The Hidden Curriculum
The hidden curriculum is a message we infer from school buildings and landscapes. School grounds are teaching important lessons to children every day. Our transformation of the grounds of Middle Fork Elementary School in Winston-Salem, NC illustrates how good design can change the message of our outdoor spaces from one of intimidation to one of joy.
After
After design and planting, children explore winding trike paths, a blooming rain garden, a seasonal stream with a sandy "beach" amid the shade and shelter of trees and canopies. Free roaming amid the wonders of the outdoors, children learn to see, listen, question and speak from their own experience.
The schoolyard thus becomes a safe, fascinating, and memorable natural place for children to play and learn.
Where would you rather go to school or teach?
Before
This flat, exposed and uncomfortable yard does not invite the pre-school children outside. What’s more, the unshaded exposure means that teachers inside tend to block the sun (and views) by lowering the blinds, further cutting off the outdoors and children's chances to explore and know their place.
The message to children and teachers in a school like this is that there is nothing to do or learn outdoors.
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