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Early Years Leadership And Management

How Do You Plan An Enabling Environment?

4th October 2021

Enabling Environments

By Sarah Detheridge

 

What is an enabling environment and why is it important in early years?

From birth, children actively seek out information about how the world works.  An enabling environment is one which provides a rich, varied and safe space in a setting in which children can play, explore and learn. This can contribute greatly to children’s learning and development in the early years. The environment is more than just a physical space. Opportunities for trial and error, exploration, questioning, invention and experimentation develop in play within the environment. Friedrich Froebel (early 1800s) compared designing an environment for children to planning an organic and ever-changing garden which can inspire and guide children’s imagination and involvment. The characteristics of effective learning show us what learning looks like in children, yet they should not only be confined to early childhood learning but extended throughout our adult lives so that we have the skills to become lifelong learners.

The Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (2021) places emphasis on the role of teaching and support from adults as key to an enabling environment. However, according to the Reggio approach the environment is recognised as a “third teacher”, parents and carers being the first two.  Piaget stated that; “Every time we teach a child something, we keep him from inventing it himself. On the other hand, that which we allow him to discover for himself will remain with him visible for the rest of his life”. Therefore it is important that the teachers focus on setting out the environment in a way that is not only accessible to children, but also engaging.

When reflecting upon an enabling environment, we need to consider the emotional environment as well as the indoor and outdoor environment. The emotional environment refers to what the atmosphere of a setting feels like, how people behave, interact with one another and how inclusive it is.  Good relationships are key to what makes up a supportive, caring environment so children learn and develop well.  These three aspects of the environment together make up the environment for play and learning in the EYFS.

©Abby McLeod – EYS Facebook

 

©Abby McLeod – EYS Facebook

How do you plan an enabling environment?

  • Consider the environment from the child’s perspective – get down to their level and imagine heights and what the environment looks like from lower down. Use an environmental audit to prompt you and record your observations.
  • Respond to individual needs, interests and schemas
  • Have defined areas or zones that reflect the 7 areas of learning in both indoor and outdoor environments
  • Have sufficient resources (this does not necessarily mean buying lots of new ones, but offering what you have in different ways, moving areas)
  • Promote self-selection of resources in play and other times such as meals and snack times
  • Organisation is key – plan ahead to prevent boredom or lapse in routine
  • Label items with photos/pictures and words
  • Is there a space for children to “just be” a quiet place for wonder? (Stacey, 2019)
  • Plan activities that can be explored over a period of time, repeated and pursued in depth
  • Modelling ‘thinking aloud” and talking through activities. Remembering that language is a prime tool for thinking (Stewart, 2011)
  • Plan activities that focus on process rather than product
  • Provide interesting objects to explore without adult intervention
  • Consider if your resources reflect equality, diversity and meet special educational needs
  • Think about the atmosphere and mood that you want to create. Babies and young children are very perceptive of this
  • Knowing each child really well can help with the emotional environment (through home visits, parental communication and key person approach)
  • Clear routines for the day. Children are more likely to be settled in their environment if this is the case.  Having a visual timetable that is accessible to all
  • Promote and model positivity and can do attitudes
  • De-junk, fix and review areas regularly
  • Involve the children in planning for their environments
  • Plan for outside
  • Think about the environment in terms of the 5 senses (what can be seen, touched, smelled, heard and tasted)
  • Some settings and schools are using ‘The revised Bloom’s Taxonomy’ (2001) to promote questioning at different levels (remembering, understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating and creating) therefore going above the who, what, when, where and why questions, we have some questions to put onto the wall to prompt adults
  • Encourage divergent thinking: What else is possible? (Stewart, 2011)
  • Carry out peer to peer observation on the environment, use our template here
  • Use a variety of differentiated resources inside and outside, our continuous provision planning documents have a large resource list

 

©Your Nursery Limited – EYS Facebook

Keeping the environment organised and clean is essential so that children can be focused and not too overwhelmed by clutter.  I have always been a strong believer in ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ and shows that we have respect for our environment and the resources in it.  Whilst we want to create an environment that is stimulating, too many resources, colours, displays on walls can inhibit and distract concentration levels.

In the words of Maria Montessori “adults admire their environment; they can remember it and think about it – but a child absorbs it. The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul. He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see, and his ears hear”.

Please see our Early Years Staffroom  ( earlyyearsstaffroom.com) website for further resources to help.  Look out for the following:

 

Open Questions for the Environment Inside and Outside.

 

Environment Audit – Ensure your setting or school not only meets basic standards but is the best it can be and get ideas to go above and beyond.

 

Additional resources can be found online such as a toolkit called ‘My Space – creating enabling environments’

https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/childreneducationandfamilies/informationforchildcareproviders/Toolkit/My_Space_Creating_enabling_environments_for_young_children.pdf

References

Stacey, S. Inquiry-Based Early Learning Environments – Creating, Supporting and Collaborating (2019)

Stewart, N. How children learn – The characteristics of effective early learning (2011)

  • Product Reviews
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05/31/2022
Yasmine
United Kingdom
These are beautifully made and really useful for extending my more able.
05/28/2022
Emma B.
United Kingdom
This training was fantastic. Really made me think and reflect on ways to improve. Just brilliantly honest and straight to the point.
05/19/2022
Charlotte K.
United Kingdom
This is great we have printed it out and we use daily for the Nursery children for a short Phonics activity. It has saved me loads of time and is really well thought out and each activity is clearly explained so the staff know what to do. Each time they teach Phonics they are becoming more...This is great we have printed it out and we use daily for the Nursery children for a short Phonics activity. It has saved me loads of time and is really well thought out and each activity is clearly explained so the staff know what to do. Each time they teach Phonics they are becoming more confident with presenting.
05/08/2022
Miss G.
United Kingdom
This is so helpful to give to parents. A great help. Thanks
05/01/2022
Mary
United Kingdom
This is so amazing thank you so much for making plans appropriate for Early Years!
03/14/2022
jane
United Kingdom
Very please with my purchase, brilliant phonics activities.
01/03/2022
amy
United Kingdom
Really helpful planning - good ideas.
11/23/2021
Jill.R
United Kingdom
Great Book, really helpful phonics planning. Would definitely recommend when teaching phonics to children.
09/20/2021
Mrs C.
United Kingdom
Highly recommend this informative phonics book. Everything you need to know about phase 1 and explained in good detail.
08/06/2021
Jayne
United Kingdom
This was absolutely brilliant, thank you x
04/30/2021
Candela M.
United Kingdom
I love this! Thank you very much, I was wondering if there was an editable version for this please? Does it have all of the development matters objectives?
10/22/2020
Mrs C.
United Kingdom
gREAT PLANNING FOR DIWALI, ESPECIALLY THE MUSIC THAT WE CAN PLAY DURING OUR PE LESSON OR PLAY WHILST WE MAKE OUR RANGOLI PATTERNS OR DIVAS. THANK YOU , A GREAT RESOURCE.
10/02/2020
Claire H.
United Kingdom
This training is superb! Such an important message that all schools need to hear with regards to behaviour management! The science of how the brain works really helps to show how crucial it is to build strong nurturing relationships and how we as adults need to self regulate before we can support...This training is superb! Such an important message that all schools need to hear with regards to behaviour management! The science of how the brain works really helps to show how crucial it is to build strong nurturing relationships and how we as adults need to self regulate before we can support children to do the same. Some powerful thought provoking messages about how we need to respond to children's emotions and behaviours and some great tips to try to support children's wellbeing. Thank you for this fabulous training.
09/16/2020
Mary S.
United Kingdom
I am an NQT and in Reception for the first time, this is so helpful for me to teach my children the basics and ease gently into phonics to ensure all of my children are ready before we start phase 2. Thank you so much for making my life easier!
08/26/2020
Debbie
United Kingdom
This PPT is great. Could you give me an idea of the tune to the goodbye song please. Thank you, Debbie
08/25/2020
Jill
United Kingdom
Great resource
03/27/2020
Jorgia H.
United Kingdom
I loved this and enjoyed making something for the birds in the garden. We watched them eat it and used the bird spotting sheet to see which type of birds they are.
03/11/2020
Jane
United Kingdom
This is a really helpful display.
03/07/2020
Claire
United Kingdom
Thank you for creating these. They look perfect for exploring pattern and loose parts play. I will be printing these to use in my class asap. I love the patterns use loose parts as well as natural resources too!
03/06/2020
Lisa
Hong Kong SAR China
Great sound mat. good detail
03/05/2020
Claire
United Kingdom
These statements are fab for using on display and save teachers so much time! I will be printing these and getting them up in my new displays asap!
01/17/2020
Rebecca
Spain
Lovely handout to give to parents , every parent should read this ! Thanks.
12/13/2019
Bonnie
United Kingdom
I love these cards, lovely pictures and great for my children to use with sentence writing.
11/28/2019
Zoe.H
United Kingdom
Thanks. Going to use these cards today.
11/15/2019
Rachel
United Kingdom
Thanks for creating this Bingo resource. Any plans to create more suffix word resources ?
10/23/2019
jenny
Japan
Just download, got some great planning ideas. Thanks.
10/01/2019
Sara-Jayne
These are an excellent resource, as you can adapt for what you need in your setting. thank you.
08/28/2019
Miss G.
These are great, just what I've been looking for.
08/26/2019
Heather R.
would highly recommend this resource to any year 1 teachers. It's got everything you need.
08/26/2019
Zoe M.
Just printed this off, thanks - just what I was looking for.
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