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ECE305 Designing Early Childhood Learning Spaces Report Sample

Task description

Write a paper discussing your personal philosophy on the design of environmental spaces for children, drawing on your previously held philosophies that were developed in previous subjects, and incorporating content and theorists covered in this subject. In this paper you are also required to connect your philosophy with the relevant Early Years Learning Frameworks.

Your philosophy should include a justification for all statements made, that link to relevant literature, theorists and early childhood frameworks. You can choose the format of your statement. For example:

• You could provide the statements first and then write a complete essay as the justification for all the statements.

• You could provide one statement at a time with the justification immediately after it or you could include the statements in an essay overall (the statements must be bolded though, to make them clear).

• You could develop another way of presenting this that meets the criteria.

In developing your philosophy, you MUST include statements and justification for the following areas:

• Your beliefs about the meaning of environment in early childhood education

• The role of the environment in early childhood education

• Your beliefs about the design of the environment

• Your beliefs about the links between the environment and children’s wellbeing, relationships, and social-emotional development. You must also include:

• A general introduction and a short more general conclusion

• Adequate referencing and a correctly formatted reference list. 

Solution

Introduction

A philosophy in early childhood education acts as the guiding framework for educators, influencing actions and decisions concerning learning environments made for children. I believe a variety of factors appear to shape philosophies: personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, theoretical perspectives, professional learning. My personal philosophy on the design of children's environmental spaces takes me all the way back to the view that the environment is most supportive, hence very strategic in influencing children towards all-rounded development, wellbeing, and social-emotional growth. This philosophy has been developed from my engagement with early childhood theories developed by Vygotsky and Bronfenbrenner. The practices that come out of this are lined up with principles outlined in the EYLF.

Philosophy Statement

Belief 1: Environment is the 'Third Teacher' in ECCE.

Essentially, this refers to that understanding by which, in the developed early childhood settings, the environment goes beyond the physical space and acts as an active participant in the process of learning. In this regard, this perception for The Assignment Helpline is strongly attributed to the philosophy underlying the Reggio Emilia approach, whereby the setting is considered a 'third teacher' after teachers and other peers. An environment enriched with a diversity of materials and flexible spaces will allow for exploration, creativity, and autonomous learning that will foster a child's curiosity toward the world around them. The EYLF mentioned that dynamic environments which are responsive to the needs of children support the accomplishment of this particular outcome, known as Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners (EYLF 2022).

Belief 2: The environment should be designed to reflect and respect children's identities, cultures, and interests.

An environment that respects and expands children's cultural backgrounds and individual interests helps to foster children's sense of belonging and identity. It satisfies the very essence of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory framework with an emphasis on considering all the various layers within a child's environment—from immediate settings, like family structures, to broader cultural contexts (Nolan & Owen, 2024). It also refers to the theory of designing spaces that allow educators to acknowledge children's lives and communities, creating an inclusive environment for positive self-esteem and cultural competence. EYLF Outcome 1 also deals with the issue of environments setting up a connected feel of the child with the world around it.

Belief 3: The environment has to be such that it would foster social interaction and collaborative learning.

At the very core of how children learn and develop is social interaction. According to Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, environments that foster cooperation, communication, and shared experiences let children learn from one another, sharpen their social skills, and build strong bonding. This can be achieved in group areas, open spaces, and flexible seating (Sarmiento-Campos et al., 2022). It is, therefore, a philosophy that is aligned with the outcome 5 of the EYLF: Children are effective communicators.

Belief 4: The environment should help children feel safe and promote their emotional well-being and positive mental health.

The quality of the environment in which children spend time is strongly related to their emotional well-being. Feelings of security, comfort, and stability are very basic to the mental health of a child and can be provided by a well-designed environment. This is possible through the provision of calm, orderly, and predictable space alongside quiet areas where the child may retreat and self-regulate. Maslow's hierarchy of needs says that basic needs for safety and love, according to him, need to be met first in children in order for higher-order learning and development to take place (Griffin et al., 2023). In the EYLF, it is underlined that high-quality settings promote children's social and emotional well-being; hence, it aligns with Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of well-being, as presented in DEEWR, 2009.

Belief 5: The environment should invoke a sense of connection to nature and to care for the environment.

Such environments include natural elements and outdoor spaces, which enhance the children's affinities for nature and a sense of environmental responsibility. Research on biophilia argues that humans have an innate love of nature; therefore, exposure to natural environments improves well-being and cognitive functioning. By incorporating natural materials, gardens, and outdoor play areas into early childhood settings, educators open the possibility of nurturing children to not only appreciate the natural world but also to engage in sustainable practice. Outcome 2 in the EYLF emphasizes this by seeking environments that help children learn social responsibility and respect for the environment.

Justification

The aforementioned beliefs are choice-based on theoretical perspectives and practical considerations. The emphasis on social interaction by Vygotsky and the ecological systems theory by Bronfenbrenner offers a great platform to start understanding the role of the environment in children's learning and development. Further, the approach of Reggio Emilia strengthens that one which believes the environment to be an active factor as well as an educational process within itself. It is, nonetheless, through Maslow that such interaction of the environment with wellbeing is revealed and examined under the prism of the biophilia hypothesis in a way that puts emphasis on the need to create spaces capable of being not only functional but also nurturing and inspiring.

I have distilled these notions into my practice by attending to the provisions of environments that are not biased, flexible, and reflective of the wide range of needs and backgrounds from which children come. Aligning my philosophy with that of the EYLF guarantees that the created environments are developmentally appropriate and support not only the goals for early childhood education but also wider purposes such as belonging, social, and emotional well-being, and lifelong learning.

Conclusion

That is to say, my personal philosophy of the design of environmental spaces for children revolves around a belief in the environment as one of the major elements in conditioning diverse experiences for children's learning, well-being, and socio-emotional development. Guided by theoretical perspectives and taking its cue from the EYLF in setting out to create an enabling environment, I strive towards creating one that is inclusive, engaging, and equal for all Children. This philosophy will help further mould my practice in giving only the best learning experiences for children in my care.

References

Camacho, J. S., & Villegas, L. (2024). Foundations and Implications of the Integral Ecology and Sustainable Development Goals in Catholic University Education. Religions, 15(4), 480–480. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15040480

EYLF. (2022). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (V2.0). https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf

Griffin, K. E., Arndt, S. S., & Vinke, C. M. (2023). The Adaptation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the Hierarchy of Dogs’ Needs Using a Consensus Building Approach. Animals, 13(16), 2620. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13162620

Nolan, H., & Owen, K. (2024). Medical student experiences of equality, diversity, and inclusion: content analysis of student feedback using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. BMC Medical Education, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-023-04986-8

Sarmiento-Campos, N.-V., Lázaro-Guillermo, J. C., Silvera-Alarcón, E.-N., Cuellar-Quispe, S., Huamán-Romaní, Y.-L., Apaza, O. A., & Sorkheh, A. (2022). A Look at Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (SCT): The Effectiveness of Scaffolding Method on EFL Learners’ Speaking Achievement. Education Research International, 2022(20904002), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3514892

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