New Preschool Facility
The physical environment of the preschool impacts the behavior and development of both the children and teachers. Adequate space (physical) affects the levels of children involvement and interaction types between their peers and teachers. Indoor and outdoor spaces should be safe, clean, attractive, and spacious to avoid overcrowding of children. They should also have small, semi-private, and easily supervised places to provide them with solitude opportunities.
The classroom should have a minimum usable space of 50 square feet provided for each child. The space should be free and open, excluding storage and major pieces of equipment and furnishings that have been built-in. The usable space in this case, includes all material and pieces of equipment that can easily be moved. Furniture in the classroom should be arranged in a manner that allows the children to work individually, together in small, groups, as well as in large groups. The wall space should be readily available for children to display their work throughout the school. Independence and learning will be encouraged if the shelves are open to aid in accessibility (Olds, 2000, p. 442).
For the outdoor design of the preschool facility, the space should be adequate, preferably contiguous for the large motor activities. Their play space should be 100 square feet per child at one time during their outdoor activities. Soil (tested for lead and contaminants), sand, grass, hills, a large, flat even surface for their wheeled toys, and adequate padding should make up their surface. The playground design should be developmentally appropriate, barrier-free, and very sensitive to all their disabilities. Toilets, drinking water sources, and storage facilities should be convenient and accessible facilities (Olds, 2000, p. 443).
Potential illnesses in the school can be controlled by having clean and safe surfaces. Installation of hardwood and vinyl floors promotes resilience while carpeted floors should be avoided because they are breeding grounds for growth of mold and bacteria colonies. The most recommended rugs are those that are washable as they minimize tripping hazards (Olds, 2000, p. 329).
References:
Olds, A. R. (2000). Child care design guide. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Professional.
