Classroom Design Project
ECD 121

Created by D. McConaughy,

Early Childhood Development,
and the Chesapeake College Library staff
http://www.chesapeake.edu/library

Learning Outcomes

  • Identify the basic elements of age-appropriate learning environments for infants and toddlers.
  • Select age-appropriate materials that encourage positive interactions among caregivers and children.

Introduction | Tasks | InfoQuest  | Virtual Field Trip | Design |
Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction

The environment, room plan, decoration, and utilization of a classroom have a huge impact on how a child learns and behaves. This semester-long project will help you to learn techniques for setting up your own classroom in a way that will enhance infant/toddler development. You will research and write about  'ideal' classrooms. You will take a virtual field trip via the Internet to critique online infant and toddler facilities. You will then design your own 'ideal' infant and/or toddler classroom and present it to the ECD121 class.

The Task

You will complete the following tasks:

  1. InfoQuest 
    Investigate the design of infant and toddler classrooms by exploring the websites in the InfoQuest Resources section below. Write an essay on your concept of the 'ideal' classrooms for infants and toddlers.
  2. Critique classrooms
    Take virtual field trips to the infant and toddler classrooms in the Resources section of Critique Classrooms, below. Write an essay critiquing 2 of the facilities.
  3. Design a classroom
    Design your own classroom for infants and/or toddlers, choosing materials for it and creating a materials purchase order. Present your design to the ECD121 class.

1. InfoQuest

Resources

Use the websites below to gather information on classroom design for infants and toddlers. Look for the basic elements of infant and toddler age-appropriate environments. Learn about spaces and materials that encourage positive growth, development and learning for this age group. Keep in mind that PDF files are sometimes slow to load.

Spaces for Children

Environments for infants and toddlers

Designing Head Start facilities

Infant and toddler spaces

Prepared Montessori environment: Classroom set-up

Early Head Start National Resource Site

Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale
 

Consider these floor plan and safety issues

Process

1. Use the resources above to learn about designing and equipping classrooms for infants and toddlers. As you take notes, be sure to identify the website each piece of information comes from, so that you will be prepared to document your sources.

2. Write an essay on your understanding of the 'ideal' classrooms for infants and toddlers.

  • Your essay should be 2 pages long, double spaced, with 1" margins.
  • Use Times New Roman or Arial 12 point font.
  • Using MLA format, include a Works Cited List of the websites from which you used information. The Works Cited List will be your third page.
  • Using MLA format, use parenthetical documentation to identify information from specific websites within the body of your essay.     

2. Critique classrooms

Resources

Take virtual field trips to these websites to examine classrooms for infants and toddlers. Keep in mind that photographs are sometimes slow to load.

Sunny Days Learning Center

Toddlers 'N Tots

Pasadena Child Care

Academy Learning Center

Children's Garden of Woodbridge

Eastminster Child's Play Learning Center

 

Process

1. Choose 2 of the facilities from the list above.

2. Write a critique of their infant and toddler classrooms in an essay 2 pages long and double spaced, using Times New Roman or Arial 12 point font and 1" margins. Evaluate each of the classrooms based on the knowledge you gained in your InfoQuest for the 'ideal' classrooms for infants and toddlers. Tell what is good about them and why. Tell what is not so good about them and why. Explain what might have been done differently to enhance the development and the learning experience of the children. Discuss how the classrooms support (or don't support) infants, and how they support (or don't support) toddlers.

3.  Design Your Own Classroom

Resources

Use these websites and catalogs to find floor plans, furniture and supplies - with prices, descriptions and pictures you can use in your presentation.

Kaplan Floorplanner - Offers sample classrooms (check out the infant room and the toddler room) and an option to choose a floor plan and furnish it with age appropriate materials - all online!

Community Playthings  - Offers sample classrooms and activity areas as well as a room planner template for producing a design with paper and scissors.

Catalogs from vendors of furniture, materials and supplies for classrooms for infants and toddlers are on reserve at the library. You can use the print copies or link to the company's websites:


Process

Applying what you've learned in your 'ideal'  classroom InfoQuest and your critique of 2 facilities for infants and toddlers, design and equip a classroom appropriate for infants and/or  toddlers.

1. Design the space. Decide on a floor plan, identify the purpose of various areas in the classroom and position them for optimum use, safety, development and learning.

2. Choose the furniture and materials to equip your classroom:

  • Classroom furniture should include highchairs, cribs, tables and chairs, changing tables,etc.
  • Classroom materials may include toys, books, soft blocks, manipulatives, art supplies, etc.
  • Don't forget essential materials like bulletin boards, storage, adult furniture, first aid kits, changing paper, etc.
  • Choose items you believe will enhance your program.

3. Make a purchase order. List each item you want for your classroom along with the name of the company that will supply the item and the price. Categorize your purchase order, grouping similar items together, like sleeping items, eating items, toys, etc.

4. Present your classroom design to the ECD121 class. You may do:

  • a PowerPoint presentation
  • a 3-D model of the classroom using materials of your choosing;
  • a picture presentation using photographs of an actual classroom on a chart showing the layout of the classroom as well as the same pictures on a chart rearranged to show a more effective set-up, according to your research.
  • Other appropriate presentations as approved by your instructor.

All presentations must be accompanied by a one page explanation of your design. It should be double spaced with 1" margins and Times New Roman or Arial 12 point font.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated on the following elements:

  • InfoQuest - Your understanding of the elements needed to create an 'ideal' environment for infants and toddlers and your ability to explain this to a reader in an essay.
  • Classroom critiques - Your ability to recognize the presence or absence of essential components of good classrooms for infants and toddlers - which components are essential, and why.
  • Designing a Classroom - Your ability to synthesize all that you have learned through the InfoQuest and critiques into a theoretically workable classroom and to present and explain it to your peers.

Conclusion

There are essential components of classroom design that you will need to incorporate into your future classroom environment. Environment can have a profound effect on the way infants/toddlers learn as well as on their behavior. The principles that you have learned here should be ones that you continue to use in your teaching career.

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If there is inaccurate information on this page, please send correction or comments to: lrcdesk@chesapeake.edu