ARTICLES & INSIGHTS

September 17, 2024
South Valley preschool receives $5,000 classroom makeover

When Marcia Durazo signed up for a free $5,000 classroom makeover from the New Mexico Child Care and Education Association (NMCCEA), she wasn’t expecting to win. All Durazo knew was […]

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January 17, 2024
Essentials for Classroom Design with Dr. Sandra Duncan

In this series in partnership with Bright Horizons, Dr. Sandra Duncan gives practical advice on how classroom design can help our children express their natural selves and encourage their development.

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November 12, 2023
Wunderled Teaching

I worked with Wunderled Teaching to create a brand new Wonder Wall! Original link is here-->>> Head to Instagram

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September 6, 2023
Turning Over a New Leaf

I am speaking at Turning Over A New Leaf. Please check out my talk if you're attending the event! #TurnOverANewLeaf - via #Whova event app

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August 19, 2023
Farmington university’s child education program

My Furniture collection is going to be incorporated into Farmington University's new child education program. A quick excerpt from the full article is below, make sure to check out the […]

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August 19, 2023
Harmony Early Learning
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August 8, 2023
N M C C E A P R E S E N T S 

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF 

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January 11, 2023
Seedlings in San Clemente, California
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January 11, 2023
Balancing Classroom Design for Introverted and Extroverted Children
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January 10, 2023
Issues on Education Talk

Last Year I was on the Issues on Education.net podcast. Listen below for information on how the way we design early childhood classrooms can play a big role in how […]

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December 23, 2022
Classroom makeover initiative at the YMCA in San Antonio
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December 8, 2022
INSPIRE CONFERENCE 2023

Inspire 2023 invites delegates into a world of fantasy opportunity and reality. It proposes that to work in the early years of education, we must foster our ability to fantasise […]

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November 22, 2022
3 Ideas for Creating Nurturing Spaces for Seclusion in the Early Childhood Classroom

Sometimes early childhood classrooms can be noisy and overstimulating to young children, leading to challenging behaviors, and decreased engagement and learning. Sandra Duncan—coauthor of Through a Child’s Eyes: How Classroom Design Inspires […]

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November 14, 2022
NAEYC 2022 Washington D.C.
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October 24, 2022
Play it Forward Podcast

I was recently a guest on the Wearthy Podcast, learn more about this podcast below and you can listen to what we talked about with the two links. Listen on […]

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October 5, 2022
2nd international conference on Nature-Based Early Childhood Education and Care

Nature Play and Sustainable Development Learn more about 2022 NBECEC How can environmental sustainability be viewed as a broad pedagogical approach to creating environments and experiences that, on the one […]

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September 27, 2022
Better Learning Podcast

Sandra DuncanInspiring Spaces for Young Children Our seventeenth episode in the Season features Sandra Duncan, an international consultant, author of six books focused on the environmental design of early childhood […]

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July 12, 2022
How to Support Movement, Play, and Belonging for Toddlers in Your Classroom

How to Support Movement, Play, and Belonging for Toddlers in Your Classroom Monday, July 18, 2022 @ 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT Presented by Sandra Duncan, Ed.D., International Consultant […]

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April 5, 2022
2022 Free to Play Summit!

4-Day Guided Virtual Experience With: You don’t need another summit of 30+ talking heads. It’s Time For Something More. For the Educators, Directors, and Parents Who Want to Take the […]

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April 4, 2022
Lunch time webinar series
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April 4, 2022
Reclaiming children’s loss of habitat by rethinking classroom design

In the April issue of Parenta Magazine I have an article on Page 6 and 7 covering the topic of reclaiming children loss of habitat by rethinking classroom design. Take […]

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March 3, 2022
Colorado State University Early Childhood Center

Colorado State University Early Childhood Center Spring Professional Educator Serieswith Author:Dr. Sandra Duncan “The Honey Comb Hypothesis: A Fresh Perspective on How We Ones Learn”When: Thursday, March 10, 2022 10:00am […]

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March 3, 2022
Teaching Playful Learning Guest Lecture

Free Registration Starts March 1st

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February 20, 2022
Early Years TV - Early Childhood Design Principles

In this interview we discuss the four design beliefs or pillars that Dr Duncan starts with when designing a space for children - nature aligned, heart centric, sensory based and […]

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September 2, 2021
Presentation at Fullerton College

REGSITER FOR EVENT!

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August 23, 2021
Class in session: how architectural agency can influence positive learning experiences

Original Posting: https://architectureau.com/articles/old-school-new-school-2021/ REGISTER FOR EVENT The Old School New School conference returns after a two year hiatus with a virtual program that seeks to understand how architectural agency can […]

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August 1, 2021
Free To Play Summit

Free To Play Summit Presentation   View on YouTube!

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July 22, 2021
Early Education Environments

Interview with Issues in Education

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July 12, 2021
Free to Play Summit

I will be presenting a workshop with Dr. Kathryn Murray--expert in brain development--called "Designing Brain-Based Environments" The purpose of this workshop is to discuss: The power of built environments and […]

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July 12, 2021
EARLY YEARS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY PRESENATION

REGISTER HERE!

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June 4, 2021
Loss of Habitat

[Excerpt from New Book, "The Unspoken Language of Early Childhood Environments" (Tentative Title) , by Sandra Duncan, Christine Burkholder, and Lauren Magee] Young children are losing their childhoods in today’s […]

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May 24, 2021
Potential Place

Using the Spatial Conditions of Emotions to Design Inspiring Early Childhood Environments Where are you . . . right now, this very moment? Chances are, you are either in or very […]

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May 11, 2021
The Chocolate Bar and the Orange

Designing Classrooms for COVID-19 and Beyond - Article Excerpt COVID-19 is a lot like being on a roller coaster ride in an amusement park. You do not know what to […]

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May 11, 2021
Edgerley Family Horizons Center

As many of you know, I have many wonderful opportunities to design and consult on many projects around the world. Recently I was able to play a small part in […]

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May 9, 2021
The Honeycomb Hypothesis - ASM Guest Lecture

On April 10th, 2021 I was invited to be the Virtual Guest Lecturer at Texas A&M University Commerce. The subject was The Honeycomb Hypothesis: A New Perspective on Children’s Acquisition […]

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April 8, 2021
ASM Commerce Guest Lecture

My next lecture will be on Saturday April 10th at 11 am. Scan the QR code below or use this LINK to register.     Flyer Graphics by Dr. Toni […]

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December 9, 2020
Designing COVID-19 Preschool Environments: The Butterfly Approach

COVID-19 has brought about numerous changes in how we work with young children. One of the biggest challenges is physical distancing. The call to physically distance children—sometimes as many as […]

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November 22, 2020
COVID-19 Classrooms: How to Expand Your Space Without Construction

In this blog, Sandra Duncan, EdD, and architect Lauren Magee, provide practical and helpful strategies for educators seeking ways to safely distance children in the COVID classroom. For a closer […]

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November 3, 2020
Creating Nature-based Classrooms Webinar – Presented by Sandra Duncan and Jody Martin

When you think of the aesthetics of an early education classroom, what do you see? Brightly colored plastic toys. Shelves stacked high with lesson materials and paperwork. Walls covered with […]

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November 3, 2020
How to Bring Back Your Life’s Rhythms: Importance of Hideaways for Kids

For the past few months, the common thread of COVID-19 has changed all our lives. Through this change, we’ve discovered many things about our children, work, and ourselves.  Admittedly, the […]

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November 3, 2020
How to Bring Back Your Life’s Rhythms: Balancing Screen Time with Art Time

There’s no doubt about it; the COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed education and how we teach children. With the ever increasing reality that many schools will be resorting to full or […]

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November 3, 2020
How to Bring Back Your Life’s Rhythms: Captain of the Ship

There’s no doubt about it; we are living in a new norm in which the unpredictability of COVID-19 has left us with a mounting sense of uncertainty about financial security […]

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October 1, 2020
Re-Focusing in the COVID Classroom - A Conversation with Bonnie's Global Café

Thank you to Bonnie's Global Café for having Lauren Karwoski Magee and me as guests of her café. We had a wonderful time discussing design ideas for COVID-19 environments and […]

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June 24, 2020
How to Bring Back Your Life’s Rhythms: Keeping Hands Busy

The world’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees from the plane of its orbit around the sun and hasn’t changed significantly in the last 40,000 years.  Although the world’s physical tilt […]

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June 3, 2020
Nooks with Books and Other Homeschool Spaces - Lauren's Larning Lab featuring Dr. Sandra Duncan

Dr. Sandra Duncan joins architect, teacher and mom, Lauren Magee, in an episode of her new web series, Lauren's Learning Lab. In this installment, Dr. Duncan shares bite-sized ideas on […]

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June 1, 2020
How to Bring Back Your Life’s Rhythms: Establishing Routines

There’s no denying it—we are living in a new normal with families now living, working, and learning all together under one roof.  The familiar household rhythms and routines of waking […]

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December 16, 2019
How To Design Inspiring Early Learning Spaces

  When most people talk about designing an early childhood education program, they mean the curriculum, the funding, or the program. Not Dr. Sandra Duncan. When the Design Consultant for […]

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October 16, 2019
Heart-Centered Environmental Design

Author, designer and teacher, Sandra Duncan, EdD, and the president of Guidecraft, Gary Bilezikian, were honored to collaborate and contribute to the 250th issue of Exchange Magazine, where they shared their views […]

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April 25, 2018
RIP Cookie-cutter Classrooms

A conversation with Sandra Duncan, Rae Pica and Heidi Veal discussing how standardized classrooms are boring and uninspiring. Join us as they share ways to bring novelty into your classroom. […]

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March 16, 2018
Lessons From The Bowerbird - How To Create Appealing, Beautiful, And Purposeful Habitats

Although a bird may seem like an unlikely role model for teachers, the bowerbird, a small native of Australia and New Zealand, has a lot to teach us about early […]

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September 1, 2011
Introduction To Inspiring Spaces

  The classroom environment is an essential component for maximizing learning experiences for young children. Inspiring Spaces for Young Children invites teachers to enhance children’s educational environment in a beautiful […]

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