CARVALHO, Mara Ignêz Campos de. Todler's behavior in day care centers and spatial arrangement. Temas psicol. []. 1998, 6, 2, pp.125-133. ISSN 1413-389X.

Underlying conceptual and methodological aspects of our studies are examined in relation to a systemic view of development and to the characteristics of an ecological approach. Five studies are discussed, which were carried out in day care centers using the methodology named ecological experiment by Bronfenbrenner. Their results lead to theoretical and practical contributions. In the first one, the spatial arrangement was shown to be a strong environmental variable together with the structuring role of the adult, to support the 2-3-year old children's spatial distribution and groups. These features contribute to a generalization of our results to similar contexts. In relation to practical contributions, our results indicate the relevance of the spatial arrangement for designing young children's collective environments in order to promote peer interactions and caregiver-child interactions. By organizing the environment to facilitate peer interactions, the adult will be more available for interaction with a child or with a small group of children, contributing to the quality of care provided.

: ecological approach; day care centers; spatial arrangement; children's interactions.

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