Much of the inspiration for the environments we have designed and redesigned under the auspices of the Engagement Classroom Model (see Routines-Based Model in the Topics list on the right) has been inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, where the classroom is considered the child’s third teacher. You can look at the many materials online, including on Instagram, for ideas. I will provide the principles we have followed in thinking about the design and furnishing of classrooms for young children and then suggest materials to buy or find.
Principles
- Use as many natural materials as possible and as little plastic as possible (e.g., baskets instead of plastic containers).
- Use natural lighting, not fluorescent lighting.
- Have a comfortable, soft space, sometimes called a quiet area.
- Create zones by breaking up the middle of the room with low shelves.
- Group materials thoughtfully and attractively
- Bring the outdoors indoors.
- Create a mini-atelier (art station) in the classroom.
- Document children’s projects (the process, not just the product) on bulletin boards outside the room.
- Have muted, natural colors predominate—not bright primary colors
- Have a place for the “provocation” of the day or week.
- The room should be beautiful for everyone in the room (i.e., put up art work on the walls that adults would appreciate; lots of children’s art work is ugly—not that it shouldn’t be displayed).
Shopping/Scavenging List
Furniture
- Low, natural-wood stand-alone shelves, some with open front and back, some with solid backs
- Adult-sized sofa
- Bean bag
- Carpets for part of the room
- Easels
- Light table (important)
Accessories
- Floor lamps
- Table lamps
- Real plants
Materials
- Real baskets to hold toys and materials
- String to hang things, especially outdoor objects, from the ceiling (if fire code allows it)
- Many kinds of art supplies
- Color printer and photo paper (for documentation)
- Wooden toys to replace or add to plastic ones
Finally, a note about Reggio Emilia environments and children with disabilities, especially those with unpredictable behavior. We have had floor lamps, real plants, and containers full of small objects in the same room as aggressive young children. We have had to do some cleaning up, sometimes with the help of the miscreant, but we have concentrated on teaching children to respect their surroundings and to handle them appropriately. The biggest challenge has been hiding wires to lamps in various creative ways.
