Book excerpt: Noting that the early care and education environment is a vital contribution to children's learning, this book examines the early childhood learning environment with the vision of making it a place where young children will be physically, emotionally, esthetically, and intellectually nurtured. The chapters are: (1) "The Power of the Environment and Its Impact on Children"; (2) "Contemporary Childcare Spaces"; (3) "The Teacher's New Role: Designer"; (4) "Principles of Meaningful Environments"; (5) "Aspects of Quality Environments for Children"; (6) "Assessing What You Have"; (7) "Making a Plan That Works for You"; (8) "The Designer's Toolbox"; (9) "Enriching the Environment," including ideas for using displays, planning work and sitting spaces, and growing plants; and (10)"Extending Your Understanding," including classic resources about early childhood environments. Each chapter includes detailed illustrations and photographs to assist teachers in setting up a classroom. The book's 10 appendices include an inventory form, equipment checklist, team inventory, storage ideas, and an anthropometric chart for a child-scaled environment. (Contains 79 references.) (KB)