The Child-Friendly Learning Environment

If you don't believe that the place where children learn should be a supportive environment, you might try the Why so Child-Friendly? reflection. Yet, even for those convinced that children learn best in an active and nurturing environment, just how to foster such a place can be a challenge.

Perhaps the best resource for suggestions are the teachers who already create this atmosphere with their students. Please bring your questions and suggestions to the Teachers Talking Discussion so that we can learn and share successful strategies for promoting a child-friendly learning environment.

Finally, a lot has been written on the topic and we have tried to compile as many helpful ideas as possible in the list below. Explore these links. And, again, as you encounter ideas or questions through your reading, please feel free to bring them to the online community we've formed to Discuss Issues.

Articles, Opinions, and Research

What Makes a Child-Friendly Learning Environment?

Learning in society

- Unmet needs, rights unfulfilled

Learning and the community

- Teachers and communities

- Involving families in learning

- Helping the community help the school

- Community life, holidays, and special days

- Ten tips to improve your school environment

Values, attitudes, and behaviours: The essential environment

- Ten messages about nutrition

- Ten health messages for teachers

The learning space

- Arranging space in the classroom

- Centres of learning in the classroom

Organising time for learning

- Planning a weekly schedule

- Planning a daily schedule

- Managing time through independent learning

Internet Resources to Support Teaching and Learning

The Learner   ·   The Teacher   ·   The Learning Environment