Sense of Place

When was the last time you got down on your hands and knees to see your classroom from a child's height? Research shows that effective early childhood classroom design begins from the ground up. Classroom design is a crucial component of an effective learning environment. This book brings a new approach to classroom design that begins and ends with the child's viewpoint. Each chapter details how the classroom environment influences children's learning, and the authors provide specific examples of how educators can use the children's perspective to make their classrooms a place of joy and possibility. Paperback. 256 pages.

An early childhood classroom should reinforce and enhance young children's sense of belonging and connection to their environment, each other, their families, and their community. This book invites educators and administrators to rethink the traditional classroom, with inspirational examples showing how to weave elements that reflect each center's community into the classroom design. Colorful photos show what teachers can do to encourage a sense of community unique to each classroom. Easy-to-implement ideas and strategies are based on five guideposts that help educators create early childhood environments that vividly connect children, adults, and the surrounding community. These community environments include connections to past and present, geography, typography, flora, and fauna. Paperback. 264 pages.