In this study, the objects are two nursery schools in Tokyo. The aim of the study is to clarify the characteristics of the communication and spatial distribution of the two-year-old’s classes in the space of the nursery room, and find new policies for space design of nursery schools.
The facilities for investigation are two nursery schools in Tokyo, namely H nursery school and N nursery school. The number of two-year old’s children in class is 20 persons and 19 persons respectively. The method of investigation was to record the behavior and location of children every 15 minutes on a plan. The survey time started from normal childcare (8:45) until end of normal childcare (18:30), excluding naptime (12 to 15 o'clock). The period of investigation was a total of five weekdays in 2018 for each nursery school.
Analysis contained the communication and trigger, and space distribution, of communication based on the observation survey.
As a result, common points of communication of children in the two nursery schools during free play were clarified as follows.
(1) Children's behavior can be classified into eight types, which are playing with toys, talking, reading, frolicking, handmaking, being desultory and wandering. Among them, communication was observed from playing with toys, talking, reading, frolicking, and handmaking; while communication was not observed from being desultory and wandering.
(2) The ration of communication during playing with toys was observed to be highest near the toy shelf. The trigger of communication was to show toys made, or working together to make one toy.
(3) The communication of frolicking was observed near the changing shelf, the toy shelf and free space. The trigger of communication is high spirits from playing with toys and talking, or imitating children frolicking.
(4) The communication of handmaking and reading in the case of sitting was observed as a low rate. This, was observed when gathering around a desk with a picture book reading after group reading, or when showing what was produced.
(5) The trigger of communication is from the topic of wearing clothes near the changing shelf or free space, and the topic of view by the window. The different points of communication of children in two nursery schools during free play were clarified as follows.
(6) In N nursery school, in a large free space, compliant communication was observed from collaborative work of playing with toys, gathering together after reading to children, and collaborative production of paper and puzzles. On the other hand, in H nursery school, in the narrow space near the desk, approval communication was observed from showing production.
From the above, as planning policy for a childcare room for a two-year-old’s class at children’s class which stimulates communication with other children in parallel with the individual ego. As a personal ego emerges, it is thought that communication between children will be encouraged further by providing a craft corner next to the toy shelf, free space for unstructured play, space for changing clothes, space with floor seats for reading books, display space for handmaking things, and a space for conversation with views of the outside scenery.
