| Preface | |
| Chapter 1 | The Power of the Environment and Its Impact on Children | |
| Today's Children | |
| The Goals of This Book | |
| Questions to Be Examined in This Book | |
| A Caring, Knowledgeable Teacher: A Critical Component | |
| An Environment That Matches Young Children | |
| Infants and Toddlers | |
| Preschoolers' Development | |
| Brain Development During the Early Years | |
| Auditory Environment | |
| Visual Environment | |
| Integrated Environment | |
| Emotional Environment | |
| Independent Learners | |
| Behaviors of Children | |
| A Place to Begin: Adding Beauty to the Place | |
| Chapter 2 | Contemporary Childcare Spaces | |
| An Overview of Current Childcare Spaces | |
| Another Way to Look at the Early Childhood Classroom | |
| The Children in the Environment | |
| Teachers and Staff in the Environment | |
| Parents | |
| Children, Parents, and Teachers | |
| A Place to Begin: Teachers and Staff Display | |
| Chapter 3 | The Teacher's New Role: Designer | |
| An Introduction to Design Principles | |
| Ground Rules for Well-Designed Spaces for Children | |
| How to Begin Classroom Transformations | |
| Goals | |
| Collect Information | |
| Furniture Notes | |
| Sensory Notes | |
| Discover Personal Preference | |
| A Design Reference Collection | |
| An Accessory Idea File | |
| Topics for the Design Reference Collection and the | |
| Accessory Idea File | |
| A Place to Begin: Take a Designer's Look | |
| Chapter 4 | Principles of Meaningful Environment | |
| Meaningful Childcare Environments | |
| Does It Matter? | |
| Materials for Children | |
| How to Recognize a Meaningful Environment | |
| A Child's Sense of Space | |
| Generating a Feeling of Home | |
| A Plan of Action | |
| Getting the Help of Parents | |
| Differences in Play | |
| Making Spaces Beautiful | |
| Appealing to the Human Senses | |
| Color | |
| Light | |
| Open and Transparent | |
| Impact of Arrangement | |
| Environmental Decoration | |
| A Place to Pause | |
| A Place to Rest | |
| A Place for Communicating | |
| A Place for Work and Play | |
| Personal Things and Personal Places | |
| A Case Study: The Reggio Emilia Approach | |
| What Makes the Reggio Emilia Approach Unique? | |
| A Place to Begin: The Art Studio | |
| Chapter 5 | Aspects of Quality Environments for Children | |
| Places and Spaces: The Materials Needed to Create Them | |
| Quality vs. Quantity of Space | |
| The Configuration and Evaluation of Space | |
| Materials and Furnishings | |
| Type and Quality | |
| Safety | |
| Cleanliness | |
| Maintenance | |
| Quality Standards | |
| Inspecting the Environment | |
| Aesthetics | |
| A Place to Begin: Softening With Pillows | |
| Chapter 6 | Assessing What You Have | |
| Environmental Design Experiences | |
| Examining Three Environments | |
| The First Environment | |
| The Second Environment | |
| Another Environment | |
| Travel Along a New Path--Personal, Environmental, and Team Inventories | |
| Personal Inventory | |
| Scanning the Environment | |
| The Environment Scan | |
| The Team Inventory | |
| Ways to Review Existing Spaces | |
| Learning to See | |
| A Photographic Scan | |
| Ways to Revisit Your Own Experiences | |
| Visit Other Settings Designed for Children | |
| Sketches of Materials and Environments | |
| Awareness of Place | |
| An Inventory of Environmental Tools | |
| Professional Tools for Environmental Study | |
| Informal Tools | |
| A Place to Begin: Museum or Art Gallery | |
| Chapter 7 | Making a Plan That Works for You | |
| Designing Your Classroom Space | |
| What Happens in This Place? | |
| A Professional Look at the Classroom | |
| A Drawing of the Classroom | |
| Measuring the Room | |
| The Classroom on Graph Paper | |
| Drawing | |
| Furniture and Movable Units | |
| Taking Photographs of the Classroom | |
| Evaluate the Current Environment | |
| Placement of Activity Zones | |
| Learning Centers | |
| Bubble Drawings for the Activity Zones | |
| Zone Placement | |
| Traffic Pattern | |
| How to Track Movement | |
| Developing a Master Plan: Goals for the Environment | |
| Priorities | |
| Possible Helpers | |
| A Place to Begin: Beautiful Fabrics | |
| Chapter 8 | The Designer's Toolbox | |
| How a Classroom Comes to Life | |
| First Things First: Clutter Control | |
| The Vision of Your Classroom | |
| Where to Find Classroom Materials and Furnishings | |
| In the Classroom | |
| At Home | |
| Other Sources and Resources | |
| Innovative Ideas | |
| Storage: A Constant Concern | |
| Impact on the Program | |
| Space and Activity Center Differences | |
| Principles of Good Storage | |
| Design File: Storage | |
| Sufficient and Appropriate Storage | |
| Safety | |
| Types of Storage | |
| Shelving Materials and Support | |
| Attaching Shelves to Walls | |
| Getting the Job Done | |
| Posted Reminders | |
| The Designer's Toolbox | |
| Basic Tools | |
| An Organizer Box | |
| Additional Tools for the Collector | |
| Purchasing Lumber | |
| Lumber Sizes | |
| Other Lumber Sources | |
| Sanding | |
| Gluing | |
| Finding Help | |
| Building Together | |
| Seek Expert Help, But... | |
| A Place to Begin: Simple Items to Construct | |
| Piano Hinge Table | |
| Art Carousel | |
| Chapter 9 | Enriching the Environment | |
| Visual Displays | |
| Tools Needed for Creating Displays | |
| Essential Tools | |
| Photographs of Work: Documentation | |
| Photographic Slides | |
| Function of Displays | |
| Two-Dimensional Children's Displays | |
| Three-Dimensional Displays | |
| Bookcases | |
| Hanging Displays | |
| Lighting | |
| Working and Sitting Places | |
| Carpet-Covered Risers | |
| Lofts | |
| Spool Tables | |
| Mattress | |
| Carpet and Rugs | |
| Platform | |
| Growing Plants in the Early Childhood Environment | |
| Good Plant Possibilities | |
| Plant Display | |
| An Easy-to-Make Plant Rack | |
| A Wonderful Indoor Window Box | |
| Good Bulb Possibilities | |
| Garden Plants That Come Inside | |
| Avoid These Plants | |
| A Place to Begin: Growing Plants | |
| Chapter 10 | Extending Your Understanding | |
| Classic Resources About Early Childhood Environments | |
| References | |
| Appendices | |
| Appendix A | Inventory Form | |
| Appendix B | Equipment Checklist | |
| Appendix C | Environment Scan | |
| Appendix D | Team Inventory | |
| Appendix E | Space--Materials/Equipment--Activities Profile | |
| Appendix F | Wall Fasteners, Support Systems, and Span Distances | |
| Appendix G | Storage Ideas | |
| Appendix H | Nails | |
| Appendix I | Anthropometric Chart for a Child-Scaled Environment | |
| Appendix J | Centers | |
| Index | |
