Creating Early Childhood Education Environments That Promote Early Learning

Abstract

Argues that early childhood education (ECE) environments greatly influence children's learning experiences as well as their health and development more generally. The right learning environment encompasses more than just space. And it does not rest on expensive buildings and equipment. It does, rather, center around creating an environment conducive to learning and that ensures children feel safe, can make sense of the world, and feel empowered, understood, and free to learn actively and flexibly. Five principles underpin an environment conducive to quality early learning: (1) overall safety, (2) pedagogical organization, (3) spatial flexibility, (4) empowerment and authorship, and (5) child-centered design. These five principles can help create a supportive and nurturing early learning environment that reflects local cultures, landscapes, and community experiences. The right learning environment helps children learn about themselves, others, and the world's diversity. It centers around learning relationships between children, adults, and materials, and rests on flexible encounters rather than rigid teaching.