My ECE Assignments : Understanding and Presenting the Physical Environment (UPPE)

"My ECE Assignment" series is meant to demystify ECE and make it a more pleasurable endeavour for those of us who are willing to commit to it :

Module: “Understanding and Presenting the Physical Environment (UPPE)”
Date: 28 October

Reflection Paper

The importance of the physical environment in a preschool was brought to the fore over the last 3 weeks as I sat through discussions on key aspects of space, light, corners, simple open-ended materials and nature, and how these could positively impact and influence the way preschool children learn and grow. I am reminded by the eminent scientist, Albert Einstein, who once said,

“Time and space are modes by which we think, and not conditions by which we live.”

This quote by him certainly applies not just to his musings on the universe but also, to me, to the context of early childhood education (ECE) as well.

During this course, I came away with three significant ideas that, I feel, are applicable to the preschool environment that I am currently involved in, and indeed are ideas that can be further pursued for actual implementation.

The first idea is about creating a space that inspires the children in a typical classroom. Can the current space within a typically classroom today in my preschool be relooked for possible changes that have the potential to bring inspiration to the children sitting in them? I wonder. After all, isn’t inspiring children the very essence of teaching itself, in the first place? The teaching approach of Reggio Emilia draws inspiration for the children by seeing the environment they live in as a teacher for the children (Giudici & Rinaldi, 2001). It can therefore provide a new basis for thinking about the environment in my preschool, so that it can be utilized to inspire the children.

The second significant idea lies in the understanding of the instructional power of space and materials. Certain materials and space draw children into utilizing them, naturally. Like the presence of an observation tower in a park, the children are instinctively drawn towards climbing it to observe its surroundings. This example provides ample evidence that preschools should have more tools and space that invite the children into utilizing them, naturally. The trampoline is one instructional tool that comes to mind. It is an apparatus meant for developing balance and gross motor skills of a child that should be inside any preschool setting.

The third significant idea is the provision of an array of open-ended materials for the children to use and play, with no specific rules attached to their usage. The children can use them flexibly, using their own imaginative power as their guide towards their own learning. Open-ended materials such as old cardboard boxes, plastic milk containers, shoe boxes, toilet rolls cardboard tubes and metal bottle tops are but just a few examples of open-ended materials that can provide hours of creative fun and imagination for every child.

These three significant ideas can therefore provide an enhanced physical environment for the children in my preschool that can bring endless days of creative fun and curiosity to them. The significance of an engaging physical environment in any preschool is now even more evident to me, with the completion of this module of my course in ECE.


References
1. Giudici, C., & Rinaldi, C. (2001). Making Learning Visible. Infant-Toddler Centers
and Preschools as Places of Culture, p.38, Reggio Children, Piazza della Vittorio,
Reggio Emilia, Italy.