Creating a preschool environment for learning and interaction.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how preschool teachers describe the practical work that they do to design the preschool environments and how the children's learning and interaction come to be part of that process. The questions addressed in the study were: How do the preschool teachers describe their workplace learning environments? How do the preschool teachers reason about their way of developing their workplace learning environments? How does your preschool environment promote children's interests, learning, and interaction? The study is of qualitative nature and both interviews and observations have been carried out at two Reggio Emilia-inspired preschools in the southern part of Stockholm. The analysis has been examined from a design-oriented perspective. The results show that the preschool teacher's thoughts about children are important for how they shape the preschool learning environment. By continually observing how the children use the environment to interact and what they are interested in, they can, together with the children reflect and start up new projects and further develop the learning environment. The preschool teachers seek to create an inspiring, accessible and transparent environment but also one that can change long-term or short-term at any time. The preschool teachers' perceptions of children as competent and unique individuals who can be helped to reach their own special potential allows for the children to explore and become co-creators of their learning environment.