Creating Environments for Young Children.

The planning and design of child care centers has been undertaken without sufficient knowledge of children's spatial behavior, resulting in centers not providing appropriate physical conditions for young children's developmental needs. Research suggests that physical environment is important in supporting child development. Child care settings convey silent messages about the intentions of the caregivers and administrators, which can also influence children's behavior. The physical space requirements and activities of the preschool environment should reflect person-environment relationships which meet children's needs for personal space and privacy. This workbook contains exercises and other learning materials for young students that follow principles of good design. The book contains the following units: (1) "Goal Setting"; (2) "What Is a Learning Environment," including components of a learning center, along with how to create and rate learning centers; (3) "Playroom Design Principles," focusing on light and color, planning, and modeling the playroom; (4) "Building Image"; (5) "Planning the Facility"; and (6) "Planning Outdoor Play," including play zones, planning outdoor play (POP), playground safety, playground document scale, and mapping children's behavior. (Contains 103 references.) (BGC)