Profile of the Ideal Classroom - Essay Example

Classroom design for preschool children should be able to meet the necessary requirements for safety, comfort, and opportunities for learning, interaction, and play. The ideal size for a classroom is about 50 square feet, exclusive of storage spaces, equipment, and other built-in furnishings (Recommendations for Early Childhood Facilities Standards n.d.). A researcher for the Thomas Jefferson for Educational Design of the University Virginia citing various research studies recommends that a classroom must have a “high degree of spatial differentiation” (Butin, 2000, Key Spaces in Early Education Centers section par 3) to support interaction, encourage exploratory behavior and help prevent interruption of play. This means that activity areas must be separated by physical objects or partition areas or provide “visual cues” as to their demarcation lines through visual clues such as color, lighting, or change in height for ceilings and partitions. But in further writes that a typical preschool classroom should have at least four distinct activity zones, as follows (Butin, 2000, Key Spaces in Early Education Centers section par 3):

• Gross-motor skill zone. The space should be large enough to accommodate structures, such as a slide or a tunnel, and be open enough to allow for push-and-pull and riding toys.
  • Dramatic play zone. Providing "home-center" props, such as kitchen appliances, living room furniture, or a theater area, facilitates such play. While the dramatic play zone should be adjacent to the gross-motor skill zone to allow for easy movement between the two, a clear division between the spaces should be visible to promote a sense of semiprivate space.
  • Arts and crafts zone. This is the "wet" area of the room where children can experiment with sand, water, paint, paste, and other messy materials. The arts and crafts zone should be next to a water source, such as a sink and gooseneck faucet, and should have a washable floor covering. Good task lighting is also important for doing art projects.
  • Quiet zone. Young children need personal space that permits intimate interaction with an adult and provides a space for solitary play, looking at books, or simply resting. The quiet zone should have carpeting, comfortable chairs and pillows, a low bookshelf for books and stuffed toys, and a space (that may need to be out of reach of toddlers) for objects such as plants or an aquarium.

In addition according to Butin, “the classroom should also have a self-contained bathroom that is equipped for toilet training and diaper changing”.

Modifications of classroom design for children with special needs:

1. For children who are mobile only through a wheelchair, the classroom space might be expanded from the recommended 50 feet per square, to enable both children with disability and those who are typical to enjoy the classroom setting.
2. Another accommodation for children in a wheelchair or who walk with the help of crutches is to provide more spaces for moving around in all areas of the classroom.
3. Ramps may also help children in wheelchairs to move to elevated portions of the classroom or childcare facility.
4. Children with ADHD or attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder, might be given a separate area for work where they can be by themselves while still being able to work with other children.
5. To lessen distraction and for closer monitoring, children with ADHD might be better placed near the teacher or the facilitator during lessons or interactions.
6. Children with ADHD might benefit from being positioned in an area where there is less opportunity for distraction such as a window.
7. To accommodate children with autistic syndrome who are much more sensitive to stimuli, lighting may be modified to make it more neutral.
8. Another accommodation for autistic children is for the rooms to be painted white since autistic children need calming visual sights as much as possible.
9. Another modification for autistic children is to install blinds to block out the sights and noises from outside.
10. For those who have visual problems, the classroom physical environment should be more or less predictable so these children come to expect reliability.
11. Another adjustment for children who are visually impaired is to have more toys or learning materials that make use of their tactile abilities rather than just those that appeal to sight.
12. A wide variety of toys may be provided to allow children who have dexterity problems – an example of this is to provide for magnetic toys.
13. For those who cannot sit unassisted, pillows and other bolsters may help them feel independent and more like their typical peers.
14.  For those who are markedly gifted than their peers, more advanced learning materials or toys may be provided for these children to discover and explore on their own.
15. For those who have a tendency to be more allergic than typical preschoolers, floor coverings should not be carpeted with textile-made materials as they tend to attract dust and other irritants.