Decision Making

Places to Change

The environment can be used to inspire children by incorporating light, "open spaces that are free of clutter." There needs to be natural materials that encourage children to further their exploration and opportunities for open-ended learning. "The space encourages collaboration, communication and exploration. The space respects children as capable by providing them with authentic materials & tools. 

The room needs to be de-cluttered. There are many materials and toys on the shelves in the classroom that are not used by the children. The children can help decide what materials they would like to keep in the classroom. The pictures in the classroom on the wall should be removed, due to the lack of encouragement which does not further their exploration and curiosity. 

The children's artwork on the board is selected by the teacher which appear to be completed and visually appealing. Instead, the teacher can make the children's learning visible through pedagogical documentation which includes all children's work. This emphasizes the process, rather than the product. 

Although the furniture is wooden it should be a neutral colour, as well as the carpet.The reason being is that the bright colours are over-stimulating and overwhelming. Incorporating neutral colours in the environment creates a Reggio Emilia Inspired Approach. 

Places to Add
Children require opportunities for self reflection, therefore there should be available spaces in the room that promote individuality and independence. A small area in the classroom should be dedicated for alone time, which could include an area for a tent/blanket fort. 

In order to make children's learning visible, it would be beneficial to incorporate a light table in their daily experiences. The light table can enhance their development by allowing cause and effect, balance, shapes, sizes and shadows.

Places to Keep
We are going to keep the play and learning areas; however we will add and/or eliminate materials and toys to encourage children's interests and curiosity.

Places to Expand
Due to the fact that children's cots are placed on the carpet where children typically play, we would designate a separate room for nap time. We would do this to avoid children becoming distracted by the toys surrounding them while they sleep. In addition, another reason why a separate nap room would be beneficial is to avoid unnecessary rearrangement which could be time consuming.