Six Tips for Creating Effective Early Learning Classrooms

Your early learning spaces create a warm and welcoming environment for children. You’ve created distinct areas to help children transition from one activity to another, and the spaces are safe and developmentally appropriate, with easily accessible and developmentally-appropriate learning materials.

With help from the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, here are six additional suggestions for designing highly successful early learning environments.

• Take a minimalistic approach, so that you avoid sensory overload. Children learn best when their attention is focused on one activity at a time. Put out materials as they are needed and put them away when they’re not in use. Give children a choice of three things to play with, not 10.

• Carefully consider the placement of activity centers. Those with high-energy activities (such as block centers, dramatic play areas, music centers) shouldn’t be located right next to centers with quieter activities (like listening or reading centers).

• Make sure the materials in your early learning spaces reflect a variety of children’s interests and ability levels.

• Create comfortable, private spaces where children can safely retreat to rest, observe, and emotionally recharge throughout the day.

• Switch new resources in and out on a regular basis as appropriate, to promote children’s interest and keep the materials fresh.

• Place heavier items on lower shelves, so that children don’t get hurt when they take out these materials.

Learn more about the relationship between classroom design and effective early learning.
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