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and care for their materials. In Edu1st schools, this statement is evident. The classrooms are
spaces where multiple materials are available to children, and, contrary to the beliefs of many
adults, children learn to use their materials caringly and for exploration without the adult needing
to control their use and keep the materials stored. The materials, documentations, arrangement of
furniture, light, etc. all interact together to create the optimal environment for learning. This
environment must be an aesthetic place balanced between provocative and quiet spaces that
allow a natural flow in the class.
The right environment provokes and facilitates positive experiences for everyone
involved in the class. Not only for the teacher or the school administration.
The managing of music, of "noise", of color, of sensations, of the interactions, of the
documentation, of the flow around the room, of everything, is the identity of the teacher in
charge and of the institution. A culture of thinking is clearly evident in the environment where it
is generated, and so that same environment it creates will promote it.
The materials and physical environment
•
As noted earlier, the presentation of materials is from the beginning, one of the significant
experiences that the teacher should lead. Therefore it must be amply available to students.
We recommend that the material be:
•
Demarcated in its container as an invitation for students to experiment with it and handle
it, Put in marked containers where students can identify it and, without adult assistance,
find its location and order,
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Easily attainable in structures where the material is organized by topic centers,
For classrooms working with children, VESS has 7 centers or areas:
1. Dramatic Play
2. Language, Library
3. Construction or blocks