Chapter 5:

Chapter ?:
Designing the
Subtitle
Learning Environment
Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment
Guiding Principle: The Environment
The Kindergarten environment allows complex, rich play to thrive. It is
a warm and inviting place where children and adults inquire, learn, and
co‑construct together.
Children’s natural curiosity and inquisitiveness are nurtured in learning
environments that encourage active, explorative play and sustained peer
interactions. The Kindergarten environment—including its physical, social, and
organizational qualities, both indoors and outdoors—plays an integral role in
children’s learning.
Teachers create a multi-sensory, enabling “In order to act as an
environment that supports emergent literacy educator for the child,
and numeracy. They recognize children’s
the environment has
different learning styles and many ways of
knowing. Children benefit from repeated to be flexible: it must
opportunities to represent their ideas through undergo frequent
playing with blocks, engaging in dramatic play, modification by the
documenting, writing, painting, and drawing. children and the
Children make choices and engage in play
teachers in order to
in a rich learning environment designed to
extend and build upon their interests and the remain up-to-date and
Kindergarten curricular goals. The environment responsive to their
reflects the diversity of the children, their needs to be protagonists
families, and their communities. Teachers value in constructing
outdoor play, recognizing its potential for the
their knowledge”
highest level of development and learning in
young children. (Gandini 177).

Guiding Principle: The Schedule

Kindergarten scheduling is responsive to children’s changing needs,
allowing a developmentally appropriate curriculum to emerge over time.
The daily Kindergarten schedule includes at least one hour of child-directed,
adult-supported playtime to allow for deep and engaging play experiences.
Outdoor play is a regular part of the child’s schedule.
Typical routines of the day are used as learning experiences, and teachers
maximize teachable moments as they occur. Teachers adjust the flexible schedule
to meet the needs of individual children or to allow productive play to continue
a little longer. They deliberately reduce transitions in length and frequency.
Teachers take a long-range view of the schedule, knowing that inquiry-based
learning and a project-based approach cannot be rushed or compartmentalized.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 135

 Four Dimensions of the Learning Environment
The learning environment in your Kindergarten classroom reflects your values and
your image of the children you teach and of learning itself. The Kindergarten learning
environment should be open, inviting, and interesting because it affects both the
atmosphere and expectations for learning. When designing the Kindergarten learning
environment, “we need to think about creating classroom environments that give
children the opportunity for wonder, mystery and discovery; an environment that
speaks to young children’s inherent curiosity and innate yearning for exploration in a
classroom where children are passionate about learning and love school” (Heard and
McDonough 8).
Imagine the learning environment in your classroom as being composed of four
dimensions (Nash 6):
QQ Temporal (time): The way you manage your schedule and your available time
with children in your class.
QQ Space: The physical dimensions of your Kindergarten classroom.
QQ Things: The resources found within the environment, including toys,
furnishings, learning centres, props, books, and other materials.
QQ People: The peer group and adults who interact within the environment and the
larger school in which the Kindergarten classroom is located.
As you read about each of these dimensions of the learning environment in this
chapter, try to imagine how children in your classroom experience that dimension
personally and what changes, if any, you are inspired to make.

Time
Some Kindergartens operate the full day, every day, while many in rural Manitoba
operate the full day, on alternate days. However, the majority of Manitoba’s
Kindergartens operate on a half-day basis, five days a week. Half-day Kindergarten
must still allow children a relaxed atmosphere where projects unfold over a period of
days and where rich socio-dramatic play with many chances for communication and
collaboration can occur. Manitoba’s Kindergarten curriculum is designed for a half-
day Kindergarten schedule, so teachers can relax into the time frame within which
they work, without feeling the curriculum demands are the reason to over-structure
the day or to leave free play until all the “real work” is done.

Developing a Classroom Schedule

Try to organize your daily and weekly Kindergarten schedules to reserve extended
blocks of time for children to engage in sustained play, investigation, exploration,
and interaction (with adults and peers). As you observe children while they play,
you will notice that not everyone is doing the same thing at the same time; instead,
some children move quickly from one interest area to another, while others can easily
spend all day on a single exploration. Remember that the most important variable

136 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 in your Kindergarten learning program is not the length of the day, but the quality,
variety, and developmental appropriateness of the learning experiences that children
find there. Uninterrupted blocks of time encourage children to engage deeply in
playful learning. Try to develop a schedule with large blocks of time that are flexible,
involve minimal transitions, and can accommodate investigations and project-based
learning and promote children’s task orientation. Think about a balance between
teacher-directed and child-initiated times, while ensuring that the length of time in
teacher-led activities remains developmentally appropriate. Use extended blocks of
time to rotate through the room, interacting with individuals and small groups, and
help children move forward by scaffolding on their learning.
The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario (ETFO) recommends that within your
daily plans, you account for differentiated learning by planning experiences for the
large group, for small groups, for individuals, and for classroom centres. Whether you
have a half-day or full-day schedule, aim to include a time for the following (ETFO,
“Daily Planning”):
QQ physical activity (in your classroom, outdoors, in the gym, or in the multi-
purpose room)
QQ a circle or large-group meeting that facilitates time for sharing, stories, and
introductions to new materials in the classroom, or new learning experiences
QQ learning centres, including large blocks of time for self-initiated “child-choice”
activities
QQ nutrition and rest, as needed
QQ children “reading” books independently
QQ music and movement
For half-day and full-day schedules, see Appendix O: Sample Schedules.

The National Association for the Education In one rural Manitoba school division, some schools
of Young Children recommends that child- timetable 50-minute blocks. One school combines two
initiated learning times must be long enough 50-minute blocks so that teachers have 100-minute
to allow children to engage deeply in learning blocks to work with. In Kindergarten, this allows for
with their friends and the materials in the literacy time, uninterrupted play, integrated thematic
classroom. The time for child-directed playful
units, and so on. The “first 100 minutes” preserves an
learning should be at least 45 to 60 minutes
(Copple and Bredekamp, Developmentally
uninterrupted chunk of time, with no pullouts for gym,
Appropriate Practice 222). music, or library time, and reduces the need for too
many transitions. This type of child-centred approach
to the timetable helps Kindergarten teachers to meet the
recommended 45 to 60 minutes of child-initiated play for
children.
Consider balancing quiet and more active play for children, time for outdoor and
gross motor play, time for snacks and rest, and of course time for whole-group, small-
group, and individual time with you as their teacher. In addition, you may need
to factor in time for physical education/health education, library activities, music,
and school-wide events. A good rule of thumb is to use the first part of the day for
activities that require more focus, especially early in the school year when children
may be physically and mentally exhausted by the day’s end.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 137

 When you think about the organization of your Kindergarten, it is a good idea to
begin with the time dimension of your environment. A young child’s concept of time
differs from that of an adult’s, and some children in your classroom may have more
“time knowledge” than others, depending on maturation and experience. Children’s
prior experience in preschool programs may have provided them with opportunities
to develop a sense of time as they experienced a schedule somewhat like that of
Kindergarten—with arrival and departure framing playtime, rest time, circle time,
art time, outdoor time, snack time, and so on. Experienced children may respond to
the Kindergarten schedule comfortably. Others will learn about this feature of school
life through their time with you in Kindergarten. A special event (such as a birthday
party or a field trip) and familiar repeating patterns (such as library time once a week
or shared writing time each afternoon) provide children with the chance to hold onto
something temporal, which helps develop their concept of time.
While a schedule is a reality of Kindergarten and, indeed, of life itself, flexibility in
time scheduling is essential. Teachers should concentrate more on task development
than on task completion within a particular time frame. Overscheduling, overly strict
routines, and frequent transitions with concurrent cleanups can often sabotage rather
than encourage children’s constructive use of time.

Children flip over the card representing “today” during their circle time,
which helps them to visualize the passing of time.

Sensitive teachers work toward establishing a routine that offers children the comfort
of predictability during their time at school. For many children, consistency helps
them feel safe because they know what to expect next, and the routine becomes a
support for their growing self-regulation. The flexible schedule that includes large
blocks of uninterrupted time lets children relax enough to become completely
engaged in their learning and to develop task orientation. It also allows you enough
flexibility to respond to teachable moments as they present themselves. Encourage
children’s sustained interest, watch to see what absorbs them most, and demonstrate

138 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

respect for children’s choices. Value the learning they do while playing. Stress-free
routines and schedules help support children’s learning.
Visual schedules, which are often used for children with exceptional learning needs,
benefit all children by helping them to anticipate what happens next during the day
or to note something special, such as music time or library time. Remember that your
routines support risk taking, cooperation, and development of personal identity, and
help you to build a respectful community of learners who can articulate who they are
and what they can do. Moving away from a clock-driven teaching practice and toward
a values-based pedagogy is recommended.

The Language of Time

While many teachers incorporate a daily calendar time into their circle experience, it
is not always presented in a developmentally appropriate way and, in fact, may not
be necessary at all (Beneke, Ostrosky, and Katz). Simply reciting the days of the week
or the date of the month by rote does not link the calendar symbol to the concrete
experience of time passing in a way that benefits most children. Instead, look for
ways to link terms such as today, yesterday, and tomorrow to something observable and
concrete, such as the weather. As part of a science inquiry, for example, children can
track seasonal changes and weather variations from day to day, make predictions
about what type of weather they might expect for tomorrow, record their observations
using graphs (e.g., sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy), and deepen their understanding of
the passing of time.
Beneke and her colleagues suggest the use of picture
schedules, which help children to develop a better
understanding of the sequence of events. You can create
a linear representation of time, for example, by adding
a cube to a stack of interlocking cubes to represent each
additional day in school. You can introduce estimation
games, paired with children’s inquiries, to help them
understand the passage of time. For example, children
can guess how long it might take them to walk quickly
across the playground, and then carry out the activity
using a stopwatch to see how fast it actually takes. A
wonderful way to support children’s predictions and
estimations is to have an amaryllis bulb growing in
your classroom in winter. Children can measure new
An amarillys inquiry allows growth each day and add their measurement to a graph,
children to predict, estimate, marking the passage of time in a dynamic way. Your
measure, and record changes they project-based learning approach can help children
observe.
develop meaningful understanding about time passing
by. As discussed in Chapter 4, documentation displays
can be used to help children “capture” their learning
and to support time-related vocabulary.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 139

 Use teachable moments to introduce and practise the “language of time” as you carry
out Kindergarten learning activities. Use words such as soon, later, early, yesterday,
today, tomorrow, next week, morning, noon, and evening, and link your use of these
words to real experiences to help children make sense of these words. (You might
use calendar time to address Kindergarten learning outcomes from social studies
[KH-018: Distinguish between yesterday, today, and tomorrow], as well as from
science, English language arts, education for sustainable development, and other
subject areas.) Keep in mind that the exact time of day is far less important for most
children than it is for adults. Young children live in the moment much more than their
teachers do. For example, during block building, children may be intensely focused
upon a new discovery, showing remarkable concentration, self-regulation, motivation,
and creative thinking. Suddenly, due to the demands of the schedule, we interrupt
their flow, call out a cleanup warning, and push children to move to another activity.
Should we be surprised when some children are reluctant to put away their blocks
according to our timelines?

Rest Time
To support children’s development of
self-regulation, intentionally plan for
quiet times in the flow of the day and
quiet places that support this important
developmental goal. Planning for quiet
time to rest busy minds and bodies is
really important, especially in full-day
Kindergarten or early in the year for half-
day Kindergarten. A child-sized tent with soft pillows provides a quiet
place to withdraw and rest privately with a favourite
Rest time provides a choice for children storybook.
to close their eyes for a few minutes or to
read quietly to themselves. Try to think
about ways to create an atmosphere that
supports a restful time. Dimming the lights, playing soft classical music, and reading
aloud from a chapter book as children make pictures in their minds may be strategies
you are already using. As the school year unfolds and children mature, they may not
need an actual nap or rest time, so by observing the children in your class carefully,
you can adjust the nature of the rest period in a developmentally responsive way.
However, the mood for a rest time each day can be set at the beginning of the year
and will become part of a daily routine that children can anticipate and relax into.
Kindergarten children work hard physically, emotionally, and psychologically while
they are at school, and being part of a large group is often a new and somewhat
stressful experience. For some children, the need for a quiet space or a privacy spot
where they can withdraw from the hubbub for a short while is a real and legitimate
need. Think about where in your classroom children can find a spot for comfort and
privacy. You can easily create these cozy spots by using a child’s tent, painting an
appliance box and cutting out windows and a door, or simply placing a tablecloth
over a table so children can retreat underneath. Place soft cushions and stuffed

140 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

animals inside the quiet area, and instill a routine that offers the space for one or two
children to play quietly, look at books, reflect, relax, listen to music, or share stories.
Encourage children who are having a rough day to use the special quiet area to calm
down, think, relax, or problem solve. Encourage all children to respect their friends’
need for some privacy.

Circle Time
Language Development during
Many teachers like to start Circle Time
their day with an initial
circle time, “carpet time,” Circle time provides excellent opportunities for
or opening meeting, where EAL children to develop their English language
skills. For example, if your goal is to help a
adults and children can
child focus on verbs, consider using a gesture
plan their day together.
or a specific word that cues the EAL learner
This whole-group time to watch or listen to you carefully. Consistent
supports the development use of phrases such as “What did you see me
of your caring community do?” or “What did he or she do?” followed by
and gives children the your use of a sentence frame that says “I saw
opportunity to interact you_____,” would help to scaffold on that
with each other and with child’s language development during circle
you. You may use this time (Buhrow and Garcia).
time to set the stage for
exploration and discovery,
by presenting new information and introducing a new learning centre or other new
materials. As you plan for circle time, consider how you can include all curricular
areas, including arts education (dance, drama, music, and visual arts), language arts,
mathematics, science, and social studies. When you integrate learning across the
curricular areas, you help ensure your circle time is relevant to children’s daily lives.
As part of the circle time, you may encourage children to reflect on what they learned
yesterday or last week, and to decide how they plan to continue their learning today.
For example, you could share with children the digital photos you took earlier in the
week to support their reflections. This plan-do-review sequence is another important
part of the daily routine and builds children’s metacognitive skills. During this circle
time, you are modelling oral language and helping children to organize their own
thinking and learning. As the children take turns, they are further developing their
self-regulation and social skills.
Some teachers end the day with a closing circle or final meeting where they encourage
children to reflect on what they have done at school that day and what they might like
to do tomorrow. The children may bring samples of their work to the circle to help
them along. Teachers can probe a little further, asking children questions that extend
their learning and link back to the plans they made at the start of the day. Some
helpful questions are:
QQ What did you learn today?
QQ What will you do tomorrow?
QQ What went well?

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 141

 QQ What could you change for next time?
QQ What will you continue?
QQ What will you need?
These conversations help the teacher to adjust plans, think about what additional
materials or props might be added to the environment for tomorrow’s learning, and
what types of research are needed to prepare to support the children’s learning.
How long is a circle time experience? While this may vary somewhat, based on
the classroom and the makeup and prior experiences of the children you teach,
consider the language development of the children in your class when determining
the duration of circle times. Generally, for younger children (Junior Kindergarten),
a 5- to 10-minute circle time may be enough. Early in the school year, Kindergarten
students may enjoy a 10- to 15-minute circle time, while by the end of the year, most
will manage a 20-minute circle time. However, your circle should also meet the
needs of kinesthetic learners, so make sure it includes the chance for some movement
through exercise, yoga, dance, or games (such as Simon Says). Generally, it would
not be considered developmentally appropriate to have more than 20 children in a
large group all listening to a teacher and being drilled on the alphabet, numbers, the
calendar, and so on. Avoid situations that require all children to be doing the same
thing for too long. Use small-group learning experiences to teach important concepts,
and differentiate your instruction accordingly.

Snack Time
Young children in school have physical needs, such as the need to rest and to refuel
with healthy snacks partway through their morning and afternoon, and with healthy
lunches in full-day Kindergarten.
Teachers handle snack time in a number of ways. Some teachers have moved away
completely from the typical whole-group snack time to an independent choice snack
centre where children choose to eat their snack when they feel hungry. Some teachers
schedule snack time just before or after recess. Others use the recess itself for children
to have snack time under the supervision of an educational assistant, while the
teacher has a break. However, children also need some outdoor active time, so setting
aside one need to serve another may not be the best choice for all children. In some
classrooms, children bring their own daily snack from home. Other teachers make
healthy snacks with children as part of their cooking or food science experiences. One
Manitoba teacher has made an arrangement with a local group to have its members
bring in a daily snack for the two Kindergarten classes. Another teacher creates a
special shared time as children eat quietly while she reads to them from a chapter
book. What do you do?
When children and teachers “break bread” together, mealtime rituals in the class
are established. However, snack time is not just about eating. Snack time should be a
stress-free, pleasant, and culturally appropriate occasion, and provide an environment
for social learning, peer-to-peer conversations, and positive interaction to occur. Plan
at least 10 minutes for children’s snacks, keeping in mind that some children may
need more time.

142 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

Placing a plastic tablecloth on the table
provides a visual signal to the children that
now it is mealtime rather than puzzle or
playdough time. It is one simple way to help
create a special mealtime atmosphere.

For snack times or mealtimes, think about

invoking a family atmosphere where
people enjoy sharing highlights of their
day with one another. Providing children
with opportunities to have conversations
with each other and with you, trying
new foods, or enjoying the cultural foods A small group of friends eat their snack together at a
they bring from home are great ways for self-regulated snack centre.
children to expand their perspectives.
Children practise healthy living and self-help skills as they wash their hands before
eating, pour water or juice for each other, and clean up after themselves.
Be mindful of children’s allergies and potential allergy triggers. School-supplied
snacks should be nutritious food choices. Teachers can talk to children about what
makes a nutritious food choice and share information with families as needed. If
you sit with children during snack time, rotate your position during the week so that
different small groups have the chance to have you at their table.

Space
Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning recommends a physical space for
Kindergarten classrooms that is of sufficient size for the exploratory and kinesthetic
learning undertaken by young students. When new schools are built, Kindergarten
rooms are a standard 93 m2/1000 sq. ft., but when enrolment ranges from 10 to
15 students, the room size may be reduced to 70 m2/750 sq. ft. When enrolment
totals 9 or fewer students, the room size can be further reduced to 46 m2/500 sq. ft.
In a combined or multi-age class involving Kindergarten and other elementary
grades with enrolment of at least 15 students, the room size is 80 m2/860 sq. ft. If the
enrolment is fewer than 15, the classroom size is appropriately reduced. In Manitoba’s
current space standards, the Kindergarten classroom also receives up to 150 sq. ft. of
ancillary space for storage, typically adjacent to the classroom (Manitoba Education,
Citizenship and Youth, School Building Space Standards 12).
Your Kindergarten classroom should provide safe, pleasant, functional, and
stimulating surroundings so that children have many opportunities to play and
learn, both independently and with each other. Young children need ample space.
In general, most Early Years teachers feel the need for more floor space than can be
provided by a classroom built for regular classes. The integrated, child-centred, active
learning approach calls for space for a variety of learning centres, for large- and
small-group work, for quiet carpeted areas, and for tiled areas that allow for play with
water, sand, paint, and other messy materials.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 143

 Since young children are active learners,
they need and deserve freedom to move,
which means that your Kindergarten
students do not require assigned seating.
Children do benefit from a locker or
“cubby” for their own personal
possessions. Kindergarten equipment
and supplies also require adequate
storage space. Innovative school teams,
however, cooperate in meeting this
requirement in a variety of ways, and
resourceful and creative teachers find
many ways to make the best use of
classroom design and size.

Children play in a safe, pleasant, functional, and

stimulating classroom.

The Classroom
Art is often taught in the regular classroom, yet teachers do not always see the
classroom itself as an exercise in design. Your classroom should be welcoming and
interesting without overloading the visual circuits. Ensure that your classroom has
different areas for different types of learning experiences, and that table placement
is flexible to accommodate those experiences. The child, like the adult, is highly
influenced by the physical environment; therefore, evaluate the learning space with
the same consideration you give to your lesson plans so that it works with your
educational programming goals, and not against them.
We have a tendency to lay out our classroom furnishings on a grid with straight
lines and rows of tables, but it can be far more visually interesting and functional to
angle the carpet and set the tables askew. By using this setup, you also avoid creating
open “traffic lines” for children to run along. When you place furnishings around
the perimeter of the room, you actually close in the space, rather than opening it up.
Instead, think about creating pockets of learning for individuals and small groups
with the strategic placement of your library and learning centres. Think about the
placement of your own desk and storage area, and where you will keep your supplies.
If your space does not seem functional, try shifting it around until you find the
arrangement that works for you.

144 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 Natural materials such as
bamboo curtains, rattan or
seagrass baskets, and plants
all help to define learning
zones. Place bamboo sticks
(two metres high) into a floor
vase or a flower trough with
stones in its bottom to create
a simple visual divider that
can be easily moved. Dividers
can also serve as storage
units for baskets.

Plants help create a natural barrier between learning centres.

In this blended Junior Kindergarten/

Kindergarten classroom, the loft provides
a quiet space to look at books or work with
tablets. A swath of sheer fabric provides
children with a sense of privacy and coziness,
while still facilitating visual supervision.

A child practises the steps coming down from the loft.

The Kindergarten classroom can be organized with various traditional play centres,
such as sand and water, blocks, library, dramatic play, and visual arts centres. The
classroom will include changing interest centres or temporary centres that relate
to specific emergent learning goals. Discovery centres are deliberately designed to
extend scientific and mathematical inquiry. To reduce noise, and to keep traffic flow
manageable and mess under control, try to position noisier or messier play zones close
to one another (e.g., place the dramatic play centre near the block centre, or place the
creativity centre close to sensory tables). Place quieter zones (e.g., the manipulative
centre and library or book centre) away from noisy play areas. You can read more
about the various play centres in Chapter 6. To encourage small-group interactions,
incorporate room dividers to help create smaller nooks where a few children can play,
while still allowing for visual supervision.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 145

 The example of a Kindergarten layout in Figure 5.1 gives an inspiring visual
representation of how the various play centres, student cubbies, teacher work
area, and whole-group space can be set up in your classroom based on the
recommendations found within this Kindergarten support document.

Figure 5.1: A Kindergarten Classroom Layout to Inspire*

teacher storage and desk area low whiteboard art supply storage

Visual Arts Centre

student cubbies teacher storage in
Visual Arts Centre overhead cabinets
room divider water art
art supplies table supplies sink and
science storage
Sensory Centre cleanup
supplies
Science sand
Discovery manipulatives table
Centre supplies
student
washroom
Manipulative
Centre (low table) room divider
whiteboard
blocks storage
manipulatives
books
interactive storage
Blocks and Carpet Library and
whiteboard
Meeting Area Listening ottomans
Area
loose parts sofa
storage small group
work

storage loose parts storage storage

Math Discovery
Centre room
play dress-up supplies
fridge/ clothes
stove/ light
sink Dramatic Play Music and Movement table
Centre Centre supplies for math

low table

* Source: Copyright © 2014, the Government of Manitoba, represented by the Minister of Education and Advanced
Learning.

146 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

Children and Aesthetics
When we discuss children’s growth, we “According to Montessori, knowing
do not always consider their aesthetic or how to arrange an interesting, beautiful
spiritual development, although this is an environment for children is as much
important part of who they are. Children a part of teaching as knowing how
often respond intuitively to beautiful to select fine children’s books for the
items; however, keep in mind that beauty
library” (Mooney 27).
is truly in the eye of the beholder. Plants,
shells, crystals, prisms, and many found
items such as button collections can reach
into children’s hearts and spirits.
Reduce clutter in your classroom by
clearly labelling and storing materials
and resources that you and the children
need. Some teachers make the clutter
disappear with the use of curtain panels
attached to the tops of storage shelves
(with hook-and-loop fasteners, such as
Velcro) or hung on rods, so that they can
be easily removed or moved to the side.
Many classroom walls are covered with
commercially produced (and often quite
expensive) bulletin board displays,
banners, posters, nameplates, trimmers,
letters, calendars, charts, number lines,
and more. Try to reduce your use of Clutter disappears behind curtain panels; softness of
furnishings and wall colour with pops of bright colour
prefabricated commercial products and help create an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable
aim to achieve beautiful spaces that have space.
meaning to the children. Not only are the
commercial charts and posters expensive, but children also pay closer attention to
displays they have made themselves. Thoughtfully display children’s artwork, prints
of famous art, and beautiful artifacts from the cultures
represented in your classroom and in Manitoba.
Limit the amount of visual display so that children
have white space on which to rest their eyes. This can
be especially important if your group includes children
with sensory challenges, as too much clutter and visual
stimulation may hamper children’s ability to self-
regulate.
Think about your classroom lighting. Research shows
that good lighting contributes significantly to the
aesthetics and psychological character of the learning
space (Dunn et al.). Many children and adults are
A table lamp adds a homey negatively affected by fluorescent lights that shine on
touch and reduces the need for
fluorescent lighting. them all day, so an ideal classroom benefits from natural

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 147

 lighting, with a skylight or windows. Natural light is the most desirable light, for
children and adults. A model classroom has windows with low sills that frame
interesting views and that can be opened for fresh air. Adjustable blinds or curtains
can be used to control natural light for rest time and for relief in hot weather. Placing
small table lamps or pole lights in various areas of the classroom can help mediate
dark winter days without the need for overhead lights to be on all day. Think about
the best type of lighting for the areas of your classroom. For example, the writing
centre can be supported with focused task lighting, like a desk lamp at home. The
dramatic play area’s exuberance is better supported with bright clear lighting, similar
to what you might have in your own kitchen. Try to match the kinds of learning
experiences with the types of lighting you select in an intentional way.
Bring plants, fish, and animals into your
classroom, as these also help to soothe
children and provide an opportunity for
them to exercise responsibility as they
care for living things. Watching fish
gently swimming in water offers children
a feeling of tranquility. As plants flourish
and grow in the classroom, children
experience important first-hand learning
about nature. Be aware of any allergies
among the children in your classroom
that may have an impact on the inclusion
of living things.
Remember that outdoor playing Many classrooms have natural displays for children to
and learning, especially in natural touch and explore.
environments, develop the mind, body,
and spirit of the child.

Exploring transparency and light using a repurposed Exploring culture and identity. A rabbit adds to the classroom
overhead projector. learning environment and is set
free to visit during free play time.

148 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

Comfort and Relaxation
Regardless of whether children attend a half-day or a full-day Kindergarten, they
work hard at school and need furnishings for comfort and relaxation within the
classroom. Clearly defined cozy spaces offer the respite and comfort of softness where
children can lounge, think deep thoughts or daydream, play quietly, or read, as they
choose. In many classrooms, children sit on the carpet or on carpet squares during
circle time, but some classrooms also include soft furnishings such as loveseats or
child-sized sofas. These spaces are also available to children who want a quiet spot
where they will be not be interrupted by their friends’ more active play at certain
times of the day.
Think about other ways to add softness, warmth, and comfort to your classroom
environment. Items such as area rugs, beanbag chairs, big corduroy floor pillows,
blankets for creating hiding spots or tents, stuffed animals, cushions in the dramatic
play area, swaths of airy fabrics, soft dolls, and puppets all help to deinstitutionalize
the Kindergarten classroom. These items also reduce noise and echo, and help to
make the space feel a little more like home for young children. Other ways to soften
the physical space of your Kindergarten classroom might include intentionally
creating conversation areas, adding colourful prints in inexpensive frames, and
placing silk flowers in a vase. Invite parents to contribute family photographs of their
children with the people who love them for display in the classroom, or to share
cultural artifacts to add to the ambience of the classroom.

Pillows and a beanbag on a 100-square carpet help A beanbag is a favourite place for relaxing and playing.
soften the classroom space.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 149

 Room for You
Do you have a desk and a chair in your Kindergarten room? How often do you
actually sit down at your desk while the children are with you? Does it tend to be full
of clutter and stuff, leaving little space for you to sit and work at in any case? Think
about how a desk fits in your room, and what it contributes to your pedagogical
approach. Think about the valuable real estate a desk occupies, and what you might
place in that spot, instead. If you are short on space, you may find you can remove it
without much hardship.
Of course, you will still need space to
store your own personal possessions, but
many creative Kindergarten teachers are
finding alternatives to desks. One of these
is a shelf dedicated for “teacher stuff”
that is placed just above the height of
children’s heads to double up on space.
Consider other possibilities. Move your
computer close to your interactive
whiteboard. Place guided reading
materials near the table where you meet
A teacher shelf has replaced the need for a desk.
with small groups of children. Place a
wicker “work basket” in a visible spot
where children can easily drop off notes
or work for your review. Use a filing cabinet to keep important papers. (Do you really
need all those paper files, with so much information being stored electronically?)
Make sure you have several comfortable adult-sized chairs. You might include an
armchair or a rocking chair in your reading area, and a chair on wheels on which you
can scoot around while children are engaged in small-group explorations. There
should also be some high cupboards or a closet for your use, a place where you can
store materials that are used infrequently or that require direct supervision.

Things
The importance of play to children’s learning is emphasized throughout this support
document. But what kinds of quality materials best support children to play and learn
with purpose? What you choose to place in your classroom, or remove from it, is an
important indicator of your intentionality. If you survey your room with a critical eye,
do you notice pieces of furniture that are shabby and chipped? Where do children see
themselves, their families, and their community reflected in your classroom? Where
do they experience beauty? What supports children’s emerging literacy and numeracy
in authentic ways? What supports their independence and choice making? How do
the “things” in your environment reflect your view of children, and of teaching and
learning?

150 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 Early Childhood Furnishings
As early childhood activities are action-oriented and largely individualized,
furnishings must be safe, portable, light in weight, and child-sized. Floors, walls, and
ceilings should absorb sound. Where possible, Kindergarten classrooms should be
located on the ground floor, with windows at children’s eye level. A sink in the
classroom and easy access to washrooms with low toilets and wash basins are great
assets to the Kindergarten classroom.

Children wash Since you are designing your classroom to allow for
their hands children’s movement, it is not necessary to provide a
after messy
play or before table and a chair for each child; a dozen light stacking
meals. chairs and six or seven stacking tables should be ample.
Aim for fewer desks and items that have limited use,
and make room for open, flexible spaces and
furnishings. Some Kindergarten teachers choose to
forgo chairs completely to reduce clutter and noise from
moving chairs from one space to another. Others place
tennis balls onto each chair foot to reduce the sound of
chairs being dragged around and to protect the floors
from scuff marks.
(L) A rocking Some children benefit
chair is helpful from opportunities to sit
for highly
on special chairs, seating
active children.
discs, or “wiggle” cushions
(R) Children with kinesthetic properties.
kneel as they
work. You may find that these are
helpful for children who are
very active, or those who
have sensory processing,
physical, or focus challenges.

Easily accessible built-in storage space for

use by the children is a necessity. Each
child should have a clothes hook and a
shelf or locker space for shoes and other
personal items.
Because sensory play is a prime way
through which young children learn,
sand and water areas are essential
parts of an early childhood learning
environment. All Kindergarten classes
This art area includes accessible shelving for supplies,
hooks for smocks, bulletin boards to display children’s need a sandbox and a water table in
art and documentation, and a drying rack (in the the classroom or in an adjoining indoor
bottom right corner of the photo). space. A sandbox lid can also be used as a

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 151

 surface for drying paintings, or as a flat Sensory play can be facilitated with materials
surface for playing with puzzles or with other than sand and water. Think about using
small manipulatives. Since creating mud, rice or flaxseeds, snow, cornstarch,
artwork is a regular feature of fall leaves, Moon Sand, pumpkins and their
“innards,” playdough, or clay. Recipes for
Kindergarten, you may choose to have a
playdough and oobleck or cornstarch magic
drying rack close to your art easels or the
can be found in Appendix P: Simple Recipes for
visual arts table for drying children’s Children.
paintings.
(L) Children
are deeply
engaged in
water play.
(R) Girls are
gardening
using rich
black mud.

As an occasional alternative to sand, consider filling your sensory table with rich
black soil and gardening tools, add fresh green playdough in clay pots and some
plastic bugs, and you are set for a gardening exploration.
An ideal Kindergarten space might include a large climbing apparatus to encourage
gross motor play. Some classrooms also make good use of a loft to provide children
with experience in climbing stairs and the chance to play and learn in another area or
on another level. The climbing structure may have to be set up in the gymnasium or
in an adjoining hallway. If space does not allow for a permanent structure to facilitate
active gross motor play in the classroom, you can use your existing
Children’s riding toys are space in creative ways to offer children movement and physical activity.
parked indoors but are Set up an obstacle course, play Simon Says, march or dance to music, or
played with outside on a move like various animals. Active gross motor play should also occur
paved surface. outdoors as often as possible.

These riding toys are lined up and ready to use. A large dead tree makes an impressive natural play
structure.

152 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

The Outdoor Classroom
Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-
Deficit Disorder, elevates the importance of children’s connection to nature:
A growing body of research links our mental, physical, and spiritual health directly to our
association with nature—in positive ways. Several of these studies suggest that thoughtful
exposure to nature can even be a powerful form of therapy for attention-deficit disorders and
other maladies. As one scientist puts it, we can now assume that just as children need good
nutrition and adequate sleep, they may very well need contact with nature. (6)

As children experience the outdoors, they make discoveries about trees, flowers, the
wind, shadows, and so on. When they pump themselves on swings or run down a
hill, they explore laws of physics. As they inquire about what happens to the snow as
it melts, the puddle as it evaporates, or the wind that blows their kites or streamers,
they master many science, physical education, and other learning outcomes.
Remember that
The world does not need children who fill out worksheets silently and without questions. The
world does need children who: notice the world around them with wonder and awe; who are
curious and ask “why” and “how”; who are connected to the earth and so take responsibility for
it; who, when faced with a problem, have the confidence and security in themselves to think, “I
can do this”; who care about the solution enough to come at it again and again from different
perspectives, and delight in that process of trial and error and experimentation; who ask others
for help easily, and share discoveries excitedly. (Tawingo College)

Children in Kindergarten can develop their literacy and

numeracy competencies outdoors just as well as in your
Connections through
indoor classroom. A walk outdoors can include nursery
Nature rhymes and fingerplays, counting the numbers of trees
It may be easier for students you pass, and categorizing pebbles you pick up or leaves
to make connections that have fallen in autumn. You can share stories and
between the concepts they legends, or solve problems as you walk to the nearby
are learning and their own park or in the forest. All these outdoor experiences help
life experiences when they children to see that literacy and numeracy activities,
are able to experience the and learning itself, are not only indoor activities;
concepts in a natural setting.
playful learning about language and numbers happens
Indigenous knowledge is
based on the protracted,
everywhere.
intimate relationship Consider introducing young children to gardening:
between an Indigenous
“Involving children in gardening at an early age gives
community and its
traditional territories. them the opportunity to develop a sense of wonder
about the world and be amazed every day with each
new discovery” (Miller 64). Planting a garden with
children helps them to understand the growing cycle.
Children will also be eager to try foods made from
produce grown in their own garden (e.g., plant cherry tomatoes for an early crop
before the end of the school year). One Kindergarten class, for example, used the
harvest to explore mathematics, lining up cobs of corn from smallest to largest,
estimating the number of seeds in a huge sunflower, and creating patterns from

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 153

 orange and purple carrots. The class also made applesauce from the crabapples that
grew on a tree in the yard.
If you do not have easy access to an outdoor learning space, what would it take to
create an outdoor environment that offered all the learning opportunities one would
typically find indoors in a Kindergarten classroom? The chance to play outdoors is
often relegated to recess, but outdoor learning responds to many needs and can offer
superior learning opportunities (see Chapter 9). These may include deep learning
experiences through socio-dramatic play, discovery and inquiry in mathematics,
science, and nature, building and construction, sensory activities using water, sand,
mud, and snow, physical development, visual arts, and music. In addition, children
have opportunities to extend their critical thinking, discovery, problem solving, and
cooperative skills.
An ideal Kindergarten classroom will have its own access to the outdoors so that
teachers and children can easily move in and out, and toys and learning aids can
easily be moved from one space to another, to make good use of the outdoors for
learning. These materials can include paint easels, dramatic play props such as pots
and pans for a “mud kitchen,” magnifying glasses, clipboards and pencils, and
sidewalk chalk, as well as more traditional outdoor play materials such as balls and
hoops.
Plan to get Kindergarten children outdoors for active play at a time when the older
children are not outside so that they have the chance to master skills without the
pressure of older children around them.
(Top) This outdoor classroom
is accessed via a door from the
Kindergarten classroom.
(Bottom) Children enjoy sliding
down a low-grade hill.

Outdoor play should

happen in winter, too.

154 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 Experiencing Risk
Every day the people we know face different types of risks and challenges. How did
they all learn to assess those risks and to overcome the challenges along the way?
They began to develop these skills through play in childhood. Many educators agree
on the value of exposing children to graduated risk (as is developmentally appropriate).
Play helps children to develop their physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional
competencies, such as self-confidence, emotional resilience, and the ability to assess
risk and to take good care. Opportunities for children to play with loose parts
outdoors, to challenge themselves and each other, and to learn and flourish in the
outdoors are legitimate Kindergarten learning experiences. Many children do not
have sufficient opportunities to play freely in the outdoors, as parents may perceive it
to be too dangerous, and many children live in urbanized environments without
much access to nature.
Of course, risk and challenge are relative.
Your special role in supporting and
extending children’s encounters with risk
is to weigh carefully the benefit of risk,
and then to mediate graduated risk
through intentional planning (e.g., by
ensuring there are enough materials to
discourage fighting). The adult role is to
remove hazards children do not see, not
the risk within the play itself; to be
“hazard aware and not risk averse and to
employ a sense of perspective when
assessing play based situations” (Warden,
Girls challenge themselves A child uses a real tool to cut dead Nature Kindergartens 107–108). For
in climbing and balancing as branches for the shelter being
they search for frogs in some built in the woods (in upper right example, children can choose to climb a
marshlands. corner). tree, and decide for themselves how far
they climb. You may be coaching,
scaffolding, and encouraging children as they try to master new physical challenges:
“Offering children a risk-rich environment allows adults to help keep children safe by
letting them take more risks, whilst guiding them through a progression of
experiences” (Warden, Nature Kindergartens 108). You may wish to demonstrate the
correct use of a real tool, instead of giving children plastic versions, and then
supervise children using a small tool (e.g., a hacksaw) until you are sure they
understand the safe way to use it.

Reflection: Outdoor Play

As you reflect on outdoor learning opportunities for your Kindergarten class, consider questions
such as these:
QQ Does your school have an area for outdoor exploration?
QQ How do you use the outdoor environment to enhance your Kindergarten learning program?
QQ How do you encourage challenge and mediate risk?

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 155

 People
Many of the theorists discussed in Chapter 3 describe the importance of social
relationships to children’s learning. You may not have thought about the social
environment in the same way as the more physical aspects of the environment
discussed so far in this chapter; however, the emotional climate is very real to young
children who can be like little barometers responding to the feelings in the room.

Inclusion of Indigenous Cultures The Social Environment

To feel welcomed and engaged in school, First Because learning is a social construct,
Nations, Métis, and Inuit children must see the learning environment provides the
themselves and their cultures reflected in the context in which children make social
curriculum and in their school community. The connections and develop a sense of
physical environment and resources should be belonging. Children benefit from the
inclusive of Indigenous cultures. Programming
group experience when their environment
and pedagogy should include First Nations,
Métis, and Inuit perspectives and practices. reflects the individual children, their
Parents and community members, including families and cultures, their teachers, and
Elders, contribute to children’s success when their peer group, and when intentional
they are meaningfully involved in teaching teachers plan for ways to build social
and learning. relationships.

Purposeful social interactions are a vital part of children’s learning:

Children are active, competent learners who learn through interactions with people, objects,
symbols and ideas. Teachers do more than simply set up the learning environment, provide
time for play and assume that learning will occur. The quality of teacher interactions has a
significant influence on children’s levels of involvement in learning experiences and their
learning outcomes. Through interactions, teachers and children jointly construct learning as
they collaboratively investigate, explore and build on ideas and thinking. Through these
purposeful interactions, teachers also build connections between children’s prior, past and
future learning across the day and the Kindergarten Year. (State of Queensland 12)

Kindergarten children are placed in a large-group Starting circle or meeting

situation where they need to develop personal time with a welcome song
behaviour patterns in relation to both peers and adults. that mentions each child
Some children may need your help in recognizing that by name helps build social
other people hold different perspectives or points of inclusion.
view from theirs, and that others’ rights are equally
important. With your support, children learn that to
be happy and productive in a social setting, they need
to compromise, collaborate, and develop patience in
adapting comfortably to new patterns of socialization. Some children also need help
in learning the language of social manners, respect, and friendship-making skills.
Coaching children to ask, “Can I help?” is one way for them to enter peer play that is
already underway.

156 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 As discussed in Chapter 10, the home-school connection is especially important to
young children. A photo display of children with their families helps build continuity
between home and school. Displays such as these honour a child’s family, home life,
and the local community, and communicate powerful messages of belonging for
children and their families. Children enjoy learning something about their teacher’s
family, too.
The abilities to manage strong emotions and to relate positively to
peers are critical competencies for school success. Kindergarten
children may have mastered varying levels of self-regulation. You
can support children in their growing ability to self-regulate through
your warm and responsive interactions. As you coach and model self-
calming strategies, rule following, and task completion, you serve as a
co-regulator. You facilitate children’s growing ability “to understand,
express, and modulate their thoughts, feelings, and behavior” (Murray
et al. 3). You can encourage children’s “acceptable” behaviours by
providing a social setting that encourages authentic opportunities for
them to practise their social skills, build their competencies, and take
initiative. As children play and learn together, as they learn to manage
their small conflicts independently and to enjoy group activities, they
deepen their positive relationships with one another.
Depending on their prior experiences, children may need your
help to interact happily in groups, to defer satisfaction, and to find
pleasure in cooperation and in generosity toward others. Most five-
year-olds are moving past the egocentrism of younger developmental
The door to this Kindergarten stages and are beginning to recognize that they cannot always make
classroom has been personalized
with the names of the children and
decisions based totally on their own needs and desires. The desire to
their signatures. be part of the “we” and for the approval of their peers helps them get
past the egocentric “me.” Your role in creating a play-based learning
environment and an unhurried schedule gives children many chances to experience
and initiate cooperative, open-ended interactions with their classmates and you.
Kindergarten children respond well to teachers who are nurturing and responsive.
Ideally, mutual respect between children and adults develops in this social
environment. Children must feel safe in order to learn, and they develop a sense of
self-worth and self-esteem when their physical, psychological, and emotional needs
are acknowledged and supported. The adults working in a Kindergarten setting must
be perceptive, observant, and ready to guide. You can maximize children’s positive
behaviour and their interactions with peers and adults through your sensitive and
intentional attention to your classroom space; the types of learning experiences you
offer; the strategies you use to guide children’s behaviour; and the way you develop
and adjust your schedule. Teachable moments provide opportunities to explain, to
practise a new skill, or to reinforce a skill already being learned, and must be seized
as they occur.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 157

 Rules to Live By
A few simple rules can be formulated in group discussion periods
with children and should be enforced almost without exception. For
example, if the group agrees that a tricycle or a riding toy may be used
in a designated safe area, then the children should follow this rule
consistently.
Create a social climate that helps children feel welcomed and safe and
that communicates they are an important part of a group. Messages in
the classroom help promote children’s feeling of belonging and
indirectly guide their behaviour by clarifying and reminding them
about expectations. Simple actions such as placing two or three chairs
Children have generated and in front of the computer or posting a new provocation at a play centre
written their own rules for circle
time. (e.g., a tadpole observation centre) remind children about sharing,
taking turns, and collaborating.
Games and activities that require two or more children to play help
encourage peer relations. Taking turns can be further encouraged
through strategic placement of timers close to popular activity areas.
For example, children can negotiate a reasonable time frame for one
friend to have the favourite tricycle with the handlebar streamers
before it becomes the next friend’s turn. Some teachers have children
use a small whiteboard reservation system to sign up for or “reserve”
a turn with a popular learning activity.
Simple games with rules not only help Simple games with rules,
Kindergarten children develop social such as The Power of Ten,
skills by encouraging fair play, but also help build children’s social
help prepare children for the rules skills. What do children need
inherent in learning to read (e.g., children to know to be successful at
may later learn the rule that when “two this game?
vowels go walking, the first one does the
talking”) or the “place” rule in
mathematics.
When you provide children with the
chance to work together to complete
a task, you further enhance group
identification and cohesion. Shared
learning activities, such as making
soup together, creating a large mural
collaboratively, or writing a thank-you
letter from the class to the visitor from
the Humane Society, are developmentally Children are engaged in a simple
game with rules.
appropriate ways to develop the class
spirit. Other events that help build
Children collaboratively complete classroom community are daily read-alouds, class book projects,
a large mural over several days.
The mural is later displayed in
inquiry projects, morning meetings or interactive whiteboard learning
the foyer of their Kindergarten activities, classroom celebrations for “100 days,” and so on.
classroom.

158 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 Reflection: Games and Social Interaction
When you look around your classroom and the resources you have placed within
it, reflect on questions about the materials and their role with regard to social
interaction:
QQ How many children can play a given game or engage in an experience at
one time?
QQ Can more than one child play?
QQ What teaching is required for the children to learn the game or to use
the materials?
QQ What skills do children need to play the game or use the materials effectively?
Do the children have those skills?

Organizing the Classroom

The four dimensions of the learning environment discussed in this chapter (time,
space, things, and people) set the foundation for the learning that occurs in your
Kindergarten classroom. Organize your classroom before school begins in the fall,
and make changes throughout the school year and over the years with intention.
Make your classroom and your Kindergarten learning program your own, but
at the same time, honour and celebrate the choices children make within your
classroom space.

Choice Time
As you organize your Kindergarten classroom, think about how you provide children
with choices so that they can take charge of their own learning during the day.
Offering this kind of freedom does not create chaos; rather, you are intentionally
creating “a safe environment where children’s choices are possible and respected”
(Wien, The Power of Emergent Curriculum 49).
Try incorporating choice time in ways that best suit your groups of children, their
interests and needs, your available space, and your own personal pedagogical
approach. As you encourage children to make their own choices about which
materials to use and which play centres to visit, keep in mind that the way you
have set up their learning environment communicates your classroom values, such
as collaborating with friends, making personal choices, taking responsibility, and
supporting children to focus on what is most meaningful to them. During choice
time, you have a special opportunity to build relationships with individual children,
observe their progress and document their learning, create informal small groups,
and build on teachable moments.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 159

 Consider how your classroom space allows children to move easily
from one area or play centre to another, offering both physical and
academic freedom to choose among many rich learning experiences.
Are there spaces that allow for noisy as well as quiet work? Does the
classroom have areas for independent play as well as spaces for small-
and large-group learning activities? Is your room flexible enough to
allow you to change it as needed? And do you use universal design
principles to ensure accessibility of materials (availability and
visibility) to promote children’s self-direction and decision making?
Offer “rich childhood Kindergarten teachers often use play centres as a way to facilitate
experiences where children children’s choice making and playful learning while meeting specific
can build their passions and learning outcomes in the Kindergarten curriculum. During choice
attention over time, and use time, the children choose the centre they will go to and decide for
open-ended materials”
themselves on the length of time they will spend there. Choice
(Curtis 42).
time provides a time when children can initiate their own learning
and can discover, explore, and practise new and emerging skills.
Your environment can provide the kinds of hands-on learning
young learners require, but learning centres also foster children’s
collaboration, cooperation, and communication as they interact socially,
solve problems together, learn independently, and engage in open-
ended learning activities that are not meant to produce a final product.
True learning centres are not Some teachers assign children to centres and rotate them through all
assigned, but are chosen. experiences in an effort to streamline the process, to ensure all children
try all centres, or to focus on a child’s specific needs. Keep in mind,
however, that in the most effective learning environment, the centres
must have an element of choice. Remember that true learning centres
are not assigned, but give children an opportunity to choose where,
how, and when they want to participate. The provocation or invitation
you set out at a learning centre is what draws a child in, so intentional
planning for this is critical.
Active play centres are not meant to be workstations full of worksheets
for students to complete. Rather, children learn to take initiative
and responsibility as they move about the classroom. This type of
personal responsibility builds a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
Therefore, assigning children to particular learning centres reduces
opportunities for children’s initiative and responsibility—the main
outcome of providing a choice of learning centres.
While you allow children to choose learning centres, you should be
observant of which areas are well used and by whom, and which
children do not visit certain centres at all. Instead of coercing children
to visit a centre, reflect on what kinds of items you might add to the
classroom that would be of interest to these children, or whether
another centre or learning activity might support similar learning
goals. For example, one Kindergarten teacher noticed that boys did not
visit the writing centre, although many of the girls spent large

160 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

Carpentry pencils have a body with a blocks of time there. When she intentionally added
rectangular or elliptical cross-section, which clipboards with graph paper and carpentry pencils, a
makes them easier to grip and prevents them level, measuring tapes, and meter sticks to the block
from rolling away, and they make either thick area, she noticed the boys engaging in writing and
or thin lines depending on how they are held.
measuring activities there, which supported emerging
literacy and numeracy development while they built
with blocks.
When you plan which areas or zones will be available in your classroom, be
intentional about your selections and keep your big goals in mind. These will
probably include creating many opportunities for children to develop independence
and self-confidence as they make their own choices of where to go and what to do
there. Play centres should be open-ended enough to allow children to consider their
own inquiries and to make cross-subject connections in a seamless, integrated way.
Each play centre should offer children opportunities for learning in natural and
authentic ways and for furthering their social skills.
Some teachers use a few moments of their opening circle time each day to review the
choices that will be available to the children and to introduce any new provocations
that have been added to centres or new learning experiences that will be “open”
during choice time. Children may sign up for the choices they wish to try, or they may
enjoy reviewing the choices presented to them in picture format. A picture board
provides children with opportunities to make choices, as well as to build literacy. In
some classrooms, teachers indicate on a chart how many can play in more popular
centres. In other classrooms, children are allowed to negotiate the number of
participants, but may need your support to do so.

(L) Children place their names

under the photo of the centre
where they plan to play.
(R) Three choices and a timer.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 161

 Some children, especially those with exceptional learning needs or those who
have not attended an early learning program prior to Kindergarten, may be
easily overwhelmed by too much choice. To support their choice making in a
developmentally appropriate manner, reduce the number of options by offering only
three to begin with. Consider using a timer for children who wander without settling
into one play activity to encourage their task orientation.
As you develop learning experiences for the children in your classroom, think about
the following:
QQ concepts, competencies, and content that children are capable of learning
(curricular learning outcomes, children’s emerging competencies and their
respective zones of proximal development, and ways to scaffold their learning)
QQ materials needed for both the teacher and the children
QQ resources available through the community
QQ ways to arrange the materials in order to motivate the children
QQ strategies that support authentic assessment and documentation of children’s
learning (for more information, see Chapter 4)

Scaffolding Learning
When you introduce a new learning centre or when you change a centre significantly
with the addition of new materials, your role will likely be more active as you
welcome children to this new learning experience. You may need to introduce and
demonstrate the use of particular tools, such as hammers or tweezers. As you share
different ways to play in the centre, your role modelling will help guide children’s
learning and behaviour. You may remind children about similar activities they have
enjoyed in the past and help them to transfer prior learning to the new centre. You
will also be a co-player as you and the children co-construct learning together as
you scaffold (but do not over-direct) children’s playful learning. As children gain
familiarity with the play opportunities in the new centre, you will likely “fade out”
the level of assistance you offer to most children in a gradual release of responsibility.
This process may look something like this:

I do it . . . We do it . . . You do it.
The Kindergarten curriculum and your ongoing observations of the children in your
classroom to identify their interests, abilities, and needs will help you to determine
the materials or things you place into their environment. Many ideas about how to
enrich your play centres are provided in Chapter 6. As well, the many curriculum
guides available through Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning can provide
you with detailed descriptions of materials and programming content.
In the following vignette, a teacher reflects on the choices she has made in her
Kindergarten learning environment.

162 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

 C Vignette: A Blank Canvas—Creating a Kindergarten
Environment*
E
A

R
5
2
D 3

g
S
This year has brought refreshing change for me. After several years away, I have
returned to teaching Kindergarten. I have moved into a new classroom space,
giving me an opportunity to rethink every aspect of the space and materials that
I choose for the classroom. I was a nursery/Kindergarten teacher at the beginning
of my career.
In the 1980s, a variety of educational approaches influenced my classroom
design. I was influenced by the HighScope approach, which sees children as
active hands-on learners, promotes an attractive orderly room arrangement,
with an array of organized learning centres full of materials for children to select
and use in open-ended ways, and developmentally appropriate environments,
routines, and approaches. My interest in the Montessori approach convinced
me of the benefits of child-sized furniture and materials arranged with attention
to order, aesthetics, and sensory exploration. The approach promoted by Alice
Yardley and the British Infant School System influenced my image of myself as an
advocate of play, child choice in play, and the value of many interest centres (e.g.,
reading corner, house centre, sand, water, blocks, art). I was also influenced by
what I learned about the Waldorf approach to the use of materials from nature
and its strong emphasis on the arts, imagination, and creativity.
These ideas continue to be strong influences for me, but over the past 10 to
15 years, I have studied the ideas of Reggio Emilia with great interest. Reggio
Emilia has influenced my practice in many ways, but most obviously in the way
I design my classroom space. I see the children in my Kindergarten classroom as
full of potential, competent, and capable of building their own theories. I use my
environment as the third teacher, provoking wonder, discovery, and creativity.
The physical space encourages encounters, communication, and relationships.
The arrangement of structures, objects, and activities encourages children’s
choices, problem solving, and discoveries in the process of learning.
The Kindergarten space at my school is one of the nicest classrooms in which I
have taught. The space is large, with two windows and plenty of storage space.
During the summer before the school year
“The materials we choose to bring into started, I began planning the basic design and
our classrooms reveal the choices we have made a list of the areas I hoped to develop in
made about knowledge and what we think the classroom. Reggio Emilia influences led me
is important to know. How children are to consider the following design concepts:
invited to use the materials indicates the role QQ creating connections and a sense of
they shall have in their learning. Materials
belonging
are the text of early childhood classrooms.
QQ keeping space flexible and materials open-
Unlike books filled with facts and printed
with words, materials are more like outlines. ended
QQ designing natural environments that
They offer openings and pathways by and
through which children may enter the world engage children’s senses
of knowledge. Materials become the tools QQ provoking wonder, curiosity, and intellectual

with which children give form to and express engagement

their understanding of the world and the QQ engaging children in symbolic

meaning they have constructed” (Cuffaro 33). representation, literacy, and the visual arts

* Used with permission of a Kindergarten teacher.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 163

 I specifically wanted to focus
on classroom design that
engaged the children’s
senses. I had not paid as
much attention to this idea in
designing Kindergarten
classroom spaces early in my
career. I chose to include a
sound-making area, as well as
spaces and materials that
would allow the children to
explore light.
My second priority was to
design an environment that
would encourage creativity
and imagination in every
area in the classroom. I chose
to remove the typical play
stove, sink, and fridge and
the dress-up clothes for
dramatic play, opting instead
to combine the large blocks
with dolls, dishes, baskets,
play dishes, and yardages
of fabric. I hoped that this
(Top L) The classroom as I began to move in. (R) The classroom in the would open up the dramatic
second week of September. play possibilities from more
(Bottom L) An old overhead projector is reused for light exploration. standard and perhaps
(R) A light table is placed in front of a mirror. somewhat prescribed North
American domestic dramatic
play material. As children
played in this new dramatic play area, I observed them using the materials in
imaginative ways. I believe that these more open-ended materials allowed
the children to create what they needed for their play. The large hollow blocks
could become a car, a boat, a fort, or a sink or stove. The fabric could be used as
a tablecloth, a tent, a cape, a gown, or a sari. The possibilities were endless and
under complete control of the children.
The classroom space has continued to evolve as the year has progressed,
responding to the needs of the group and the interests of the children. It reflects
the community of children and adults who inhabit it. It has the warmth of a home-
like space. I specifically chose to use found or other cast-off furniture rather than
institutional furniture ordered from a catalogue to create this atmosphere. The
money saved from not purchasing shelving and other classroom furniture could
then be spent on high-quality toys and other high-quality play materials.
I feel happy and comfortable every morning when I walk into the classroom and I
hope the children do too. The classroom is organized, aesthetically pleasing, and
inviting. The care and thought that went into the classroom design reflects my
belief in the environment as the third teacher.

164 A Time for Learning, A Time for Joy

Reflection: Your Classroom Learning Environment
As you reflect on your classroom environment, consider these questions:
QQ How and where can children select and plan their own activities and learning experiences in
your classroom?
QQ How do you arrange a “provocation”?
QQ How do you arrange materials to suggest their use? How do you reposition materials to spark a
new interest and/or new connections?
QQ What are the essential materials, furniture, and equipment in the Kindergarten classroom? What
changes would you like to make in your own classroom?
QQ What are the influences on and who are the influencers of your own classroom design?

Summary
Chapter 5 introduced you to four dimensions of the learning environment: time,
space, things, and people. Chapter 6 focuses on learning centres and how they
support Manitoba’s Kindergarten curriculum.

Continue Your Learning

For more information about the learning environment, see:

Greenman, Jim. Caring Spaces, Learning Places: Children’s Environments That Work.
Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, 2007.

Rivkin, Mary S. The Great Outdoors: Advocating for Natural Spaces for Young Children.
Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children,
2014.

Chapter 5: Designing the Learning Environment 165