Creating the right environment for young children is vital in supporting their development and learning. During the early years, children learn through play, through interacting with each other, with adults, and with their environment. The Reggio Emilia approach views the environment as ‘the third educator’, playing as important a role in children’s learning as the adult. It is vital to give children the space, time, and freedom to play, in an environment that is stimulating and enables independence, creativity, and imagination. Open-ended resources create countless opportunities for children to develop their understanding of the world, communicating, solving problems, and making decisions.

Thought must be given to providing a variety of environments, for large and small play, areas to make noise, and those to be quiet. Free flow access to varied indoor and outdoor environments encourages children to make choices, follow their interests and curiosities, and access opportunities and experiences they will enjoy. Frequent and prolonged access to natural outdoor environments has been proven vital in the well-being of young children, making this a necessary element of the children’s experience.

The learning objectives for this course are as follows:

1. To increase awareness of the value of the environment in young children’s development and learning
2. To understand how to create stimulating and enabling environments which nurture independence, creativity, and imagination
3. To appreciate the importance of providing open-ended resources and loose parts
4. To be able to resource the indoor environment and provide regular, prolonged access to outdoor spaces and natural resources

This course will ensure your practice is in line with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, The Early Years Framework and The Foundation Phase. It will also support your continuous professional development in line with the Early Years Teachers Standards.

Upon booking this course, we will discuss the learning objectives and outcomes you wish to achieve based on the children in your care. We can provide you with an advanced version for seniors or managers or facilitate a train the trainer course.

Should you wish to discuss your needs before making a booking, please call 0800 774 7874.

If you have less than 5 learners who require the above training please consider our online version.