Create an Inclusive Classroom: Child-Centered Strategies that Support a Sense of Belonging
Anisha Grossett • November 30, 2023
The classroom setup: an exciting endeavor met by nearly every educator. Classroom setup should always be intentional, whether it's the start of the school year, a move to a new classroom, or you just want to break up the monotony with a makeover. How a classroom looks, sounds, and functions is essential for children's learning. In fact, Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to education, coined the phrase "Third Teacher" (after parents and educators) when referring to the classroom environment.
There are many things to consider when you set up a classroom, such as furniture placement, learning centre offerings, and materials placement. What’s even more essential is the feel of your classroom. Children enter early learning programs with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and needs. When you create a classroom where every child feels seen and heard by caregivers, you foster a sense of belonging and well-being for all the children in your care.
How can we ensure children feel valued, celebrated, and have a sense of belonging in their classroom? Let's examine six essential components that help children feel safe and secure in their learning environment.
Create a Classroom Where...
Children Feel Seen
- Offer diverse materials and books that display different families, skin colours, and cultures to help children feel represented. For example, ensure you offer crayons and paints include a full spectrum of skin tones, dolls of different races, and storybooks with alternative family units.
- Display children's pictures around the room to show they are a valuable part of your classroom.
>> Access to a diverse library of books is essential for children. Visit The ECC’s Amazon storefront
for an epic list of inclusive books!
Children Feel Heard
- Consider who is doing the talking. Are you speaking the most at group times while the children are quiet? Get them to open up and participate in fun ways. Choose a child to lead a song or game each day!
- Invite children to co-construct the learning environment with you (in age-appropriate ways). These fun questions might get them started:
- How could we change the dramatic play centre?
- What materials do you think we will need?
- I have a new train set to put out; where would you like to play with it?
- Provide a quiet space in your classroom where children can go when they feel overwhelmed or stressed. Cozy pillows or a bean bag chair with fidget toys or books can help calm a child quickly.
Creativity Is Encouraged
- Allow lots of time for creative expression. Art is one of the many ways children share their thoughts, feelings, and growing sense of self and interpretations of their world.
- Offer a variety of materials for visual arts, including different types of scissors, thicknesses of drawing and painting tools, and different colours, sizes, and textures of paper.
- Offer scarves, music, pieces of fabric, puppets, and props for children to act out their thoughts and feelings.
- Provide open-ended materials, such as loose parts, for children to express their ideas.
Achievements Are Celebrated
- Hang children's artwork at eye level to share with the class.
- Ensure children see their names around the classroom in various contexts, i.e., on name cards, photos, and in class books.
- Highlight big and small wins with the class, such as a structure someone worked hard on in the block centre or a student's newest drawing.
- Share successes with parents and families through daily discussions, parent boards/newsletters, or digital tools.
Children Feel Valued
- Consider children in all decision-making first and foremost.
- Build connections with children by asking questions about their learning, making eye contact, playing alongside them, sharing excitement, and respecting their ideas and feelings.
- Build relationships with families by getting to know them, celebrating successes, supporting needs, and openly communicating.
>> It’s vital for educators to feel seen and valued too! The ECC offers many workshops on diversity, ECE appreciation, and much more.
Download our full list to see how we can help!
Curiosity Is Cultivated
- Honour children's questions about the world around them. Instead of giving them the answer, offer tools to help them identify solutions on their own!
- Develop their sense of place. Provide natural elements in their day, such as helping them care for child-safe plants. Maintain connections to the outdoors with bird watching or cloud gazing.
- Ask about their interests and help them investigate!
When you consider these child-centric components during classroom setup, you can be confident that you are fostering a sense of belonging and community in your classroom. Below you will find additional resources for even more ideas that encourage inclusion. When children feel included in the classroom process, and their identities are at the forefront of our planning, they recognize themselves as an essential part of their classroom community.
Resources
Why ECE Appreciation Starts With Connection Every day, early childhood educators shape the future. Through comforting hugs, meaningful conversations, learning experiences, advocacy, creativity, and care, ECE professionals help children build confidence, belonging, identity, and lifelong foundations for learning. Yet behind the incredible work happening in classrooms, programs, and communities, many educators still experience something that often goes unspoken: isolation. That’s why community matters. As we celebrate Early Childhood Educators' Day and ECE Appreciation, we believe this is more than a moment to recognize educators for what they do — it’s also a time to reflect on how we support them while they do it. Because educators deserve community too. Community Changes Everything In early childhood education, community is powerful. It reminds educators they are not alone in their challenges, ideas, dreams, or experiences. It creates spaces where professionals can collaborate, grow, ask questions, feel seen, and be inspired by one another. Strong communities in ECE can: Reduce feelings of burnout and isolation Encourage innovation and leadership Create opportunities for mentorship and collaboration Support educator wellness and confidence Help professionals feel valued and understood Build stronger programs and stronger outcomes for children and families When educators feel connected, supported, and empowered, entire communities benefit. And the truth is — many educators are looking for more than professional development. They are looking for belonging. The Importance of Finding Your Community Not every community looks the same. For some educators, community is a team within their centre. For others, it’s a mentor, an online network, a professional membership, or a safe space where they can openly discuss the realities of the field. Finding your community means finding people who: Understand the work you do Celebrate your wins Support you through challenges Encourage your growth Inspire you to lead, create, and advocate Community reminds us that we don’t have to navigate this field alone. As educators, leaders, entrepreneurs, and advocates, we grow stronger when we grow together. What Does It Mean to Be a Community Member? Being part of a community is not just about joining a group — it’s about contributing to a culture of support, encouragement, and connection. Great community members: Show up authentically Share ideas and resources Encourage others Listen with empathy Celebrate fellow educators Stay open to learning Create welcoming spaces for others You don’t need a title to make an impact in your community. Sometimes leadership looks like: Checking in on another educator Sharing a helpful resource Encouraging someone who feels discouraged Starting meaningful conversations Creating spaces where others feel included Leadership in ECE begins with connection. Building the Future of Community in ECE At The Early Childhood Coach, we have always believed that educators deserve more than occasional inspiration — they deserve ongoing connection, collaboration, and support. That belief is exactly why we are building the ECC Community Hub. The ECC Community Hub is being designed as a space where early childhood professionals can: Connect with like-minded educators Access professional growth opportunities Join meaningful conversations Build relationships and collaborations Feel supported in both life and career Grow as educators, entrepreneurs, and leaders More than anything, we want this to feel like a true community built for the ECE field. A place where educators can feel empowered, inspired, connected, and celebrated. Reflective Questions for Educators Take a moment to reflect on your own journey within the ECE community: What does community mean to you as an educator? When have you felt the most supported in this field? What kind of community are you currently looking for? How do you currently contribute to the ECE community around you? What would change if you felt more connected professionally and personally? In what ways can you become a stronger community leader? How can you help create spaces where others feel welcomed and valued? What kind of impact do you want to have within the ECE field? You Belong Here ECE Appreciation is not only about recognizing the work educators do. It’s about reminding educators that they matter too. Your voice matters. Your experiences matter. Your leadership matters. And you deserve to be part of a community that pours back into you. As we continue building spaces for connection within the field, we invite you to grow with us. Learn more about the ECC Community Hub Explore the ECC Community Hub here !
As summer winds down and a new program year approaches, many early childhood educators find themselves making lists, reorganizing materials, labeling bins, and preparing for a new group of students. Don’t get me wrong, all these things are important. They create an environment where children can thrive. But before your students come through the door, it’s worth checking in with yourself. How are you preparing yourself? Remember, it’s a new program year for you too. Yes, preparing the classroom space and materials are important, but you’re just as important to your students’ learning. The relationships we build, the way we respond, and the curiosity we bring shape children’s experience every day. So, let’s invest time in preparing our mindset, intentions and well-being. Reflect Before You Reset: Every new year offers a fresh opportunity to reflect on the previous one. Ask yourself: What brought me the most joy last year? What challenges did I face? What would I like to do differently? Which routines supported children well, and which could be improved? How did I grow as an educator? Reflection isn’t about dwelling on mistakes. It’s about recognizing what you’ve learning and carrying those lessons forward. Small adjustments can still have a big impact. Reconnect with Your “Why” When schedules become busy and paperwork piles up, it’s easy to slip into simply getting through each day. Before the pace picks up, take a moment to reconnect with the reason you chose this profession. This is a grounding exercise and there’s a reason we talk about it often. Perhaps it’s witnessing a child’s excitement when they solve a problem, or it’s supporting families through important milestones, or creating a place where every child feels they belong. Keeping your purpose at the forefront can help guide decisions through the year and provide perspective during more challenging moments. Prepare for Relationships, Not Just Routines The children in your care won’t remember perfectly organized shelves, but they will remember how they felt in your care. The first few weeks are about much more than learning routines. They’re about building trust. So, let’s be intentional. After all, relationships are the foundation of any learning environment. Think about how you will: Welcome families into your program Help children feel safe and connected Create opportunities for every child to experience success Leave Space for Flexibility It’s natural to want to be organized and prepared before the first day. But don’t forget that some of the most meaningful learning experiences happen when we follow children’s curiosity rather than our own agenda. A well-prepared educator is also a flexible educator. Leave room in your plans for unexpected discoveries, spontaneous conversations, and the interests children bring with them. These moments often become the most memorable because you’ve followed the children’s lead. Check In with Yourself The beginning of a new year or having a new group of students often comes with excitement – but it can also bring pressure. As you care for the children, remember to care for yourself. Are you setting realistic expectations? Do you need to have more recovery time the first few weeks of a new routine? What boundaries will help you maintain balance? Reflection on what helps support your personal well-being. Make a list of people you can turn to when you need support, either in the classroom or out of it. Embrace a Learning Mindset Children aren’t the only learners in the classroom. Every new group of students, every family, and every experience is an opportunity for growth professionally. Rather than striving for perfection or the appearance of perfection, make curiosity the priority. A Fresh Start for Everyone The carefully prepared learning environment is important but so is your warmth, your responsiveness, your patience and your willingness to learn alongside the children in your care. This is what truly creates a place where children can thrive. So, before you organize one more bin in the art cabinet or make another label, take a moment to prepare the most important part of your classroom – you. The year ahead won’t be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be. It simply needs an educator who is reflective, present and ready to build meaningful relationships one day, one child, one family at a time. Here’s to a year filled with curiosity, connection, growth and joy – for both the children in your care and for you. We’ll be rooting for you!