Spatial-material environment of Waldorf kindergarten as a response to developmental needs of the child

Waldorfska pedagogija ranog odgoja polazi od razvoja djeteta kao osjetilnog organizma. U tom procesu bitnu ulogu ima prostorno-materijalno okruženje. Takvo okruženje treba biti pedagoški osmišljeno kako bi se zadovoljile elementarne potrebe djeteta u prvom sedmogodišnjem razdoblju njegova razvoja. Oblikovanje prostorno-materijalnog okruženja kroz funkcijsku ulogu prostora, adekvatnu ponudu materijala i igračaka, te kroz razne aktivnosti, temeljno je polazište waldorfskog vrtića. No, bitna je i uloga odgajatelja kao sastavnog dijela tog okruženja. Cilj ovog rada je analizirati pedagoški oblikovano prostorno-materijalno okruženje waldorfskog dječjeg vrtića "Iskrica", te ispitati uvažava li ono temeljne razvojne potrebe djeteta. Metodom intervjua saznat će se, koje elemente, na koji način i zašto waldorfska odgajateljica koristi u oblikovanju prostorno-materijalnog okruženja vrtića, a u funkciji odgovaranja na razvojne potrebe djeteta.Waldorf pedagogy of early development is grounded in the development of the child as a sensory organism. In this process, the spatial-material environment plays an important role. Such an environment should be pedagogically designed to meet the elemental needs of the child in the first seven-year period of its development. Forming the space-material environment through the functional role of space, adequate supply of materials and toys, and through various activities is the fundamental starting point for the Waldorf kindergarten. However, the role of the educator as an integral part of that environment is also important. The aim of this paper is to analyze the pedagogically shaped spatial-material environment of the Waldorf kindergarten „Iskrica“ and to examine whether it considers the basic developmental needs of the child. By using the method of interviews, this research will find out what elements does the Waldorf educator use, how and why he/she uses it in shaping the spatial-material environment of kindergartens in order to respond to the developmental needs of the child