Welcome to the December issue of the IECMH newsletter! This month we continue to explore the universal tier and begin to focus on high quality environments. December’s focus is on the physical classroom environment.
The classroom environment includes the physical arrangement of the room, the availability of and access to materials, a posted visual schedule, and class-created rules.
Children profit from a predictable structure, high expectations for cognitive growth and classroom behavior, and consistent modeling, reminders, and support for learning what is expected to meet those expectations.
- A safe and well-arranged physical environment, a predictable schedule, and rules that are clearly explained and consistently reinforced all contribute to a safe and orderly learning climate that reduces distraction and keeps the focus on learning and development of skills.
- Modeling the role of emotion, attention and learning during daily activities through purposeful interaction with each child helps to create a positive classroom environment and develops a productive pathway for learning.
(from the American Psychological Association, October 2019)