Successful learning and listening depend on the availability. There are four fundamental factors to consider when installing and furnishing an adults and children’s learning center. They include highlighting the appropriate items that will satisfy the requirements of the service area, adults, and children, formulating criteria that will assist in the identification of vendors and equipment, developing a system to purchase and order the items, and instituting a program that will assist the management of the equipment. This essay takes a critical look at the essential equipment that the services area, adults, and children require.
The guidelines in this paper will develop recommendations for both enhanced and basic equipment and furnishing that meet the needs of the adults and children emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually. The primary areas to consider when looking for the appropriate items include the outdoor and indoor spaces for the children as well as the conference room, officers, lounge area, waiting room, resource areas, and service rooms for the adults. The requirements and program philosophy influence the allocation of space and the designs for the kids’ rooms. For instance, the learning centers should have distinct furnishings based on the discipline be it science, library, math, art, blocks, dramatic play, music, etc. (Wadsworth, 4).
The children spaces should also be distinguished depending on the kids who have attained school going age and those who have not. For the adult spaces, the center will consider the relaxation areas, meeting rooms, bookshelves, curriculum development, facilities, telephones, lounges, etc. The services areas include the basic facilities that the adults and children will require in the center. The service rooms will consist of the maintenance area, laundry room, appliances, kitchen, janitorial, and consumable foods. The selection of the equipment of the center is essential to enhance the suitability of the facilities based on age appropriateness, needs, usefulness, durability, and safety (Wadsworth, 7).
The elements stated above act as the criteria for selecting equipment. First, the items in the center should cater for the special and developmental needs. For instance, if any child or adult has a form of disability, it is vital to ensure that he or she can utilize the facilities in the center with ease. An example of a provision for the disable persons is a wheelchair. The developmental needs particularly apply to the youngsters who are of different ages. For example, the center may choose to take care of the infants, school-aged, toddlers, and special needs children. For the toddlers and infants, toys, blocks, and bibs will be useful (Wadsworth, 8)
The special needs kids will require special or modified equipment depending on the form of disability. The school-aged children, on the other hand, need learning materials and sports items. Other factors that should appear in the criteria for selecting equipment include versatility, suitability, safety, stereotypes, attractiveness, costs, and maintenance. The prices of the items should add up to slightly more or less the pre-determined budget owing to changes in the economy. Secondly, the center should contain equipment that is captivating to the eye to entice the occupants. The aspect may entail selecting colorful fabric with the right texture (Wadsworth, 15).
The equipment in the facility should also be easy to maintain. It should consider the opinions of a pluralistic society by not depicting any form of stereotype. The most important element is safety. The area should be hazard-free especially since it will hold children of all ages. The condition involves paying strict attention to protrusions, entrapment, and fall zones (Wadsworth, 10). The playgrounds should be secured as well as the nursing areas. Through this, the center will be ready for use by both the adults who are interested in professional activities and the children who come to learn.
Reference
Wadsworth. Chapter 9: Equipping the Center. Cengage Learning.
