The Environment
What can our environment affect?
- Our mood
- Our ability to form relationships
- Our ability to learn
- Our health
What is the teachers role?
The teacher is key!
Teachers provide opportunities to play and learn
Explain what solitary play looks like
Solitary play is when a child plays alone. They are focused on their own activity without interactions from other people.
What is secure attachment for a child?
When the world is a predictable with a warm and responsive caregiver. The child is secure to grow and explore.
Why is the environment important in the early years?
- Children's brains develop quickly
- Children spend a lot of time in childcare
How can a teacher engage in a positive interaction with a child? (there are many ways!)
Role model (children imitate!)
Ask open-ended questions
Support peer interactions
Assist them in observing and exploring
Acknowledge their learning
Parallel play is when children play along side each other, using similar toys and doing similar activities, however, they do not interact with each other.
What is insecure attachment?
This happens when the child’s needs are not met, and the child’s care is not consistent. Unfortunately, learning will not occur if the child is feeling insecure.
What does a well designed environment have?
How can a teacher extend a child's learning?
Introduce new materials
Provide challenges
Encourage children to share what they made
Help children talk reflect on something that happened earlier
Change centers in the classroom as needed - this can be based on interests, seasonal, etc.
Explain what cooperative play is
Cooperative play is when children work together with shared goals, they assign roles, communicate and solve problems together.
When designing an environment, what should you think about?
- Designing a floor plan
- Keep safety in mind
- Think about what the desired learning outcome is
- Creating great learning areas when excellent materials
- Provide predictability during transitions and while following a schedule
- In your voice
- Sense of calm within the classroom
- The lighting in the room
- Personality and actions of the teacher with children, coworkers and parents
- Beautiful and cozy room
- Follow the child's lead when possible
- Physical warmth (is the child cold? are they dress appropriately for the temperature?)
It is often stressed that open-ended materials should be used in the classroom. What is an open-ended material? Provide an example
Open - ended play materials are items without fixed rules or single uses. These materials encourage creativity, problem solving and imagination.
Examples: Loose parts (buttons, pom-poms, pebbles), art supplies (paint, paper, clay), recycled items, magnetic tiles, blocks, etc.
How can you create a warm and welcoming environment?
- Smiling
- Bright colours
- Child related decor
- Cozy corner/calm down space
- Music
- Patient and calm caregivers
- Sense of belonging, inclusion and security
Other than creating a welcoming environment, what else should teacher do?
- Create a sense of belonging (form attachment with child, foster peer interactions, be warm towards all the children)
- Encourage Independence (direct children to materials and the environment, assure the children have opportunities to do well and succeed, provide recognition and encouragement, allow opportunities for independence, allow children to make choices and be involved in rule setting)
Think of 2 open-ended questions
- What do you want to explore first?
- What do you like about this?
- What are some ways that cats and dogs are alike?
- What magic power do you wish you had?