A large part of including a private space for students in early childhood classrooms is so that students have time to unwind by themselves. According to National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, young children need such zones for solitary play. This time can be used to look at books, nap or just play quietly. It's also fitting for adults to enter this quiet zone to more intimately interact with the child.
According to Early Childhood News, private spaces in early childhood classrooms are important for children to develop self concept and personal identity. For example, aggression and breakdowns that young children often succumb to can be traced back to the stress of being in a large group all day long, often hours per day for five days a week. Creating areas where children can go to unwind and recharge emotionally can be a major developmental benefit.
Private spaces also serve as a place for discipline. Sometimes, they're known as timeout areas. And unlike the other uses for private spaces, the timeout areas aren't places that students should strive to go to. They're typically the exact opposite of the inviting playtime private spaces and often consist of just a chair facing a wall, where students can go, within eyesight of the teacher, to sit quietly and reflect on their wrongdoing.
Private spaces in early childhood classrooms should be inviting; they should make the student want to spend time there. Features to help accomplish this might include carpeting, comfortable chairs and pillows and toys for the child to play with in a quiet manner. The area shouldn't be a place that is unwelcoming to a child. Unless it's a designated timeout zone, teachers should treat the area as a special place and encourage children to spend time there.