Room to Learn

Book excerpt: You may know classroom environments are a complex interaction of physical elements, including sensory components, design and organization, aesthetics, nurturing attributes, and pedagogical resources. Did you know these elements are proven to work together to improve early learning, self-efficacy and higher-order thinking skills, and ultimately to achieve better child outcomes? Room to Learn presents the Assessing the Pillars of the Physical Environment for Academic Learning (APPEAL) environmental rating scale, a valid and reliable tool developed by Pamela Evanshen, EdD and Janet Faulk, EdD, to show you how to get the most out of your classroom environment. Use this practical guide to: Create student-centered, welcoming, and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities Encourage positive learning interactions through room arrangement Facilitate discovery and active engagement through learning centers Help children take ownership of their learning and work together in collaborative, project-based learning and problem solving