Jul 13, 2023

Why is Your Child's Learning Environment So Important?

The space of a good early childhood learning environment should be thoughtful and inviting. The Reggio Emilia Philosophy followed at KLA Schools believes that the environment in which a child explores is the third teacher, and can lead to better educational outcomes for children.

Here are some reasons why your child’s learning environment is so important.

Classroom environments are engaging

An engaging childcare classroom environment is spacious, organized, and filled with an abundance of natural, recycled, and open-ended materials. This supports children to explore their own ideas and interests, and guide their own learning. By designing classroom spaces with intention and purpose, children feel excited to interact with all materials and learn in a fun and inspiring environment.

Enrichment opportunities are readily available

In order for children to develop their talents and interests they must be able to try new things. Classrooms that are filled with music, dance, art, and technology are ideal for children to engage with enrichment opportunities.

For example, all KLA Schools locations offer an Atelier (French for “art studio” or “workshop”), which welcomes children to an inspiring array of natural and human-made materials such as clay, paper, fabric, wire, light, beads, shells, leaves, wood, and other. This way, children encounter experiences with the various media that progressively support all their languages of expression.

Additionally, before and after school program spaces should provide a quiet, cozy place for elementary aged students to work on homework, read, or spend time with friends after the end of the school day.

Common areas inspire learning and conversation

At KLA Schools, we have arranged the classrooms of our school around a central meeting place, or piazza. This area enables children to read together, display artwork, or share experiences with friends in other classes. Not only does this support children in building social skills, but it also enables them to learn from others and draw inspiration from a variety of sources.

Outdoor spaces offer opportunities for movement and development

Any parent who’s taken their child to a playground has seen how they express themselves physically and cultivate social relationships through play. Inspiring and inviting outdoor spaces work best when integrated into a classroom curriculum. Free play and physical education lessons encourage the development of gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, healthy habits, and teamwork – all valuable skills to support learning.

At KLA Schools, our spaces are intentionally designed to feature modern shared spaces and spacious, welcoming classrooms that inspire a sense of warmth and tranquility. We believe that a child’s learning environment can make a big difference in their overall education.