In Making Changes Into Your Environment: I learned that learning can inspire change. That it should be developmentally appropriate practice. I should know about child development and learning, what is appropriate by the child’s families and environment at my home. I need to think about what is appropriate for children by the age and stage of development each child is in. I can view strategies for this through the NAEYC website. I learned to know DAP=child centered. DAP=SAFE. and DAP=culturally appropriate. I learned to think about the furnishings…the furniture in the room. It should be appropriate, child sized for the children entering the room, as well as some appropriate furniture for the children’s parents or other siblings that might come along with them as they enter or leave my daycare. I learned that the area of my daycare needs to be focused on the child atmosphere, not my home or my family atmosphere. I learned that it could be photos of the children with their family to make it a inviting space for them, as well as culturally appropriate. I like where one provider had a clear glass top that she put over photos of the children and their families on the table, so all the children could see them, and things about the families without anything being harmed by the children touching. This would be another way to display other things that the children might be interested in at the time. Going back to the DAP-one area is safety. This includes doing a daily safety check to make sure things like safety plugs are in the outlets each day of childcare to ensure safety for the children. That all materials should be stored safely. That the childcare things also must be stored where children can get to them for accessibility, not where they have to ask me to get things down for them as they request. They should be in containers that children can get the items, and put the items away…which makes children feel more content, happy, as they play, and then are able to clean up after themselves. I learned to think about culturally relevant materials in the books that I have for children to read. To think about my environment to have a soft, cozy spot with some furnishings like pillows, where the kids can rest, and look at a book. I learned from John Nimmo to think about how each item I have for the children-to evaluate how it connects to the child, the center I am trying to establish, or how it connects to a book that we have read, or a activity in the community we have done or will do. I also learned how to do simple things for business practice, not to set up a whole office in the space the children will be in, but to set up some small containers of business books that I can grab to quickly work on my daily plans, record keeping, IRS records, child records, etc. One of the most important things was to plan ahead for the day and daily activities. To rotate in and out toys, not to get it too crowded where it overwhelms the child. To think about the 8 most important things that I want the children to have. Also, I know it is important to be welcoming to each and every child and family as they enter my daycare each day. Another item, I thought about was saving artwork to show how the child is making progress by doing the same art activity in a space of six months apart to show the child’s learning and capabilities, to show how the skill’s become more detailed as they progress in thoughts and learning. It is always important to allow the children to be able to expore.