Importance of Spatial Arrangements for Young Children in Day Care Centers

Mara I. Campos-de-Carvalho
M. Clotilde Rossetti-Ferreira
University of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Citation: Campos-de-Carvalho, Mara I. and M. Clotilde Rossetti-Ferreira (1993). "Importance of Spatial Arrangements for Young Children in Day Care Centers." Children's Environments 10 (1): 23-41. Retrieved [date] from http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/

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Abstract

This article discusses some implications of spatial arrangements—qualitative aspects of the physical environment—for educational objectives in day care centers, particularly for young children. An educational proposal for day care centers is presented, which emphasizes the importance of both adult-children interactions and peer interactions for development and indicates how a semi-open spatial arrangement may promote those interactions. An empirical study which investigated the relations between spatial arrangements and the distribution of two- to three-year-old children in their playrooms in two Brazilian day care centers for low-income families is also presented. The data in that study were important for the elaboration of our educational proposal. Their relevance for designing children's collective environments is discussed.

Keywords: spatial arrangement, day care center, Brazil