How Can You Develop Environmental Awareness Through Education?
Practical tips for schools – When it comes to raising awareness about environmental issues, a good place to start is by including lessons about the environment in school curriculums. All schools can learn something from the Eco-Schools Initiative. This global initiative, operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education, began in 1994 and encourages young people to become environmentally conscious.
Teach children about the three Rs: reduce waste, reuse resources and recycle materials. Organise tree planting days at schools and teach children why trees are important to the environment. Encourage children to switch off all appliances and lights when not in use. Encourage children to ensure taps are properly closed after use, and to use water sparingly.
Contents
- 1 How can we create awareness about environmental education?
- 2 How can environmental education help to enhance the development of the students?
- 3 How is awareness related to environmental education?
- 4 Can education solve environmental problems?
- 5 Why is environment important in supporting the learning and development of a child?
How can we create awareness about environmental education?
Make a Difference – Once you’re well versed in environmental issues, you can use that knowledge to start beneficial projects in your home and/or in your community. Here are some examples of the kinds of projects and initiatives you could get involved in:
Instead of driving to work or school, take the bus, carpool, walk, or ride your bike to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA transportation adds to 33% of the total atmospheric CO₂. Consider investing in appropriate technology like clean power (solar or wind), if not for your home then maybe for a community center. This supports a transition to clean and renewable energy. Buy reusable products such as glass bottles, reusable bags, and reusable cups. Avoid buying disposable goods such as paper towels, plastic bottles, and plastic bags. Start a composting and recycling program in communities where there are none. This will help cut down our waste production. Support local businesses and farmers, and buy organic and pesticide-free food when you can. Or, start your own community garden.
Once you have chosen your cause and have started a personal or community project, share it with the world! Get your coworkers, neighbors, friends, family, or even your local government involved. It’s much easier and more effective to spread environmental awareness and start a local project if you collaborate with others in your community,
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How can environmental education help to enhance the development of the students?
What is Environmental Education? – More than just promoting nature, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental education as “a process that allows individuals to explore environmental issues, engage in problem-solving, and take action to improve the environment.” Kids are encouraged to research, investigate how and why things happen, and form their own opinions on complex issues rather than just being told information.
Environmental education promotes critical and creative thinking skills and inspires kids to become more engaged with their communities. It helps kids understand why the environment is important and provides them with the building blocks they need to live eco-friendly and sustainable lives. Rubicon’s annual Trick or Trash™ Halloween recycling campaign couples the recycling of candy wrappers with long-term recycling awareness in kids.
Each year we create educational materials to bring to life the importance of recycling and waste diversion, while introducing the concept of the “circular economy,” an important evolution of today’s mainstream “take-make-waste” production model. Here are four reasons why environmental education is important for kids:
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How important is the role of education in promoting environmental awareness?
Inspires awe and teaches respect – We live in an amazing world, and environmental education allows students to reconnect with nature and rediscover its beauty. By caring for the environment they can learn to become its stewards, recognizing that they have a role to play in solving the problems in our environment.
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INTRODUCTION Creating an Environment to Educate about the Environment The environment is becoming increasingly contaminated by our imagination. Most human activities cause the environment to become contaminated. This will affect both the global and regional levels.
- Thinning of the ozone layer and the increase in greenhouse gas emissions are examples of global losses.
- While water pollution, soil erosion is one of the few regional outcomes created by human activities and by them the environment is also affected.
- Environment education and awareness is comprehensive, continuing process, rooted in broad interdisciplinary base.
Environment education is multifaceted and touches upon every aspect of life. It aims to assist individuals an understanding that people are inseparable parts of an environmental system and that whatever they do alter their surroundings in both harmful and beneficial ways.
- Therefore, our voice is essential for environmental education for environmental protection and management.
- It is a right step to teach people and society the best way to utilize present and future resources.
- Through environmental education, all people can gain knowledge of correcting the fundamental issues leading to local pollution.
What is Environmental Education (EE)? Environmental education is a multi-disciplinary approach to the study of man’s problems of maintaining a livable Earth. Technically, environmental education is an expansion of study of ecology, a branch of biology dealing with inter-relationship of living organisms with one another and their surroundings.
- In environmental education, people are told that how to manage the ecosystem in order to maintain the environment and the pollution free environment.
- Environmental education provides the necessary skills and specialized knowledge to meet the challenges related to it.
- The main purpose of this education is to provide knowledge, to create awareness, to create an attitude of contemplation and to provide the necessary skills to control the environmental challenges.
Environmental Education after the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment organized by UNESCO in 1972 had gained reputation on a global scale. The concern for the environment in the present era found expression in the proclamation made to ‘Defend and improve the environment for the present and future generations’ by United Nations.
Immediately after this conference, UNESCO also launched the International Environmental Education Program (IEEP). Since then, the environmental problems have attracted the attention of a world cross- section of people all over the world. Objectives of Environmental Education The inter-governmental conference on environment education held at Tbilisi, USSR (1977) listed the following objectives of environmental education.1.
Knowledge: To help people acquire basic understanding of the total environment and associated problems.2. Attitudes:To help people acquire social values, strong feelings of concern for the environment and the motivation to act in protecting and improving it.3.
- Awareness: To help people acquire an awareness of and sensitivity to the total environment and its allied problems.4.
- Skills: To help people to acquire skills for solving such problems and to evaluate environmental measures.5.
- Participation: To help people develop a sense of responsibility and urgency regarding environmental problems and solutions.
Why is environmental education necessary? Each country is engaged in efforts to solve environmental concerns with education. According to these different countries, environmental education should not only be a part of the education system, but also participate in the political system, so that the work, policies and appropriate plans can be prepared at the national level.
Environmental education should be able to assess the environmental condition and play a leading role in reducing environmental damage. It should be planned according to the rules, because normal changes in daily life can make a huge contribution in improving the environment. Environmental Education and its Relevancy Environmental education shall have relevance to the following aspects; 1.
Public awareness 2. Identifications of environmental problems and solutions 3. Conservation and preservation of natural resources 4. Sustainable development 5. Successful and effective planning of national economy Security of the environment is the responsibility of everyone.
Therefore, environmental education should not be confined to a group or society, but every person should be aware of environmental protection. It should be a continuous and lifelong process and should be pragmatic towards environmental education so that it can be implemented properly. Environmental Awareness Environment awareness is the ABC of environmental literacy, environmental education, environmental issues, and environmental programs.
It is the first step of the ladder to the environmental security for sustainable development. We all know the environment is close to linked to human beings and hence influences their health and quality of life. So improving our environment by environmental awareness and education will improve the human health and well being of all.
- If the children are taught about the resources, environmental pollution, soil erosion, deflation and the protection and protection of endangered plants and extinct animals, the protection of the environment can be substantially improved.
- Education is a type of investment that changes over time as a valuable asset.
In India universities, there has been considerable focus on education, research and training. Over 20 different universities and institutions are taught courses like Environmental Engineering, Conservation and Management, Environmental Health and Social Science.
Environmental Awareness leads to understanding the environmental issues. Helps implementation of environmental programs, laws etc. Creates concern about environmental impact on Flora and Fauna and well being of man as well. Forms sink of environmentally aware people – Human Resource.
In order to promote nationwide environmental awareness, Government of India had established the Environmental Education Center (CEE) in August 1984 with the support of Ministry of Environment and Forests. One of the main functions of CEE is that efforts should be made to give proper recognition to the role of environmental education. Tags : Others
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How will you promote environmental awareness in your school & to your community?
Practical tips for schools – When it comes to raising awareness about environmental issues, a good place to start is by including lessons about the environment in school curriculums. All schools can learn something from the Eco-Schools Initiative. This global initiative, operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education, began in 1994 and encourages young people to become environmentally conscious.
Teach children about the three Rs: reduce waste, reuse resources and recycle materials. Organise tree planting days at schools and teach children why trees are important to the environment. Encourage children to switch off all appliances and lights when not in use. Encourage children to ensure taps are properly closed after use, and to use water sparingly.
Can education solve environmental problems?
Consider the argument that education is the most important tool in solving the environmental problems today. This is a sample essay from a 2017 JC2 block test. The examples used in this essay may be outdated so it is recommended that you research and use recent examples and happenings to show that you are updated about the world and its current affairs.
- This essay is longer than usual so just read through it and take down the important points/vocabulary you’d like to use in your essay.
- The environment has become the most popular area since the last three decades.
- Environmentalists are supposed to play a great role in urgent environmental issues such as ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, global warming, air pollution, and the like.
Environmental chemistry, which combines the application of chemical properties with an effort to maintain and enhance environmental quality, is representative of these changes. These factors indicate a clear link between human being and environmental chemistry.
It is noteworthy that many of these issues involve understanding chemical reactions and this makes environmental chemistry a particularly important and topical discipline. The world’s leadership is demanding of the chemistry community, the often competing outcomes of the continued development and production of massive amounts of chemicals that improve the human standard of living, and the responsible management, reduction, treatment, and disposal of chemicals.
Environmental problems are due to a combination of several factors. These factors cause both environmental and health problems. Some of the problems faced by humankind directly or indirectly are ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, acid rain, global warming, air-water pollution, and fossil fuel combustion.
- The chemical materials and processes are the most important among these.
- In addition, the exceed using of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) cause several environmental problems.
- Noticing the bad effects of chemistry and traditional energy sources on the environment and human life, environmentalists are trying to find solutions for a better life.
For this, teaching about environmental issues and the preservation of the world’s environment has become increasingly important across the globe. Those efforts show the importance of humans’ awareness about these problems in taking precautions. This awareness should be recognized by all countries for the safety of the next generations.
- During the last decades, the trend for environmental protection has expanded in various areas including education.
- Increased concern about the environment has paralleled the development of environmental education in the world.
- With this regard, both developed and developing countries have taken this reality into consideration in designing curricula for all schools.
I strongly feel that education is the most important tool to address environmental problems. Although in certain situations or in certain countries this might prove otherwise, it remains the most viable and significant tool to be used. Education is the most important tool in addressing environmental problems such as infusing the practicality of education principles in a real-life situation to address environmental problems such as environmental degradation.
- The environment is systematically being eroded by man’s actions.
- Man is increasingly disconnecting himself from nature.
- The best way to reestablish this connection is through education in the form of establishing a core area of study such as environmental education.
- Environmental education has been considered an additional or elective subject in much of traditional K-12 curriculum.
At the elementary school level, environmental education can take the form of science enrichment curriculum, natural history field trips, community service projects, and participation in outdoor science schools. EE policies assist schools and organizations in developing and improving environmental education programs that provide citizens with an in-depth understanding of the environment.
- School-related EE policies focus on three main components: curricula, green facilities, and training.
- Schools can integrate environmental education into their curricula with sufficient funding from EE policies.
- This approach – known as using the “environment as an integrating context” for learning – uses the local environment as a framework for teaching state and district education standards.
In addition to funding environmental curricula in the classroom, environmental education policies allow the financial resources for hands-on, outdoor learning. These activities and lessons help address and mitigate “nature deficit disorder”, as well as encourage healthier lifestyles.
- Green schools, or green facility promotion, are another main component, are another main component of environmental education policies.
- Greening school facilities cost, on average, a little less than 2 percent more than creating a traditional school, but payback from these energy efficient buildings occur within only a few years.
Environmental education policies help reduce the relatively small burden of the initial start-up costs for green schools. Green school policies also provide grants for modernization, renovation, or repair of older school facilities. Additionally, healthy food options are also a central aspect of green schools.
- These policies specifically focus on bringing freshly prepared food, made from high-quality, locally grown ingredients into schools.
- In secondary school, the environmental curriculum can be a focused subject within the sciences or is a part of student interest groups or clubs.
- At the undergraduate and graduate level, it can be considered its own field within education, environmental studies, environmental science and policy, ecology, or human/cultural ecology programs.
Environmental education is not restricted to in-class lesson plans. Children can learn about the environment in many ways. Experiential lessons in the schoolyard, field trips to national parks, after-school green clubs, and school-wide sustainability projects help make the environment an easily accessible topic.
Furthermore, the celebration of Earth Day or participation in Environmental Education week in America can help further environmental education. Effective programmes promote a holistic approach and lead by example, using sustainable practices in the school to encourage students and parents to bring environmental education into their home.
The final aspect of environmental education policies involves training individuals to thrive in a sustainable society. In addition to building a strong relationship with nature, citizens must have the skills and knowledge to succeed in a 21st-century workforce.
Thus, environmental education policies fund both teacher training and worker training initiatives. Teachers train to effectively teach and incorporate environmental studies. On the other hand, the current workforce must be trained or re-trained so they can adapt to the new green economy. However, education may not be the best tool in certain countries where the literacy rates are rather low and where monetary resources are not available to fund such extensive educational programmes.
Children in poor countries face many barriers to accessing education. Some are obvious – like not having a school to go to – while others are more subtle, like the teacher at the school not having had the training needed to effectively help children to learn.
While the Global Partnership for Education is helping many developing countries to increase their own domestic financing for education, global donor support for education is decreasing at an alarming rate. Total aid delivered for basic education has dropped for three years in a row, resulting in a 16% reduction between 2009 and 2012.
Aid to basic education is now at the same level as it was in 2008. This is creating a global funding crisis that is having serious consequences on countries’ ability to get children into school and learning. The 59 developing countries that are GPE partners face a funding shortage of $34 billion over the next four years for primary and secondary education.
- Money isn’t everything, but it is a key foundation for a successful education system.
- The Global Partnership is aiming to raise $3.5 billion in new investment from donor countries into the GPE fund, as well as increases in other aid to education, and is also asking developing country partners to pledge increases in their own domestic financing.
If these pledges are made, GPE estimate that they can leverage a further $16 billion in spending by developing countries on education, aiming to close the global education funding gap. From this, it is still very obvious that basic problems pertaining to education resources can be overcome.
- Environmental education policies are critical to educating citizens to prosper in a sustainable society and conclusively validates education as the most important tool to address environmental problems.
- Education can also empower individuals with the knowledge to be able to equip themselves when handling the environmental challenges of the future, and this makes it the most important tool.
The various environmental problems are not problems that can be solved a short-term time period. It is widely agreed that education is the most effective means that society possesses to confronting the challenges of the future. Indeed, education will shape the world of tomorrow.
Progress increasingly depends upon the products of educated minds: upon research, invention, innovation, and adaptation. Of course, educated minds and instincts are needed not only in laboratories and research institutes but in every walk of life. Indeed, access to education is the sine qua non for effective participation in the life of the modern world at all levels.
Education, to be certain, is not the whole answer to every problem. But education, in its broadest sense, must be the vital part of all efforts to imagine and create new relations among people and to foster greater respect for the needs of the environment.
Education must not be equated with schooling or formal education alone. It includes non-formal and informal modes of instruction and learning as well, including traditional learning acquired in the home and community. By defining education broadly, one also widens the community of educators, as the programme statement of Education 21 promoted within the United Kingdom notes, to include “teachers, lecturers, curriculum developers, administrators, support staff, industrial trainers, countryside rangers and staff, environmental health and planning officers, education officers with NGOs, community educators, youth leaders, parent association members, media people, representatives of learners in all contexts – and yet more.” One might further widen this community to include all those, whatever their role in society, who perceive a need or duty to inform and educate people regarding the requirements of a sustainable future.
International organizations such as the United Nations, ASEAN, and many others, besides government departments and institutions, foundations and many others are deeply involved in education in the broad sense of the term used here. The dangers of environmental problems are real and ever increasing in intensity and they can be effectively addressed by education.
The rise of a worldwide industrial civilization during the past century and the parallel development of more intensive forms of agriculture – based on the use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides – needed to feed and clothe a rapidly expanding population has placed unprecedented pressures and stresses on the world’s ecosystems.
The problems and dangers are manifold. In industrialized regions, the combustion of fossil fuels, the ‘lifeblood’ of modern civilization, is resulting in acidification of soils which is having a destructive impact on plants, forests and aquatic life in lakes and rivers.
- The use of fossil fuels is also responsible for the buildup of ‘greenhouse gases’ that are a key factor in global warming which is changing weather patterns and raising ocean levels around the world.
- Even a modest rise in the Earth’s average temperature, of say two to three degrees, would result in the inundation of vast amounts of fertile low-lying coastal lands and the disappearance of many islands.
A growing dependence on chemicals, many of which have never existed in nature, is having a damaging impact on plants and animals, leading even to the extinction of certain species and thus to a reduction in the world’s biodiversity. Chemicals are affecting the stratosphere, depleting ozone and exposing the Earth’s surface to higher levels of ultraviolet radiation known to cause skin and other cancers.
- In developing countries, land degradation presents perhaps the most immediate and urgent problem.
- As agricultural land per capita diminishes as a result of population growth and urbanization, it becomes essential to preserve the productivity of every available acre.
- Yet, perhaps the greatest environmental danger lies in problems that are little discussed, even among scientists, such as the impact of human activities on natural ‘nutrient cycles’ required to produce and balance elements essential to life: including carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen.
While the long-term effects of anthropogenic activities on the environment are either unknown or poorly understood, it is abundantly clear that delicate balances are being disturbed and disrupted. Some of these changes – e.g. the extinction of species – are already irreversible.
- Other processes may soon pass the point of no return if action is not taken promptly.
- Yet, measures to protect the environment are resisted by those who insist that the needs of development – rising living standards for growing numbers – must take precedence over ecological concerns.
- The challenge of sustainability involves reconciling and adjudicating conflicting claims and moving towards a development which is environmentally sound.
The best way to address these various environmental problems is through education. The importance of education was underscored at the nineteenth Special Session of the General Assembly (23-27 June 1997) convened to review the implementation of Agenda 21 five years after Rio.
The resolution adopted by the session emphasized that a “fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development is an adequately financed and effective educational system at all levels, particularly the primary and secondary levels, that is accessible to all and that augments both human capacity and well-being.
Even in countries with strong educational systems,” the resolution continues, “there is a need to reorient education, awareness, and training to increase widespread public understanding, critical analysis and support for sustainable development. Education for a sustainable future should engage a wide spectrum of institutions and sectors and should include the preparation of sustainable development education plans and programmes.” The rapid growth of knowledge has rendered the notion of schooling as a ‘once and for all’ preparation for life utterly obsolete.
- The growth of knowledge is advancing exponentially, yet not nearly as fast as the need for understanding and solution at which it is aimed.
- As concerns sustainable development specifically, it is impossible to predict with reliability what will be the key issues on which people will need information in five, ten, twenty or fifty years.
It is predictable, however, that such developments will not fit neatly into the existing and artificial sub-divisions of knowledge which have been in place for more than a century. Hence, understanding and solving complex problems is likely to require intensified co-operation among scientific fields as well as between the pure sciences and the social sciences.
- Reorienting education to sustainable development will, in short, require important, even dramatic changes, in nearly all areas.
- Ultimately, sustainable development will require an education that not only continues throughout life but is also as broad as life itself, an education that serves all people, draws upon all domains of knowledge and seeks to integrate learning into all of life’s major activities.
The time when education was the activity of childhood and work the pursuit of adults is long over. Education remains the most important tool to address environmental problems. “Until recently, the planet was a large world in which human activities and their effects were neatly compartmentalized within nations and within broad areas of concern (environmental, economic, social).
- These compartments have begun to dissolve.
- This applies in particular to the various global ‘crises’ that have seized public concern.
- These are not a separate crisis: an environmental crisis, a development crisis, an energy crisis.
- They are all one.” Reorienting education to sustainability requires recognizing that traditional compartments and categories can no longer remain in isolation from each other and that we must work increasingly at the interface of disciplines in order to address the complex environmental problems of today’s world.
: Consider the argument that education is the most important tool in solving the environmental problems today.
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How can you as a student protect the environment essay?
For this, there must be control of landslides, floods, and soil erosion. Furthermore, there should also be afforestation and tree plantation to conserve the soil. Also, terrace farming and using natural fertilizers are some more ways. Waste management is a powerful way of protecting the environment.
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What is the importance of environmental education essay?
Responsible action is taken to better the environment – EE helps students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment, builds knowledge and skills necessary to address complex environmental issues, as well as ways we can take action to keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future. Service-learning programs offered by PLT and other EE organizations provide students and teachers with support through grants and other resources for action projects.
How does the environment enhance children’s learning?
Why is the physical environment in childcare important for learning and play? – A well-arranged environment should enhance children’s development through learning and play. One of the most common ways children learn is through play – therefore their surrounding environments need to be designed and configured in alignment with the way they feel, act and behave.
- A positive physical environment allows children to grow and develop through activities, colours and textures.
- Poorly designed learning environments in childcare can have a negative effect on a child’s learning experience.
- For instance, positioning the reading and literacy area near the music area will cause major disruptions for children who are trying to concentrate.
The physical learning environment in early childhood is a clear depiction of the teacher’s planning and the student’s learning. An organised and comfortable space is one that will allow children to develop socially, emotionally and physically.
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Does environmental education improve student achievement give reasons for your answer?
Why Environmental Studies Is Important At All Levels Of Education Environmental Education Helps In Addressing Complex Environmental Issues, As Well As Take Action To Keep Our Natural World Healthy, Our Economies Productive, And Communities Vibrant. Education is the basis of everything in today’s world including the environment.
Environmental education connects us to the world around us and imparts knowledge about the current situation and future prospects of nature. It raises awareness of issues impacting the environment and also teaches people to explore all the problems related to the environment, and engage in wise ways of preserving it.
Whether we bring nature into the classroom, take students outside to learn. Environmental Education has many benefits; some of them are listed below. Imagination and enthusiasm are heightened Places with natural surroundings are best for artists to create their masterpieces.
- Poetry, painting, sculptures etc are all products of imagination.
- Environmental education is an interactive learning that sparks the imagination and unlocks creativity.
- Environmental education can make people recognize the hidden artist within them.
- Through Environmental education, one would know the rescue drills for natural calamities better, how to use your greens better etc.
Environmental education raises student achievement in core academic areas as students are more enthusiastic and engaged in learning. Awareness Awareness is necessary to take any further step towards protecting our environment, which is possible only from studying subjects related to our ecosystems.
- All the questions like what are the different species of plants and animals? What is sustainability and how can it be achieved? What are the components which constitute the universe? What are the issues the world is facing today? How can we ensure their long-term survival? Etc.
- Can be answered only if we learn about the environment and apply that knowledge practically.
Health With a depletion of the environment both physical and mental health gets affected. Environmental education helps in addressing some of the health issues which are commonly seen in children today, such as obesity, depression, and attention deficit disorders.
- One of the best benefits of environmental education is that it takes place outside the confines of a classroom.
- Students can experience serenity and the healing powers of nature.
- By exposing students to nature and allowing them to learn and play outside, Environmental education fosters good nutrition, sensitivity, appreciation, and respect for the environment.
Sustainability With the current rate of consumption of natural resources, it will be depleted far too fast for future generations to survive. Environmental education helps students understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment. It builds knowledge and skills necessary to address complex environmental issues and helps the people to understand the repercussions caused by over-exploitation and act accordingly.
It also teaches about ways we can take action to keep our environment healthy and sustainable for the future. Renewable sources of Energy Environmental education makes people understand the importance of renewable energy, Non-renewable sources of energy like petrol, diesel etc are the major sources of the,
In Environment education using renewable sources, like solar energy, wind energy etc, is encouraged as it is imperative in the fight against global warming. Apart from this the students who study environment can further educate people about the importance of nature and will also make people aware of the traditional and technical ways of protecting the planet.
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Why is environment important in supporting the learning and development of a child?
Page 1: Early Childhood Environments – Safe, responsive, and nurturing environments are an important part of supporting the learning and development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Such environments also help to prevent challenging behaviors and serve as a core component of interventions for infants and young children with identified disabilities.
According to the Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices (DEC-RP): “Environmental practices refer to aspects of the space, materials, equipment, routines, and activities that practitioners and families can intentionally alter to support each child’s learning across developmental domains.” Unfortunately, many practitioners are unsure how to create environments that support their children’s learning across different age groups (e.g., infants, toddlers, preschoolers) and developmental domains (e.g., social, communication, cognitive, motor).
Well-designed classroom* environments:
Support responsive caregiving Foster independence and feelings of competence in young children Encourage staff efficiency Promote children’s engagement Decrease challenging behavior Facilitate appropriate social interactions among children Provide structure and predictability