Intended for all those involved in planning and carrying out activities with 3- to 5-year-old children, this text provides a practical guide to creating a "Growing Program" -- a planned, flexible, evolving educational environment of things, people, and activities for preschool children. Based on continuous observation by teachers of children's…

This report in the National Education Association's "Developments in Classroom Instruction" series presents seven detailed descriptions of models for elementary-level classroom learning centers. It presents lists of materials, suggestions for the placement of equipment, study plans, and evaluation guides for learning centers in a variety of…

Based on the view that the early childhood care and education environment can have a tremendous influence on infant and toddler development, this book will assist early childhood teachers/caregivers in meeting the challenge of creating an effective learning environment for infants and toddlers. The book includes ideas for planning, using, and…

This guide provides a framework for creating and using learning centers to meet specific classroom goals, and presents ideas for topics and activities. The first part of the guide: (1) explains what learning centers are and how they are used within classrooms; (2) provides design options for the classroom; (3) suggests ways in which to schedule…

This book for primary grade teachers provides over 500 ideas and suggestions for designing the environment and developing learning activities in a child-centered classroom. Part 1 of the book focuses on the larger school environment, with suggestions for making the whole school inviting for parents and children. Part 2 provides ideas for making…

Preschool children need direct involvement with science content hands-on experiences that involve them in gathering, organizing, analyzing, and evaluating. This paper describes how to create a science area in a preschool classroom. The paper delineates the equipment needed to maintain a mentally stimulating environment for young children. It also…

"Written with the teacher's imagination in mind," this seven-chapter career education booklet's aim is to help teachers reorganize classroom activities. The booklet stresses: "One small step by teachers who thoughtfully plan...what they teach is worth more to a school system than a highly polished superstructure that is difficult to…

The Step by Step program was begun in 1994 as an experiment linking sound early childhood educational practice with concepts of democracy to create learning environments in which children practice choice and learn critical thinking skills, and in which parents actively participate in their child's education. This manual expands the program to…

This booklet provides suggestions for reassessing, modifying, and arranging child care center environments to best serve the needs of children and staff. The booklet notes that a well-planned environment can provide young children with appropriate and challenging learning experiences within a consistent and secure setting. Such an environment also…

Suggestions for resource room teachers working with visually impaired learning disabled students include: consideration of students' unique learning needs; assessment of functional vision; use of assistive devices (such as closed-circuit television); classroom arrangement that facilitates organization and movement; and basic skills instruction…

This booklet, revised from the March 1990 version, provides suggestions for reassessing, modifying, and arranging child care center environments to best serve the needs of children and staff. The booklet notes that a well-planned environment can provide young children with appropriate and challenging learning experiences within a consistent and…

This guide to designing activity-oriented classrooms for grades K-3 is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 provides an overview of research findings concerning the way children learn and the environments that best facilitate their learning. Chapter 2, which explains ways to set up an activity-oriented classroom, covers the administration's role…

The experiences of one non-profit day care center are used as illustrative material in this discussion of preschool teaching-learning environments. Chapter 1 introduces the volume with a brief argument stressing the importance of play in the preschool. Chapter 2 describes the problems at a non-profit day care center and presents staff dialogue…

This paper argues that progressive pedagogy is a viable alternative to more limited basic skill approaches to school reform. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected during the fourth year of a 7-year multi-site school reform initiative in a besieged urban district, the paper documents ways in which teachers have dramatically altered…

A resource area in an early childhood classroom can foster children's learning by providing them with opportunities to use a wide variety of materials in a wide range of contexts. This digest offers suggestions concerning resource rooms in early childhood classrooms and discusses issues relevant to children's play. Many classroom areas can be…