Creating Inclusive Early Years Classrooms

The early years are a crucial period in a child’s developmental journey – socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. Just like all of us, young children grow and thrive in environments that are safe, supportive, stimulating, and that meet their individual needs.

This is even more important when we consider children who are neurodivergent, have additional needs, and / or disabilities. These children may need specific supports to ensure that they feel included and are able to access the same opportunities as their peers.

How can we make our early years classrooms more inclusive?

The challenge for us as practitioners, then, is: how can we make our environments inclusive for all, regardless of need? The answer lies in adopting a positive, proactive approach that reduces the likelihood of dysregulation, minimises risk, and is rooted in robust, evidence-based practice.

Here are 7 suggestions to use in your settings to create an inclusive approach in early years classrooms:

1: Creating defined spaces

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating the ‘right’ environment, as every child is different. Children’s preferences are diverse and ever-changing, so we need to bear this in mind when setting up our learning spaces.

However, even in environments where we are delivering ‘free flow’ learning opportunities, such as continuous provision, all children can benefit from having defined areas for different activities. This can reduce feelings of anxiety and stress, especially during transition from one activity to another.

Strategically placed furniture and items such as mats, cushions and dens can help to demarcate areas, and support children in understanding what each space is to be used for.