Description: The classroom environment is an essential component for maximizing learning experiences for young children. Inspiring Spaces for Young Children invites teachers to enhance children's educational environments in a beautiful way by emphasizing aesthetic environmental qualities that are often overlooked in early childhood classrooms, such as nature, color, furnishings, textures, displays, lighting, and focal points. Step-by-step instructions and lush photographs take educators through the process of transforming ordinary classrooms into creative, beautiful learning spaces, providing children with an environment where they can learn and grow. With easy-to-implement ideas that incorporate nature, children's artwork, and everyday classroom materials, the photographs and ideas in this book promote creativity, learning, and simple beauty.
Brief description: Jessica DeViney has been an employee of Children's Discovery Center since 1993 and is currently the Vice President of Marketing. She lives in Maumee, Ohio. Sara Harris is the Creative Director at the Children's Discovery Center where she designs, develops, and purchases equipment for classroom spaces both existing and for new builds. She lives with her family in Maumee, Ohio. Lois Rosenberry is the founder of Children's Discovery Center, a child care company with eight locations serving 1500 children. She has lectured at national conferences, authored kindergarten curriculum, and worked as a child care consultant for private and public organizations. She lives in Holland, Ohio.
Review Quotes: My agency manages a large NAEYC accreditation facilitation project. We have used the book, Inspiring Spaces for Young Children and the ROSIE Observation Scale for Inspiring Environments for training and technical assistance to inform project participants of the important ways design and the aesthetics of the classroom environment affect the overall learning experienced by the children in their care. Using the design principles, they assess their own space, and tie outcomes to meeting accreditation requirements. We have used the book and the Rosie Scale to assist over 40 providers to become NAEYC accredited since 2011. We consider it to be an essential tool for our work. - Sherry L. Trebus, Child Care Policy and Quality Assurance Manager, Workforce Solutions of Central Texas