#2 : Classroom setting and arrangement

“What is the ideal number of preschoolers in a class?”

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In preschool business, there is also one particular area which effect the operation. The ‘DESIGN’.

It includes:
+ curriculum (program) design
+ interior  & exterior design

Both will have a direct impact to each other.

Once we have decided to open a preschool business, there are choices that need to be made:

+ type of program
+ setting of business premise

Related article: Preschool Business Management

Currently, there are 2 types of physical settings which available:

+ shop lots (business building) : normally using program which licensed by our local government agency as ‘enrichment centre’.
+ house (housing area) : normally using a standard national preschool curriculum and licensed as ‘tadika’

However, recently, there are changes and some local council has given approval of using shop lots for ‘tadika’. Kindly refer to the authority of local council.

WHAT does it has to do with program and premise?

The program will relate on how the design and setting of a classroom.

Consider the 2 situations below:

1. Shop lot.

a. It will normally be either 1 floor, 2 or 3. General size of the premise will be 22′ x 75′ , and bigger if we are lucky.

b. Each floor will be able to have a maximum of 4 rooms with some open space.

c. Depending on the room design, each class will range from 14.7m² ( accommodating 15 children) down to 3.11m² (accommodating 3 children).

All the rooms, will be designed accordingly based on the size of the building and the program.

If the program need extra and specific room, it must be designed accordingly. In this case, we are able to decide the number of students for each intake of each group based on the number of rooms.
2. House (corner / end lot)

A kindergarten set up in a housing area will have to consider some items as below:

+ duration of the tenancy agreement
+ size of the house and rooms available
+ neighborhood and location

All existing rooms in the house will be used as classroom respectively.
Compared to shop lots, kindergarten operating in a house will have to use the existing rooms as classroom.

We need to make necessary arrangement to ensure that the size of room (which can’t be changed) chosen for certain class is comfortable with the number of children enrolled.

Related article : Setting Up a Preschool

CLASSROOM SETTING : Ideal number of students in a class.

What is the number? Ideal number?

+ It is based on the size of the room.
+ It is based on the suitability of the program
+ It is based on the ability of the teacher

Many preschool experts says that the best ration is 1:5. In general many says that 1:15 is comfortable. This arrangement is based on the consideration of:

+ enough focus for children
+ ability of a teacher to manage class
+ individual time spend for each child

In business, calculation made based on the ‘number’. Therefore some business owner made some adjustment to accommodate their business needs and children’s need.

Here is an example:

A class which accommodate 20 children is set to met 4 teachers a day.
1 class teacher
1 another subject teacher
Another 2 individual program teachers

They children will have minimum of 2 transition class and maximum 4. Which means, children need to move out from the class to another areas for at least 2 times a day.

With this arrangement, the needs of the children to get enough time with related teachers with educational content, will be able to be leveraged and the ratio of 1:20 is basically become 4:20 = 1:5

This is sounds better, right?
Email more questions for  any further hidden facts that you might want to know to : noraminah.omar@gmail.com

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