Construction of Place: Creating a Religious Built Environment to Optimally Support a Child’s Entrance into Flow
Abstract
There is significant research on the built environment’s support for children’s optimal learning in educational settings. While faith itself is transmitted through conversation with God, the process of conversation, as well as a child’s interaction and growth within their community, is affected by the physically built environment of the classroom. By filtering data through a lens of God’s gift of place, we can see what is often taken for granted or measured by adult standards. When place is viewed as the third teacher, best practices can help children enter a flow state of learning which supports their spiritual development.
Research presented at the 2023 Religious Educators Association Conference as part of a three member presentation where each presenter focused on one point of the Montessori triangle. The other presenters were Anita Vincent (the adult) and Catherine Maresca (the child).
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An edited and refined version of these ideas was publish in the Religious Education Journal 2024