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Home & Interior Design books:
Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments

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Give children wondrous places to learn and grow! Drawing inspiration from a variety of approaches -- from Waldorf to Montessori to Reggio to Greenman, Prescott, and Olds -- the authors outline hundreds of ways to create healthy and inviting physical, social, and emotional environments for children in child care. Full-color photographs of actual early childhood programs demonstrate that the spaces children learn and grow in can be comfortable for children, teachers, and parents alike.

Margie Carter serves on the adjunct faculty at Pacific Oaks College Northwest, Seattle, Washington. Deb Curtis works as a child care teacher at the Burlington Little School in Seattle. Their other books include The Art of Awareness, The Visionary Director, Training Teachers, Spreading the News, and Reflecting Children's Lives.

Inspirational and informative -
Seeing this book gives me much hope that early childhood centers don't have to look like catalog-ordered institutions. The work displayed in the several pictures provided shows a tremendous dedication and knowledge by the teachers. Some of my favorite ideas: the use of mirrors to allow children to see double images as they play and work with their toys on top of them; the framing of kids artwork like it was the latest abstract show to hit New York; the use of projectors for color, letter and numbers; a space for the teacher to show his/her life outside the classroom. What I thought could have been stronger in the book was the connection between the designs and the learning. One school hung pastel umbrellas on the ceiling of the classrooms. I would have like to of read quotes from children as their curiosity, imagination and intellect got stimulated; the teachers' purpose behind the design and the connection to the curriculum. Were the teachers inspired by the children's interest in rain and umbrellas and the design helped to explain more about rain, tools for keeping us dry, etc.? Other useful, practical things needed in the book: cost of materials for the designs; time put in to make the designs; directions and rules, if any, given to children on usage; and if state regulations prevented teachers from doing a specific project because of safety reasons, how did some teachers/directors work with their state office to approve the project. Finally, how did the overall designs work with the rest of the classroom (we're only shown one picture of one design within a room) and how long were these designs kept before new ones were in place.
Overall, you'll be inspired to recreate your room from top to bottom. You won't be disappointed.

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Designs for Living and Learning -
This book is great. I teach preschool and the book has many ideas to help create a room in which students feel comfortable while learning. The ideas are simple and cost little(if any). I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to redesign their classroom into a more inviting place for their students.

Beautiful pictures and descriptions. -
As a director of a fairly new child development center, I am always looking for new ideas to make our center as comfortable for the children as possible. This book has some wonderful ideas that don't require a lot of money, which is nice because we are always short. It suggests using things you find at yard sales and thrift shops.
The advice given does, however require lots of upkeep and adult supervision. It recommends lots of things, such as using lots of natural items in the sensory area like tree bark and rocks and giving the children more freedom to make a mess and explore to their hearts content. This makes it harder on the teachers because there is more clean up and it takes a lot of encouragement on my part to implement these changes, but it is worth it in the end.
When the children are happier and have plenty to keep them busy, the teacher's jobs become easier.,

Enchanting -
Deb is a teacher at my daughter's school. She has helped create an inspiring learning environment for all the children to learn in.
This book will help you allow new ways for your child's imagination to blossom.

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Excellent early childhood ideas for environments -
This book is referenced daily for new ideas for my infant toddler classroom. It has ideas that are obviously inspired by children and enjoyed by children and adults alike. The text gives a wonderful insight into ECE environments that help teaching staff give quality care in all aspects of child development. It is one of the best books out there.