Rosalinda Mintre/ 1213012013

Chapter 8 Developmentally Appropriate Physical Environments: For Primary-Aged

Children
1. The Characteristics of Primary-Aged Children:
a. Thirst to know and understand, willing to spend time and energy to something
interest them, age of creation, make a friendship, great game players, difficult to
remain still for very long
b. Spending long hours away from home and families because of schools and after-
school activities; spending a lot og time listening, sitting, following instructions,
and working at new skills; spending less time with their parents; actively seeking
to be with friends; shaped by their family and individual culture
2. The needs of primary-aged children:
a. An environment that allows them to proceed at their own pace in developing
skills, without being compared with the pace of someone else
b. Socially accepted
c. Opportunities to communicate and to develop their communication skills
3. Environment for industry:
a. Creating learning centers for childrens active learning at their individual level of
interest and ability
b. Using the thoughtful selection and display of concrete materials to stimulate
curiosity and productivity
c. Designing an informal and flexible physical arrangement that allows children to
work alone or in small groups
d. Using planning systems to help children learn to plan and reflect on their
activities
e. Using portfolios and other methods to help children measure their own progress
and to have a personal storage area
4. Environment for literacy:
a. Creating a print-rich environment, in which print is seen regularly as it is used
b. Creating large and attractive reading and writing areas
c. Adding literacy materials to all other learning centers
d. Providing for communication and conversation
5. Environment for relationship:
a. Allowing children to choose where and with whom they work and sit at large-
group meetings
b. Using flexible arrangements of tables and chairs to accommodate groyp needs
c. Providing spaces small enough for one or two children to work, as well as for
small groups
d. Providing spaces for children to have snack or rest with a small group
6. Things not found in developmentally appropriate primary classrooms:
a. Curriculum is divided into separate subjects primarily reading and math, with
others covered if time permits
b. Teacher-directed reading groups take up most of the morning, while children
spend most of their time doing paper-and-pencil practice exercises
c. Special learning projects, centers, and outdoor play are either absent or used as
rewards for good learning behavior or occasional treats
d. Children work silently and alone most of the time in assigned desks that are not
moved
e. Instruction is given mostly to the large group
f. Children have few choices in planning their activities or work day, which is
broken up into short periods for different instruction