Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-importance-of-order/5017053/
The new three year old looked into my eyes with a mixture of panic and fear and a hint of excitement, as if to say, “What the hell is happening here?” I recognized the expression. It was almost identical to the look on the face of the new student teacher or the look on my face the first time I set foot in México City.We all need order in our spaces to make them tolerable. Our homes are our homes because we create within them an order that expresses our personalities, values, culture, geography, logic,
goals, and concerns related to living.
Our homes are where we feel secure and competent when it reflects us and when it is familiar and predictable. The same need applies to children’s programs. Children’s places need ordered time and space that furthers the program goals while making the program a pleasant place to live and work for all those (large and small) who inhabit the program. We need planned complexity �" an environment rich enough to challenge, but not so complex as to frustrate. The order provides a comforting framework that does not harshly interrupt the activities of children; instead the order allows for more experiences and ...