Learning environments professional learning package

This course looks at the role of the physical environment in children’s learning and the importance of setting up a well-organised indoor space. It will help you create a variety of rich play and learning spaces through effective organisation, showing that you don’t need to be a ‘designer’ to arrange a successful learning environment. The course includes written information and video interviews with educators that will help you assess your current indoor learning spaces.

This course is available within a standard ECA Learning Hub subscription.

This introductory course is about the importance of outdoor learning in young children’s lives. It will inspire you to create an outdoor learning environment full of wonder, curiosity and active play that will stimulate healthy risk-taking and support the development of skills such as agency, self- resilience and confidence. The course will also explain the role of active play in the outdoors and help you facilitate experiences based on children’s interests and needs. You will discover theories and approaches to planning in outdoor learning environments and find out how to overcome challenges in different service settings and locations. You will also be introduced to the concept of ‘going beyond the gate’ and how to embed this into your early learning curriculum.

This course is available within a standard ECA Learning Hub subscription.

According to architect Christopher Day, a building for small children must be magical and full of reverent wonder, like an ancient fairy tale.

The physical environment—often known as the ‘third teacher’—is a key factor underpinning good practice, and the way in which it is organised can shape children’s behaviour as learners. A carefully planned and well-organised environment can offer a range of learning experiences for children and adults alike.

In this on-demand webinar, Dr Luke Touhill talks about creating effective early learning environments that can capture the image of the child and shape the behaviour of both children and adults. He also examines what makes a successful learning environment.

This course is available within a standard ECA Learning Hub subscription.

Engineering creativity in loose parts play involves open-ended and easily manipulated materials that children can use to construct, deconstruct and transport, both to support them in developing working theories of the physical world and to augment their social and imaginative play.

Since Simon Nicholson first formally described this natural aspect of children’s play in 1971, understandings of loose parts play have widened and diversified. In contemporary research, it is considered to be completely without boundaries and mix easily with other kinds of learning.

This webcast will examine many practical examples of loose parts play using materials that are recovered, upcycled or drawn from nature. These include opportunities for loose parts play in infant and toddler spaces and in symbolic and imaginative play.

Special emphasis will be placed on provisions that are environmentally responsible, encourage co-operation and problem-solving, and are cheap as chips!

This course is available within a standard ECA Learning Hub subscription.