Creating an Ideal Early Childhood Classroom Space

The ideal early childhood classroom offers adequate space and furnishings, along with the right tools and supplies. Purposeful and intentional designs come together to make the best examples of early childhood classrooms that fit the students and make the most out of the space available.

Creating the ideal early childhood classroom isn’t a one-size-fits-all type of scenario. However, there are some specific things to keep in mind while organizing and filling a space geared toward the education of early learners.

Components of an Effective Early Childhood Classroom

Of course, every classroom is different, and every educator has their own strengths and passions. But some key features play an important role in every childhood classroom.

Early Childhood Furniture

Furniture in an early childhood classroom should suit the needs of the young learners using it. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is this furniture the right size?
• Is the furniture placement logical and intentional?
• Are there multiple options and configurations to fit different activities and needs?

Choosing the right furniture for an early childhood classroom means considering what students can use without taking away from their learning experiences. Does the furniture meet their basic needs? Can their creativity and energy still be used to learn new things and challenge themselves?

Early Childhood Technology

Technological advances in the world of education mean that early childhood classrooms have the potential to add educational technology to daily learning opportunities. Young minds are incredibly flexible and soak up new concepts like a sponge. Ask yourself the following questions about what educational technology your early childhood classroom has to offer:

• How can I ensure that students are introduced to the benefits of educational technology without letting it overwhelm other learning opportunities and challenges?
• Am I promoting and supporting students’ learning development when incorporating new technological resources?
• Is incorporating technology helping me improve my teaching skills and better meet the needs of individual students?

Educational technology is much more than learning to use a computer or interactive whiteboard. For early childhood educators, it’s a versatile way to use high-tech devices to enhance the learning experience. For example, the combination of playing a game on a tablet with a storytime session that reinforces the same ideas could be an incredibly valuable way to reinforce important concepts.

Early Childhood Safety

When designing an early childhood classroom, safety is of utmost importance. Determining the space’s safety comes down to physical and emotional well-being. While it’s quite obvious that dangerous objects should be kept away from young learners, here are just a few of the questions you should ask yourself when choosing the furniture and supplies for your classroom:

• Is there enough space for students to safely use each classroom learning center?
• Is the furniture in the room designed for early childhood learners and of good quality?
• Are the supplies and tools organized to be easy to reach and put away?
• Do students feel comfortable and safe in the environment and culture of the space created?

Inclusion in the Early Childhood Classroom

On top of the considerations that must be made for each child’s safety and learning development, there are aspects to consider when it comes to meeting the needs of all the students in the room. Children with special needs should have the same feelings of comfort and safety when they enter the early childhood classroom. Check out these articles from our experts!

• Inclusion & Social Emotional Learning for Students with Special Needs
• How to Incorporate Inclusion into the Early Childhood Classroom
• Promoting Creative Inclusive Practices in Schools

KidSpaces^™ Complete Classroom Packages

After considering all the different ways an early childhood classroom must be specialized to suit the needs of young learners, the good news is there are solutions available to promote quality and purposeful design.

The KidSpaces Complete Classroom Packages offer all the products for a developmentally appropriate and high-quality early childhood classroom. These packages feature learning materials and furniture chosen to align with best practices and create a safe, engaging environment to support quality early education experiences for today’s young learners.