Module 2

Creating Environments That Support Children's Growth and Development

In this module, participants learn how to provide safe, healthy, and appropriate indoor and outdoor environments that respond to children's developmental characteristics.

Outcomes
As a result of completing this module, the staff will be able to:

Key Concepts Background Information

The characteristics of appropriate environments for young children are closely tied to their developmental skills and needs. Most young children learn through active exploration of their surroundings. At different stages of development, they use different skills to conduct their explorations.

Infants learn by moving their bodies and using their senses. They need safe, sanitary materials that they can put in their mouths and safe, open places for rolling over, crawling, pulling up, and learning to walk. Toddlers are always in motion. They need an environment that offers challenging but safe opportunities to run, jump, climb, push, pull, fill, dump, and pour. Preschoolers are curious about how things work and the effects their actions have on objects and materials. A good environment for preschoolers has lots of variety, encourages a sense of competence, and offers consistency while also responding to children's changing skills and interests.

Appropriate environments for young children promote their health and keep them safe. This is important at home, at a center, and at a group socialization site. Environments should also be tied to children's developmental characteristics. Parents and Head Start staff should view an environment from a child's perspective-what a child can see, touch, climb, examine, and explore-and consider what a child is likely to do there-need a diaper change, eat a snack, paint, use play dough, move around, wash his or her hands. This simple exercise will help adults create environments that respond to and enhance growth and development.

Appropriate environments for young children also include people- family members, teachers, assistants, volunteers, home visitors, and others-who respond to individual children and help them feel valued and loved. The younger the child, the more important this aspect of the environment is. In the early stages of development, children are learning to build relationships with adults and peers. A positive social atmosphere, created and maintained by caring adults, contributes greatly to each child's healthy growth and development.

Here are some examples of how the environment can reflect and enhance children's needs and skills.

All Young Children

An environment that supports all young children's growth and development and keeps them safe and healthy has:

Infants

An environment that supports infants' growth and development and keeps them safe and healthy has:

Toddlers

An environment that supports toddlers' growth and development and keeps them safe and healthy has:

Preschoolers

An environment that supports preschoolers' growth and development and keeps them safe and healthy has:

Materials and Equipment for Young Children

The materials and equipment available for young children's use should reflect their backgrounds, families, cultures, and communities. For example, recordings, books, posters, recipes, signs, and dress-up clothes and props should reflect children's ethnic and cultural backgrounds and home languages. The materials should match children's individual and developmental skills and interests.

The materials and equipment should be appropriate for children's ages and stages. Materials should offer children challenges, but not be so complex that children are frustrated. For example, when a child masters a four-piece puzzle, it might be time to offer a new challenge-a six-piece puzzle-rather than one with ten pieces. When children feel successful, they are eager to take on new challenges. When they feel frustrated, they may give up or return to an activity at a more comfortable skill level.

Continuity builds a sense of security in young children. Some items in the environment need to be available in the same place, every day. In addition, parents and staff can rotate some items and add new ones in response to children's changing skills and interests, or when they want to offer children new experiences. For example, dress-up clothes are available all year and a selection of props and accessories are rotated to extend children's dramatic play.

Safety is another feature of appropriate materials and equipment for young children. This is particularly important when items are used by many children. Therefore, items should be sturdy, in good repair, free from splinters and peeling paint, and sized for the children enrolled. It is important to conduct regular safety checks to identify unsafe items that must be repaired or removed.

Many of the best materials for young children are those that can be used in many different ways. There is no right or wrong way to use them. Different children use them in different ways; and as children gain new skills, they find new ways to explore the items. These materials are ideal for individualizing because a single item can respond to a wide range of interests and skill levels. For example, children of different ages enjoy playing with blocks. Infants bang the blocks together and put them in their mouths. Toddlers make towers, lay blocks end to end, and begin to discover that two square blocks equal one rectangle. Preschoolers, who have had more experience with blocks, create roads and buildings and know what sizes and shapes they need to carry out their plans.

In addition to materials and equipment specifically designed for young children, each classroom in a center or used for a group socialization session should have some items that create a home-like atmosphere, while also encouraging development. For example, bowls that fit inside each other serve the same purpose as nesting cups, but are familiar to children and parents. Children feel a sense of security playing with items found at home and parents get the idea that their homes are filled with learning materials. Many recycled items from homes and businesses are safe and interesting art materials. In addition, staff and parents can make learning materials themselves, such as homemade books about a familiar activity that are illustrated with photographs of the children, families, and community.

Although Head Start children should have time for active outdoor play every day, the indoor environment should also provide equipment that encourages children to move their bodies and use their large motor skills. Hula hoops, streamers to dance with, tumbling mats, indoor climbers, cardboard cartons to crawl through, large hollow or cardboard blocks, a balance beam, and rocking boats are examples of materials that encourage children to use and develop physical skills.

Responding to Individuals

An appropriate environment for young children also responds to individuals. Children's backgrounds are considered when selecting equipment, materials, and decorations. Adaptations are made so that all children, including those with disabilities, can be included in activities and experiences. In addition, as children grow and develop, families and Head Start staff should change the environments in response. As infants grow, their cribs are replaced by cots or sleeping mats. As toddlers become preschoolers, they are ready to use riding toys with pedals.

Appendix F lists basic play materials for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Additional information on appropriate environments, materials, and equipment for young children can be found in many of the standard early childhood texts, including some listed in the Resources section of this guide. Also, the Head Start Facilities Manual provides guidance on setting up environments for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.


Handout 4 Activity 2-1
Handout 5 Activity 2-2
Handout 6 Activity 2-3
Handout 7 Activity 2-4
Handout 8 Next Step
Module 1 Index