiry supported? Are there spaces for active
exploration and investigation of materials and ideas? Is there a
wide collection of information and fiction books? Are there
opportunities to ask questions and to pursue different ways of
answering them?
Environments that sustain
communication, participation, collaboration, and relationships
Do children have opportunities to discuss and communicate in
large and small groups? Do children participate in making
decisions about their space? How? Are interactions and
conversations encouraged? Is collaborative play fostered? Is the
teacher available for conversations with children and
parents? Are there quiet spaces where children can work
independently? What messages does the environment give about
the school?
Environments that embrace and inspire beauty
Maria Montessori believed that children's environments should
aspire to be aesthetically appealing. She designed beautiful
materials and furniture for her children's centre. Montessori and
others maintained that by creating these beautiful and amiable
environments for children we express that we value children and
childhood. Beautiful environments can be created in many ways.
For example, by letting nature in through natural light,
arrangement of flowers and plants, and availability of natural
materials (i.e. rocks, pine cones, shells, twigs, leaves, etc.). In
beautiful environments special attention is given to art materials
and to the display of children's art.
Readings
· Friedman, S. (2005). Environments that inspire.
YC Young Children, 60(3), 48-55. (Library Course
Reserves) Please find attached pdf
· Tarr, P. (2004). Consider the walls.

· Wien, C., Coates, A., Keating, B., & Bigelow, B. (2005).
Designing the environment to build connection to place.
Discussion Question
After watching the videos and reading the articles assigned for
this week think about what inspiration you can draw from the
stories and images provided. Was there a particular idea that
inspired you and that you would like to try out one day? What
elements might you need to consider when creating an
environment to support engagement and sense of belonging that
values all children, families, and educators? What messages
about the educational values of the setting do you wish your
environment to convey to the public?

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