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Selection of the equipment should be based on a set of pre-established criteria. The primary consideration is usefulness that means whether a specific piece of equipment will meet the needs of the center or not. Other criteria are suitability, durability, and economy, ease of maintenance, attractiveness, teacher preference and safety. The goals and objectives of a particular center will indicate some purchases. Thus a center that emphasizes academic development with a focus on maths and problem solving will purchase a wide variety of material suitable for teaching mathematics.
On the other hand the center that emphasizes on social development may concentrate on material for dramatic play and on the equipment that can be used simultaneously by a number of children.
Several additional areas such as motor development may or may not be focal points for a particular center. The focal points of a center will be based on its philosophy and will determine in part the types of equipment and the quantity of equipment of various types that is purchased.
- Usefulness: the usefulness of an equipment is measured first by how well it meets the developmental needs of the children in the program and second by whether the equipment has multiple uses.
- Developmental needs: the developmental needs, capabilities and the age range of the children enrolled influences the purchases in a center. Young children need some pull toys and small climbers, small furniture such as cribs, changing tables, rocking chairs that are not needed by older children. Infants also require washable toys sheets, blankets, nursing bottles, disposable diapers.
Toddlers may need potty chairs instead of inbuilt equipment which are unsuitable for toilet training. These children should also be provided with materials for filling and dumping with sufficient number so that sharing will be easy. School aged children need games and crafts that are far too complex and frustrating for young children. They may also need well lighted working areas for home work, large furniture in which they can sit and work comfortably and equipment for active semi organized sports.
- Multiple uses / multipurpose equipment: A piece of equipment that can be used in several ways is a bonus financially and in terms of enriched learning experience for children. Such equipment not only saves space and money but also gives children the opportunity to use their imagination in creating different foundations for one object. An example would be the large hollow blocks that can be used to make the puppet stage or grocery store or can serve as an individual work spaces for children’s small projects.
Both large pieces of equipment and small equipment can serve multiple purposes. A book shelf can be used as a room divider and a storage facility. The rings on ring stack that can be placed on their post by a two year old can be used for color discrimination by a three year old and can be organized in a variety of classification and seriation exercises by four year old. Many pieces of equipment may be shared by two or more classes for the same or different purposes eliminating the purchases of duplicate material and money for other purchases.
- Suitability: Some equipment must be provided in several sizes. Specific equipment must be provided to meet the needs of each user. For example children must have standard sized chairs around 10, 12 or 14 inches high depending on their height and age.
- Stereotypes: Equipment must be chosen with the understanding that it may be used equally by all children. Staff members who plan curriculum in a stereotyped way will need special guidance on this point so that boys are not committed to playing with blocks only and girls are not always expected to dress dolls and play quiet table games. The material provided should reflect many cultures and should depict a variety of roles being chosen by a number of various cultures and of both sexes.
- Special needs: In determining the suitability of equipment you must consider children with handicaps. Children who cannot walk for example may need easels and water tables that can be used while the children sit in a chair or a wheel chair and the length of the children’s arms. In this way we can determine the optimum height of the working spaces for handicapped children.
- Type of service: A final suitability issue relates to the overall type of service that is provided. Children in a day care center may need equipment that substitute for items that are normally found in a home where as a child who attends a preschool class two or three mornings a week may be more involved with different types of equipment. For example day care children may have little opportunity to ride tricycle at home or to do simple cooking activities because they often are not involved in day to day routines of caring home equipment, furnishing and clothing.
- Durability and economy: Durability and economy often go hand in hand. When more durable items are purchased the center is not faced with the problem of replacement so often and considerable importing costs are saved particularly with large pieces of equipment.
- Ease of maintenance: Ease of maintenance should also be considered in choosing equipment like sinks, toilets and drinking fountains that must be cleaned daily or table tops that must be washed several times each day. They should be extremely simple to clean. The surface should be smooth and all areas should be smooth and all areas should be able to reach.
Outdoor equipment that can be repainted frequently should be designed, so that it can be painted easily. Surfaces that catch and hold stains, places which are difficult to reach increase the need of maintenance. Equipment that will rust easily should not be purchased for outdoor use.
- Attractiveness: Child care center equipment should be well designed and aesthetically attractive. Most parents and teachers would like their children to appreciate beauty and one of the best ways to help the children acquire this appreciation is to surround them with beauty. An attractive environment also carries the subtle message that children who enter the setting are much appreciated and that great care is to be taken to make their environment beautiful.
- Safety: The equipment must be safe though it is versatile, attractive, durable, economical and suitable. It should be made of non toxic material and must not have sharp or pointed edges.
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