9.1: Designing Literacy Rich Play Environments

Designing Literacy-Rich Play Environments

Optimal learning environments are designed with intentionality. When considering how to orchestrate effective literacy-rich environments for young children, educators strategically reflect on how the physical environment invites children to actively use language in personally relevant ways. The principles of universal design guide educators’ decisions about how to establish literacy routines that support all learners within a particular learning environment. Originally, architects used the concept of universal design to ensure people with diverse interests, abilities, and needs were able to successfully navigate a particular space with ease (e.g., curb cuts, flexible seating, wide pathways, and automated doors and lights). Educators use concepts of universal design to ensure all children are able to meaningfully take part in and access the learning environment (Dinnebee, Boat, & Bae, 2013). When educators use concepts of universal design, they not only think critically about the physical spaces children occupy, they also think about how the learning experiences they create engage and support learners with diverse background experiences.

Figure 9.1.1 Teachers use elements of the environment to engage students, such as light play with shapes.

Universal design principles encourage educators to (a) develop curricular routines and classroom spaces that meet the needs of all children, (b) recognize learning pathways for children are unique, (c) appreciate learning differences as a natural part of classroom communities, and (d) use open-ended learning opportunities that allow children to represent their understandings in diverse ways (Dinnebell et al., 2013). As described, these principles advocate for learning environments that are inclusive, flexible, and open for all learners as opposed to making modifications for individual children. The universal design principles ask educators to consciously attend to both the physical aspects of an environment that define learning spaces as well as the intangible classroom experiences that engage children emotionally, socially, and cognitively.

Physical Literacy Learning Environments

At the most basic level, the physical environment refers to the design and layout of the classroom. The decisions educators make about how to arrange the physical environment within a classroom has implications for the types of activities, behaviors, and learning routines children and educators experience. While there are elements of the physical environment that are beyond an educator’s control, (e.g., the overall size of the space and design details like sinks, bathroom accessibility, and electrical outlets) educators enjoy control over the learning spaces found in early childhood classrooms. Effective learning environments use a combination of visual cues (e.g., signs and pictures to identify learning spaces or processes) and structural features (e.g., rugs, low shelves, beanbags, play furniture, and tables) to divide the classroom into distinct learning spaces. The visual cues and structural features work together to guide children’s behaviors, engage learners, and inspire literacy explorations.

To meet children’s learning preferences and needs, classroom designs include flexible individual and small group learning spaces. Classrooms also need a space large enough for a whole group of children to come together for shared experiences. The whole group space may actually prove to be the trickiest of all to “fit in.” The space needs to be large enough and situated so all children are able to share in the learning opportunity. Children’s sight-lines need to be clear and they need to be able to sit comfortably. For some children, this means providing wiggle cushions or small chairs, others need room to safely extend or bend their legs as needed to ensure they are comfortable. Traffic flow in and around this space needs to be flexible and open as well. An open design will allow guests, teachers, and children to enter and move around the space more easily and enhance children’s engagement.

Figure 9.1.2 Whole group space works well for read-aloud time.

Establishing the primary learning areas first will help divide the room into distinct activity zones. When initially designing classroom spaces for children, educators stop to identify the types of learning opportunities they want young children to experience and where these experiences will take place. Common early learning areas include, but are not limited to, library nooks, home living corners, STEM centers, art exploration stations, and construction zones. The names of the learning areas suggest the types of learning activities children will experience and promote different kinds of play and explorations. Thoughtful arrangement of learning centers and activity zones within a classroom supports positive literacy behavior patterns.

Pause and Consider: Establishing Effective Classroom Climates

Take a moment to read Table 9.1.1 “General Guidelines for Establishing an Effective Classroom Environment.” As you read, consider how each suggestion might impact children in the learning environment. After reading the selection, make a mental list of characteristics of a literacy rich classroom, or use materials to create a mock map. One possible app for classroom design can be found at: http://classroom.4teachers.org/

Table 9.1.1 “General Guidelines for Establishing an Effective Classroom Environment”

• Divide the classroom into quadrants (wet, dry, noisy, quiet)
• Ensure wet areas are separated from dry areas and noisy areas are separate from quiet areas
• Design flexible whole, small group, and independent learning spaces
• Use furniture and materials to provide boundaries and define learning spaces
• Carpets, low shelving, front-facing book shelves, tables, chairs, open storage bins with writing tools and material, and easels inspire children’s engagement within particular spaces
• Create soft and hard literacy play and learning spaces by offering flexible and moveable seating options, diverse writing surfaces, and cozy spots for reading, writing, and conversing
• Organize materials for easy accessibility to support literacy practices and make clean-up easier
• Label classroom spaces, shelves, and storage bins with words and pictures to guide children’s patterns of behavior and infuse the classroom with meaningful print

Building Areas for Literacy-Rich Play

Intentional learning areas invite children to engage in hands-on, minds-on explorations of their literacy worlds. During play children use and develop critical thinking skills while increasing their oral language and other emergent literacy skills and understandings. As Heath (1983) explains,

In their play, the children tell stories to each other or they monologue their creations. They frame parts of the whole drama of adulthood in sandboxes, corners of the playroom, or the play yard. But there they also declare themselves members of the world of children and members of a community which does not let its members ever go too far or too long away from the constraints of reality (p. 162).

Literacy-rich play spaces and learning experiences encourage children to explore their understandings of the world. To inspire children’s active incorporation of diverse literacy practices in play, educators need to take time to reflect on (a) the amount of time children engage in dramatic and guided play experiences, (b) the accessibility of intentional materials that inspire creative literacy play opportunities, and (c) the language they use to scaffold children’s understandings and support literacy-rich play experiences. Through their interactions with purposeful materials, educators, and peers, children manipulate and use language in flexible ways to learn about and influence their world. Literacy-rich play areas strategically infuse literacy tools (e.g. books, writing paper, pencils, stamps, envelopes, etc. ) and props (e.g. mailboxes, puppet theatres, recipe boxes, lab coats, aprons, etc.) to increase children’s incorporation of play scenarios that use their emerging oral language, reading, and writing skills (Walfersberger et al., 2004). “Literacy Enriched Learning Areas” provides examples of how educators enrich learning areas to intentionally promote children’s literacy explorations.

As you review Table 9.1.2, consider how the materials invite children to engage meaningfully in literacy rich spaces and nurture children’s literacy understandings.

Table 9.1.2 “Literacy Enriched Learning Areas”

Literacy Enriched Learning Areas

Learning Area	Emergent Literacy Purpose	Examples of Relevant Literacy-Rich Materials
Library	Connects young children to books Promotes print awareness Supports children’s comprehension and interpretations of text Extends children’s oral language opportunities and enhances children’s vocabulary through story telling	Books on a range of topics Books from multiple genres Books with diverse representations of children and families (i.e., culturally, ability, socio-economically, geographically, and children and families with diverse gender and sexual orientations) Puppets/Stuffed animals for children to read to and engage in story retelling Soft materials (i.e., pillows and cushions) Puppet theatres Felt boards
Writing	Encourages children to understand letters combine to represent words in a written form Develops children’s letter formation Supports letter/sound connection Expands opportunities for children to write in personally meaningful ways	Various types of paper Writing utensils (pencils, colored pencils, pens, markers) Clip boards Hole punch/stapler for making books Envelopes Ink pads and stamps Magnetic letters Chalk and chalkboards Dry erase boards and markers
Dramatic Play	Inspires children’s oral language and supports vocabulary development Invites children to manipulate text in diverse ways Promotes creative expression	Themed props to encourage imagination and discovery Bakery theme: recipe cards, cake boxes, cake pans, spatulas, etc. Animal shelter: animal name cards, adoption certificates, veterinarian health charts, etc. Post office: envelopes, mail boxes, stamps, boxes, labels, scales, etc. Restaurant: menus, note pads, welcome signs, etc. Writing utensils Paper
Math	Encourages children’s oral language fluency with mathematical and scientific concepts Extends children’s vocabulary in personally relevant ways Promotes mathematical literacy counting, Cardinality (the total number in a set), Mathematical operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing) Algebraic thinking, Measurement, Data collection, and Geometry (shapes, lines, dimensions, etc.)	Manipulatives Counting bears Snap cubes Blocks Cars Collections of “things” Paper Graph paper Tape measures Rulers Writing utensils Weights
Art Exploration	Extends children’s voices by providing opportunities for children to use multiple mediums to express themselves and represent their ideas Nurtures creativity Promotes higher order thinking skills, including planning, designing, experimenting, and examining Develops fine motor skills and eye hand coordination for detailed work with their fingers and hands	Construction materials (know your learners–safety first as always) Glue Tape String Staples Magnets Hammer and nails Scissors Recyclables (boxes, cardboard tubes, cans etc., Paper all kinds, sizes, and colors Natural items (boards, sticks, rocks, slates, etc.) Paint Clay Playdough Crayons Markers Pastels Pencils Colored pencils
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)	Promotes inquiry-based thinking Encourages children to ask questions about how their physical world works Supports children’s documentation of their thinking and wonderings using words, print, pictures, drawings, diagrams, videos, etc. Domain specific vocabulary Scientific method (e.g. investigation, hypothesis, research, inquiry) Physical science (e.g. volcano, earthquake, ocean) Biology (e.g., chrysalis, hive, stem) Chemistry (e.g. reaction, dissolve, combine) Technology (e.g. coding, streaming, cloud)	Natural elements (leaves, shells, snake skins, dirt, water, ice, seeds, etc.) Physical elements (ramps, marbles, wheels, magnets, pulleys, ropes, etc.) STEM inquiry tools Magnifying glasses Graph Paper Markers Tape measures Rulers Scales Science Logs Measuring Cups

As the Literacy Enriched Learning Areas table demonstrates, once foundational structures are decided upon, educators can enrich the learning environment with a variety of materials to scaffold children’s literacy interactions. Classroom environments that are predictable support intangible, emotional elements that impact the nature of instructional literacy play experiences, children’s learning progressions, and educator-child interactions (Reutzel & Jones, 2013). Intentional design strategies help educators create places where children feel comfortable exploring their environment and empower children to modify learning spaces to meet their play goals and preferences.

Figure 9.1.3 Children extend their play and build on their language with each other at the sensory table.

References

Dinnebell, L. A., Boat, M., & Bae, Y. (2013). Integrating principles of universal design into the early childhood curriculum. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 41(1), 3–14.

Heath, S. B. (1983). Ways with words: Language, life, and work in communities and classrooms. Cambridge University Press.

Reutzel, D. R., & Jones, C. D. ( 2013). Designing and managing effective early childhood classroom environments. In D. R. Reutzel (Ed.), Handbook of research-based practice in early education (pp. 81–99). Guilford Press.

Wolfersberger, M. E., Reutzel, D. R., Sudweeks, R., & Fawson, P. C. (2004). Developing and validating the classroom literacy environment profile (CLEP): A tool for examining the “print richness” of early childhood and elementary classrooms. Journal of Literacy Research, 36(2), 211–272. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15548430jlr3602_4

Image Credits

Image, Section 5.2 & 5.4: Lucy La Croix. [Nest] CC BY 2.0.

Figure 9.1.1: Longwood University. [Light Play] CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Figure 9.1.2: Longwood University. [Large Area With Storybook] CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Figure 9.1.3: Longwood University. [Child Extending Kitchen Play With Measuring Cups and Pans] CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.