What does 
a day in the life 
​of an early learner
​look like?
Learn more about D102's Early Learning Center where we are creating the conditions for our youngest students to begin developing the skills and attributes outlined in D102's Portrait of A Graduate.
Meet: the world's cutest kindergarten, designed by architect Takaharu Tezuka. In this charming talk, he walks us through a design process that really lets kids be kids. 
KinderFrogs is a family-focused, early intervention program that provides a developmentally appropriate educational environment for children with Down syndrome and other developmental delays.

A Day in the Life
​​Activity Mapping

Small groups were tasked with mapping out what a day in the life of an early learner looks like today, and in the future.

​Through the use of activity cards, we're able to begin to understand the types, scales, and frequency of activities. Whether it's gross motor, small group, or routine activities, the day in the life is looked at through the lens of what the learner is doing.

A final synthesis of this information will provide insight as to what spaces are required to best facilitate today's and tomorrow's learner.

THE RESULTS

Our Learners
​Baseline & Future

What were the major takeaways?

  1. Today's learner spends lots of time transitioning from one space/activity to another; the future learner will spend less time in transitions and recapture that time for learning and play.
  2. Today's learner moves from space to space in a service-centric environment; the future learner will have a student-centric learning environment.
  3. Future learners will have more flexible spaces + furniture, and learn in more creative ways.
  4. Future learners will utilize technologies in ways we can't yet imagine, but need to plan for.
  5. Future learners will learn in environments that support wellness (daylight, access to nature, emphasis on outdoor play). 
  6. Today's learners stop to eat, do routine tasks, manage daily living. Future learners will have that built into day-to-day activity as needed.
  7. Future learners will have the opportunity to craft a more customized day of activities with the adequate resources nearby.
  8. Classrooms could become a home base from which learners are able to branch out to achieve day-to-day learning and play.

Affinity Mapping