Add as a preferred source on Google

Time to Make Some Facility Changes

  • 05/01/15

If you would like to make some changes to your existing facility to support your early childhood education program but don’t have a lot of money, here are some ideas that might work for you.

  • Install low sinks in a non-carpeted area for children to easily wash their hands and tools (such as paint brushes).
  • Install carpet in the rest of the classroom for sound absorption.
  • If you don’t have windowsills, create shelving under the windows to hold science experiments and growing plants that need light, recommends Peter J. Pizzolongo, associate executive director of Washington-based National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) (www.naeyc.org).
  • Install bulletin board display rails at the students’ eye level on the wall to display artwork and to prevent ripping paint off the wall when removing tape.
  • Install solidly constructed storage units with doors so that materials not being used (such as glue, paint and glitter) are out of sight and out of reach of small hands.
  • What to do with fluorescent light? Cover the tubes with pink sleeves or installing panels featuring blue sky with white clouds. “This is terrific for classrooms where students have sensory integration delays, ADHD or are hyper sensitive to light,” indicates Barbara Romano, MAEL, principal/early childhood coordinator of Barrington Community Unit School District 220’s Early Learning Center in Illinois.
  • Similarly, install different kinds of lighting at different angles to make classrooms feel cozier.
  • Speaking of cozy, put an adult-sized and a child-sized rocking chair in each classroom.
  • Outfit the entrance to each classroom with cubbies in a U-shape, along with a rug and bench to sit on to take off boots.
  • Paint the walls in subdued earth tones for a calming, neutral environment. Color is added in the form of the students’ artwork displayed throughout the room.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • UNL Kiewit Hall

    Designing for Engineering Excellence: Integrating Sustainability and Wellness at UNLs Kiewit Hall

    Kiewit Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln exemplifies how academic institutions can integrate sustainability and wellness into modern learning environments. With an integrated and collaborative team approach, Kiewit Hall addresses enhanced learning and creativity, physical health, and mental wellness, and fosters a sense of community through innovative design, operations, and policy solutions.

Digital Edition