THE CLASSROOM AS AN EVOLVING LANDSCAPE:

CLASSROOM DESIGN AND ROUTINE

Introduction
• Most preschools and child care centres in Malaysia settled at housing area and
business centres.
• Even the centres that are purposefully built for child care are often designed with
more to adult priorities than children’s needs.
• Ideally, if architect and child care professionals could work together to create the
best possible environment for young children.
• Deciding about room layout with the right space is very important.

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 The Illustration

Activity areas:
• Location
Design for quality indoor • Boundaries
space • Play and sitting surfaces
• Storage
• Mood

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 Activity Areas

• Open structure rooms let children choose from a variety of activity stations.
• There may be: a reading area, a block area, project-based learning area and
active play area.
• Anita Olds in her book has listed 5 attributes to consider for each activity
station :
i) Location
ii) Boundaries
iii) Play surfaces
iv) Storage
v) Mood

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 Activity Areas

5 attributes to consider for each activity station:

i) Location
• Entries and exits need to be clearly defined and pathways direction.
• Room regions and zones are divided into 2: wet region (entry zone and messy
zone) and dry region ( active zone, quiet zone and outdoor zone).

a) Wet region - The entry zone is where the children’s personal are stored (personal
space).
• The messy zone includes tables, chairs, easels, woodworking benches, sand and
water centers, nature study and a kitchen area.
• It needs to have access to sinks and ideally access to the outside play area.
• Floor surface is an important consideration here. Avoid slippery type of flooring.

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 Activity Areas

5 attributes to consider for each activity station:

i) Location
b) Dry region – the active zone supports large motor play, music and movement and
dramatic play.
• The quiet zone contains blocks, manipulative and construction play area, books,
games or just places to be cozy at.
• Many of the activities happen on the floor. So it requires less furniture.
• Types of flooring: comfortable type like the carpeting, terrazzo and so on.

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 Activity Areas

5 attributes to consider for each activity station:

ii) Boundaries
• Boundaries protect the work and children’s play activities.
• When the paths are well defined, children could move quickly and easily from
one activity to another.
• Children need the freedom to explore using all their senses; move between activity
areas and mix or connect different activities.

iii) Play and sitting surfaces

• Children’s play areas can offer a variety of things to do and a variety of places for
play.
• A bookshelf offers picture books and reading books, fiction and fact, songbooks
and reference books.
• May have a couch instead of individual chairs.

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 Activity Areas

5 attributes to consider for each activity station:

iv) Storage
• Good storage is:
- located close to the point of use
- able to comfortably hold and distinctively display contents when open
- the right size and shape for space
- aesthetically pleasing
- clear and understandable to its user
- safe

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 Activity Areas

5 attributes to consider for each activity station:

v) Mood
• A tight/crowded space may encourage children to work together but also can lead
to aggression and frustration.
• Too wide space in a room can cause children to be restless and unfocused and
reduce interaction with peers.
• Reducing clutter and installing flexible furnishings can maximize the use of the
area.
• Using dividers to create activity areas or pockets reduces distraction.
• The reading area should be quiet and soft; the art area colourful and creative and
the dramatic play area should be imaginative and fun.
• Plants, rugs, wall hangings creates a beautiful and caring atmosphere.
• A well organized, homelike environment encourages good behaviour and positive
interaction.

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 Guide to Space Planning

1. Make an overall room plan

• Draw the basic shape of the room to scale on graph paper.

• Mark in all the fixed features: windows, doors, sinks and floor surfacing.

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 Guide to Space Planning

2. Mark in the flow.

• Paths should have direct access to all areas and doors.

• Main flow goes from the entry door to all other doors, exits, bathrooms and
storage with one path going into the center of the room.

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 Guide to Space Planning

3. Locate and circle the protected corners.

• This will help you reserve prime space for quiet activities such as reading.
• Farthest from the entry door.
• Locate it at one end corner.
• No doors or flow-paths going through.

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 Guide to Space Planning

4. Divide into wet and dry regions and divide into zones

i) Wet region:
• Entry zone (children’s personal storage; staff personal storage; parent sign-in &
communication)
• Messy zone (toileting or changing; eating/snack; water; sand; clay;
painting; art/woodworking; cooking, science, nature & pets)

ii) Dry region:

• Active zone (large blocks; dramatic play; doll play; miniatures; puppet play, music
& movement; gross motor play).
• Quiet zone (sleeping/resting; reading; listening; manipulative; writing;
small
blocks; math)

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Guide to Space Planning

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 Guide to Space Planning

5. Decide what activity areas are needed and locate them in the appropriate zone.

6. Create a space for each area

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Guide to Space Planning

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THANK YOU

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