Page 76 - Reading Nest - The Supportive Literacy Environment Handbook

It accompanies sincere interest, noting down important ideas (pedagogical documentation) and

its use in the teaching process. For example when some children have shown interest in a topic

(Native Americans, ice hockey, ponies and unicorns) and fairly soon afterwards the teacher
brings some books and mentions that he/she particularly brought them because one of the

children (Mary or Jim) had referred to it in a conversation.
In previous years assessment of the quality of the learning environment focussed mostly on

the physical environment: availability and number of materials, size of room and feeling of
safety. The physical environment certainly is important, yet its impact may be multiplied if

the teacher applies principles which value even very young children's independence, initiative,

interest in creating written texts and reading. When the initiative, ability and courage to start
activities, plan and assess them is formed at pre-school age, the same principles should be

applied at school too. This means the learning environment in the school should also enable
choices, sustain initiative and creativity, take account of a variety of interests and varying

speeds of development. It would be excellent if a classroom can be divided into centres and it
has a reading nest, equally important is the extent to which children have a say:

• in which centres to play;
• with whom to play;

• what exactly to do in the reading nest or centre;

• when to be in a centre or nest

• which books or materials there are.

The kindergarten usually places higher value on making choices. In some play groups children
may choose what to draw, model, which game to play in a centre, or which text to create. In

school the obstacle for teachers is often the curriculum.