‘”Children are miracles. Believing that every child is a miracle can transform the way we design for children’s care. We must make it

our job to create, with reverence and gratitude, a space that is worthy of a miracle.

We must choose to design spaces for miracles, not minimums.”

--Anita Rui Olds, 1999--

1. The number and variety of things there are to do.

2. The number and variety of places to do them.

3. The organization and accessibility of those things within the classroom space.

Your clean and well-maintained environment sends a message to the

children that is both welcoming and inviting.

Children’s feet should be able to touch the floor and their elbows rest on the table top.

Notice how the children’s feet are dangling—and are not close to touching the floor. Both examples below are good examples of providing appropriate “support.”

It’s important to understand how beneficial it is to give children the opportunity to work alone or with only one other classmate. Areas that

lend themselves to this concept easily include

Writing CornersListening Centers

Children need access to age-appropriate

stationary and portable equipment at least one

hour per day—every day! The equipment

should promote a wide variety of skills

that exercise large muscles.

• Most of the display space in your classroom should be saved for children’s work.

• You do not need to show every child’s work—instead ask them if they’d like it displayed!

• Photograph children completing the activity and include these photos—and the children’s or teacher’s description of the process along side it.

Where to display?

• walls and low bulletin boards• tops & backs

of shelves• from a

clothesline or fishnet• easels

• room dividers

2-dimensional work can be on any solid surface that’s easy for infants and toddlers to see:

• low bulletin boards• visible places low on

walls• on the backs and sides of

shelves• on the floor

Live, hanging plant

If we think of children as miracles in our lives, they will inspire us to hurdle barriers and transform things we think not worthy of miracles.

Curtis, D and Carter, M. (2003). Designs for Living and Learning. Redleaf Press

Greenman, J. (1988). Caring Spaces, Learning Places: Children's Environments That Work. Redmond, WA: Exchange Press.

Harms, T., and Clifford, R. M. (1998). Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Harms, T., and Clifford, R. M. (1998). Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Isbell , R and Exelby, B. (2001) Early Learning Environments That Work. Gryphon House Press

Prescott, E. (1994). The physical environment—a powerful regulator of experience. Child Care Information Exchange,100, Nov/Dec. 9-15

Wardle, Francis Ph D, Creating Indoor Environments for Young Children, Early Childhood News: The Professional Resource for Teachers and Parents