For over twenty years
The Early Learning Centre family of schools have been inspired by the philosophy
of the schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy where the rooms and furnishings are
aesthetically designed to create a community of young learners. The classroom
environment becomes a ‘third teacher’ that supports the children's
need to explore their own questions and to share knowledge with their peers.
This support comes in many forms.
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Openly
available raw materials and tools for building working models
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Table space near
media used to represent theories (e.g. markers, clay, wire)
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Movable chairs and
wicker stools for convening a spontaneous discussion group
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Common spaces between
classes to hold spontaneous conversations
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Common spaces with
items that engender conversation among children
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An oversized aquarium
"wall" that enhances the patterns of movement within
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Use of forgotten
spaces (e.g. making a nocturnal sky on the ceiling)
The environment at The
Early Learning Centre fosters a sense of belonging and relation to others.
These design features are particularly important to an international school
with children from so many cultures. These features include
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Mailboxes that encourage
children to leave communications for a friend
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Walls that are used
to display the children's words and photographs of their work
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Counter tops where
children's work can remain displayed for many weeks
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Areas that are spatially
defined for functions, but remain visible from other spaces
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Furnishings are chosen
to be similar to items found in the home
In addition to seeing
the function of spaces, one senses a clear and purposeful aesthetic of the
Early Learning Centre family of schools. This aesthetic communicates the
commitment we have toward a total educational experience for all who come.
The beauty creates an attitude of quality and a feeling of continuity and
flow among the parts within the whole of the school. Take note of these
details.
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The colors trend
toward the calm side of the spectrum
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The hardwood floors
provide a visual flow from area to area
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The trim color is
replicated in the benches and easels outside
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The classrooms are
pleasured with light from well appointed windows
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The windows look
out onto the gardens of the outside
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The floor plan offers
split-levels to add drama and interest for the children
As inspired by Reggio
Emilia, the school has been designed to help children make their ideas visible
and to enhance their power of observation. Both discovery and invention
can be supported by a school's environment by enhancing the child's ability
to reflect on the process of learning. This can be done by amplifying the
objects of study, by making the familiar unfamiliar, and by helping children
make records of their actions and their theories. What is being studied
can be subject matter, such as the action of a gerbil running a maze, or
it can be thinking itself, such as a child's theory about how to make a
pet happy or the source of the rain. The environment makes learning visible
in several ways.
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Shadow screens lowered
into the middle of the classroom allow the children to observe an action
silhouetted in black and white
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Slides projected
on the screens allow the children to "enter" the topic under
study
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Video monitors allow
the children to revisit their own experience via video replay
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Mounted photos of
an experience engender spontaneous or elicited comments
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Drawing and marking
material are always ready for children to draw their theories about
how something works
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Audio recorders are
available to capture thoughts for immediate or later review
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Computers are available
for children to produce their own booklets and graphics as they study
a topic
The Early Learning
Center designs learning activities for the children, but also supports professional
development activities for the staff. The school contains space for teachers
to work as a team to prepare documentation of the children's work, to plan
next steps, and to discuss the emotional and academic value of the week's
work. These spaces are essential to maintain the child-centered philosophy
of ELC and to support teaching as reflective practice and continual research.
To support the professional development of the staff ELC has
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A library of binders
that document past projects
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A space and technology
for producing documentation panels for public display
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A space for the repeated
review of video tapes of the week's work
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Comfortable spaces
for teacher's to hold staff meeting
The school instantly
communicates a feeling of welcome to the parents. Granted, the most palpable
welcome is the greetings from the teachers themselves, and the children
who have already arrived. But the physical environment can also be read
as a welcome to parents.
