Problem Solving: Environments, Materials, Schedules and Routines

Attention

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to

  • Create a developmentally appropriate floor plan for infants and toddlers
  • Suggest developmentally appropriate materials for infants and toddlers
  • Discuss the importance of setting up an environment and selecting appropriate materials for infants and toddlers
  • Develop a daily schedule for infants and toddlers
  • Develop routines for infants and toddlers
  • Discuss the importance of daily schedules and routines for infants and toddlers

Teaching

Problem solving can be defined as the process of designing, evaluating and implementing a strategy that addresses a problem or reaches a desired goal.

I remember when early childhood classrooms started to combine infants and toddlers in one classroom instead of separating them out into three different age groups (infants, mobile infants, and two year olds). They started combining in response to the research around primary caregiving and continuity of care. However, despite the research, people were worried. How would they assure that the babies were safe? How would they accommodate the developmental needs of everyone? Those toddlers have so much energy and the babies need one on one care. Toddlers have a set routine and babies make up their own schedule. How would they balance the hands-on (and sometimes teeth-on) play of the toddlers and feed an infant at the same time? Many of caregivers thought it would be disastrous. These questions plus many more came up.

There is no doubt that it can be challenging have a room full of 6 week – 3 year olds. The developmental stages are vastly different but with intentional arrangement of the environment, routines and developmentally appropriate materials for all, it is very successful. Teachers found that the older children learned empathy and leadership skills. The younger ones looked up to the older ones and had more opportunity to build skills. Not to mention the benefit of a longer period of time with your primary caregiver and continuity of care. Soon it became a win-win. With a team to problem solve with and the support of research and resources, what was once thought was going to be a problem, turned into something quite beneficial.

Problem solving made a win-win.

A bit about developmentally appropriate environments
Arranging a classroom environment is part of the "curriculum." An appropriately designed environment promotes all of the developmental domains, decreases behaviors and provides a safe space for children to independently explore and flourish. Areas of an appropriately designed space should include spaces for:

  • Movement
  • Language and literacy
  • Building
  • Dramatic play
  • Privacy
  • Sensory play
  • Sleep
  • And more

Other considerations to assure the warmth of the building need to include

  • Flooring
  • Lighting
  • Paint colors
  • And more

Lastly, you must follow safety and licensing considerations such as

  • Choking hazards
  • Locking cabinets for hazardous materials
  • Staff to child ratio
  • Outlet covers
  • Window size and openings
  • And more

Environmental planning and design is clearly not something as easy as just spiffing up your living room to take in 8 infants and toddlers. Even the lists above do not cover half of the things that need to be considered. For more information read:

  1. Landscape for Learning
  2. 79-84, 96-100 in your Developmentally Appropriate Practice text
  3. State of Maine Childcare Licensing
  4. Maine Infant Toddler Guidelines
  5. Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale – Play around with the site to gain more additional information about how the scale is used to assess infant and toddler environments

A bit about developmentally appropriate materials Materials are often considered as part of the environment but by definition covers anything that is accessible or could be accessible to the children. For example, obvious materials to include in the classroom would be soft toys, books, cars, balls, dress up clothes, etc. Not so obvious materials that you have to consider are the type of glue you use, the size of paintbrushes, and other art materials (NO GLITTER). I know it can be a huge bummer to constantly check materials that infants and toddler are exposed to but there are guidelines in place for a reason.

One major precaution is to assure is that no material can fit into a choke tube. Another is to assure nothing is toxic. Teachers should also assure that selected materials are ones that children cannot get their fingers stuck in, cut off circulation or potentially cut them. This includes hair elastics, strings, GLITTER and more. Yes, no glitter. Loose glitter is a hazard if children get it in their eyes. Infant and toddlers are notorious for rubbing those sweet eyes with their hands when they are sad, tired, angry or just because. If one were to get glitter in their eye, it could scratch their cornea and cause major eye problems or even blindness if it is bad enough. Glitter can be added to homemade sensory bottles or glitter glue can be used with supervision, but loose glitter is never a good option with infants and toddlers.

When considering toys for the classroom, sometimes less is more. Children can often feel overwhelmed if there are too many options and things are cluttered It is best to put out enough so that children have options but not so much that they cannot choose. Another consideration is to use every day materials. It is not necessary to buy the best of the best. In fact, the more materials that are used every day, the more the child will learn about his or her surroundings and the way things work. It also shows the families that they do not need to spend tons of money on their child. Different sized plastic containers can encourage math skills, problem solving, engineering and social skills turn taking (if someone is playing with them).

The last consideration for toys is making sure that you understand the purpose of the toy. If you provide toys for the children to play with, you must model how to use it and be purposeful. Otherwise, the child will not know what to do with it.

For more information about materials read:


  1. Using Toys 
  2. 79-84, 96-100 in your Developmentally Appropriate Practice text
  3. Maine Infant Toddler Guidelines
  4. Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale – Play around with the site to gain more additional information about how the scale is used to assess infant and toddler materials

A bit about schedules
Schedules are also a huge part of the curriculum. You may remember a bit from earlier lessons about how the brain is pattern seeking. A daily schedule can create a sense of security and dependency. The studies have been clear that children feel more secure in a place that has a consistent schedule and they can anticipate what comes next. As they get older, they start to count on it! Now this doesn't mean that you can never stray from the schedule or have any flexibility. However, the general outline should always remain the same.

Most days look like this

  • 7:30 - Arrival
  • 8:00 - Breakfast
  • 9:00 - Tooth brushing, handwashing and diaper changes
  • 9:15 - Choice time
  • 10:00 - Outside!
  • 10:45 -Back inside for circle
  • 11:00 - Handwashing and lunch
  • 11:30- Brushing teeth and diapers
  • 12:00 - Rest time
  • Etc.

So if you know it is going to rain at 10:30 when it is outside time, you may scoot out right after breakfast instead. Just don't forget to talk to the children about it during breakfast. Point to the daily schedule and say, "today we are going to go outside after breakfast just in case it rains later! When we come in, then we will have choice time." Of course the infants will have no idea what you are saying, but the toddlers will have some idea and introducing and talking about it sets them up for success in the later years.

Some things to consider for creating a daily schedule

  • When do most of the families arrive?
  • What time to staff come in to help support with all of the transitions after breakfast?
  • What are you going to offer during choice time?
  • How long do your transitions from one thing to another?
  • How long do the children sleep?
  • What about the infants that are on-demand?
  • When do most of the families pick up?
  • What are the licensing requirements?

For more information read:

  1. 84-86, 100-104 in your Developmentally Appropriate Practice text
  2. State of Maine Childcare Licensing
  3. Maine Infant Toddler Guidelines
  4. Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale – Play around with the site to gain more additional information about how the scale is used to assess infant and toddler schedules

A bit about routines Routines are NOT a schedule. Routines are the steps it takes to complete a schedule. A routine would be all of the steps during arrival time. For example:

  1. At 8:00am Little Johnny and his Dad come in.
  2. Dad helps Little Johnny take off his outside shoes and put on his slippers.
  3. Dad signs Little Johnny in.
  4. Dad then walks Little Johnny over to wash their hands.
  5. Dad then discusses with the primary caregiver how the morning has gone for Little Johnny and any other notable things
  6. Dad gives Little Johnny a biiiiiiig hug, tells him he loves him and that he will be back after nap to pick him up.

So all of that routine happened within the arrival time of the daily schedule. Routines are equally important to children as schedules are. Without the predictable, safe routine, the child's brain would not be able to feel secure. Considerations for daily routines should be about length and consistency. Of course, flexibility is important but only within reason.

For more information read:

  1. Everything you read for schedules
  2. Creating Routines for Love and Learning

Assessment

Assignment

This assignment has several parts that you will need to complete. Two grades will be determined according to the rubrics below. Submit the first part (environments & materials) by clicking on the link in the lesson folder named "Enviroments & Materials". Submit the second part (schedules & routines) by clicking on the link named "Schedules & Routines".

The environment & materials – You will need to draw an environment for infants and toddlers, including all of the appropriate spaces. In addition to the drawing you will need to provide a written description complete with an introduction and conclusion. The environment and materials written description can be combined. Guidelines for each are listed below. The guidelines for the drawing must include all of the appropriate areas listed below and drawn in birds-eye-view
a. Arrival/family
b. Sleeping
c. Eating
d. Washing
e. Tooth brushing
f. diapering
g. Art
h. Music
i. Block
j. Dramatic play
k. Literacy
l. Motor play
m. Storage
n. Private/comforting

Guidelines for written description – set up of environment
a. How is your area safe without choking or poisonous hazards?
b. How does your area promote visibility?
c. How is your area arranged to that interest areas are defined (blocks, dramatic play, art etc.)?
d. What kinds of flooring, lighting and paint would you chose and how does it promote warmth and a sense of calm?
e. What licensing standards did you make sure to follow?

Guidelines for written description – materials 
a. List a few materials for each area you have (this includes all 14 areas above and more if you have them in your drawing)
b. Explain how your materials are developmentally appropriate for both infants and toddlers
c. Explain how your materials are safe for infants and toddlers