Enabling Environment

Question 1

3 Types of Environment

Answer 1

• Emotional Environment: The emotions of who accesses the environment, the atmosphere it creates, what is being done not to overwhelm the children (keep familiar areas, activities, when making changes); it is also about the way teachers express themselves.
• Indoor Environment: Resources and activities provided indoors, needs careful planning, needs to be flexible to accommodate children’s changing needs and preferences; attention to materials, plastic and cheap is not always best, think about teachable moment, real-life objects, respurces need to be well-kept and interesting; resources are easily accessible by children.
• Outdoor Environment: complements the indoor environment, provides different types of experiences, gives the chance to explore the cycle of living things, allows for big-scale play, more risk taking, there are different textures, colours, light, elements; they can experiment with space, language, even their tone of voice.

Question 2

Principles of enabling environment

Answer 2

• Children learn and develop well in an enabling environment where the experiences respond to their needs
• Children’s cultural capital and experiences matter and need to be taken into account
• An enabling environment can support children’s curiosity and imagination and encourage them to think for themselves, make their own choices and direct their learning.
• We should not limit children in the resources/choices given, e.g. just give grey paint to make an elephant.

Question 3

Ways to promote an Enabling Environment

Answer 3

• Different texture components
• Soothing colours
• Furniture to define areas, low and proper size
• Elements, such as light, used in a supportive way
• Focal points to draw attention to learning activities
• Help: all practitioners bring ideas, assess, reflect
• Language-rich environment (Many interactions, positive encouragement, respect, support
• Nurturing and calm environment
• Give children space and time to talk
• Importance of routine (Give security)
• Importance of rest (allows to process information and reflect, promotes wellbeing)

Question 4

Why is Environment important?

Answer 4

• Provides stimulation and challenge
• Allows children to make sense of the world
• helps children to understand and process emptions
• supports their learning about rules and communication
• Allows them to take risks and make mistakes
• Encourages independence
• Promotes equality by helping children understand others’ needs/backgrounds

Question 5

Theories about the environment (FERP-DTS)

Answer 5

Froebel: The environment is about space but also opportunities, exploration, mistakes, creating
EYFS 2021: In an enabling environment there are supporting adult to guide children
ReggioEmilia: Parents and practitioners are the first two teachers, environment is the third
Piaget: environment should be planned to be made accessible and engaging so children can learn by discovering rather than being taught by adults.

Divergent thinking: There are many uses to different objects, multiples ways to interpret questions and find solutions. Enabling environments should promote divergent thinking as opposed to convergent thinking.
Tina Bruce: Children need to be autonomous learners, their needs and efforts must be valued; imagination creativity and learning can only develop in favourable condition, an enabling environment (stimulating, bright, calm).
Susan Isaacs: The environment in a setting should mirror the family with love and warmth, but also offer experiences, resources and opportunities for cooperative play, boundaries, resources for creativity, changes to practice language and learn.