Great Afterschool Programs and Spaces That Wow!

Linda J. Armstrong, Christine A Schmidt

• Publisher: Redleaf Press
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781605541228
• eBook ISBN: 9781605542546
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Interior Design

Does your afterschool program have the WOW factor?

Create a high quality school-age program that is exciting, inviting, and reflects the interests, abilities, and needs of the children. Whether your program operates before or after school, on non-school days, during the summer, or overnight, you can create a dynamic environment where everyone will enjoy spending time.

This book is filled with hundreds of ideas—from setting up a quiet reading nook to tackling clutter—reflecting the authors’ years of experience and hundreds of visits to a variety of school-age programs. It takes you through all of the considerations that affect your program and then lays out a process to help you improve the three dimensions of a school-age environment.
Temporal: Establish schedules, routines, rules, and learning opportunities to meet children’s needs
Interpersonal: Facilitate the relationships and social interactions of children, staff, families, and the greater community
Physical: Create sensory-rich indoor and outdoor spaces

Linda J. Armstrong and Christine A. Schmidt are experienced educational consultants who serve children and youth programs throughout the United States.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Chapter 1: The Many Faces of School-Age Care
• Chapter 2: Considerations for Management
• Chapter 3: Creating Safe Environments
• Chapter 4: Understanding the Total Child: The Foundation of Environmental Design
• Chapter 5: The Temporal Environment: Establishing Predictability and Expectations
• Chapter 6: The Interpersonal Environment: Facilitating Social Competence
• Chapter 7: The Interpersonal Environment: Ensuring Everyone Is Welcomed
• Chapter 8: The Physical Environment: Arranging Spaces
• Chapter 9: The Physical Environment: Creating Sensory-Rich Spaces
• Chapter 10: The Physical Environment: Toys, Materials, and Equipment That Promote Learning
• Chapter 11: Keeping the Wow!
• Appendix A Interest Surveys
• Appendix B Environment Planning Worksheet
• Appendix C Program Assessment Resources
• Appendix D Graph Paper
• References
• Index