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I don’t like being the one that announces such horrible news, but school for our children will begin in a matter of weeks. Summer is almost over and it won’t be long before students everywhere are being hit with those dreaded quizzes. So in an effort to beat the rush … it’s quiz time!
What offers an array of advantages to the school environment, including warmth, noise absorption, comfort and safety, yet stands up to the test of the tough abuse so many little feet can dish out?
The answer: Carpet.
Teachers are not only asked to hand out grades to their students, but are often asked to evaluate how their learning environments rate over a school year.
A survey conducted by Beth Shapiro and Associates showed that 92 percent of teachers feel classroom design has a strong impact on the learning environment, however, only 18 percent of teachers nationwide would give their room an “A.”
Of the ones who do make the grade, a major element in their success was carpet.
Ridgeland High School in Rossville was surveyed in the case study and found room in a minimal budget for carpet after realizing the benefits it would bring to the learning environment. Ridgeland High installed a high quality carpet capable of withstanding high traffic at the 1300-student school, and has found the carpet provides valuable benefits.
One of those benefits carpet brings to schools is the acoustical advantage of noise reduction. Carpet traps noise as it bounces around the room, allowing students to hear with more clarity. This also helps the students concentrate and listen to instructions more closely, providing a more effective learning environment.
At Ridgeland High School, the addition of carpet in the band room provided more acoustical control. Ridgeland was originally planning to put tile in the band room, which would have created an echo effect. However, carpet mutes the noise, providing a clearer acoustical environment.
Safety is another benefit carpet brings to the learning environment. The traction carpet can provide reduces greatly the possibility of slips and falls in the school. Slips and falls on a carpeted surface will most likely be less painful than a fall on a hard surface. Carpet is especially helpful on rainy days as students stream into the hallways with wet shoes. Wet spots on hard floors can be a liability in any building, so carpet can act as a legal asset. Also, visually impaired students find the non-glare aspect of carpet beneficial.
Choosing carpet in schools also adds to the comfort of a learning environment. Carpet does act as an insulator, helping keep classrooms cozy on cold winter days, but carpet also adds an aesthetic appeal. It creates a sense of “home,” helping students feel relaxed and welcome in their learning environment.
Beverly Elementary School in Plano, Texas, another school surveyed in the case study, has been given top accountability two years in a row following its renovation, which included new carpeting. Beverly Elementary has received acknowledgment since the renovation for high performance in reading and mathematics. Principal Elizabeth Kirby said Beverly Elementary has sent a message to educators that good interior design leads to a positive and ideal learning environment.
Another benefit to choosing carpet for a school environment is the filter-like effect it creates in the air. Dust and allergens that fall to the carpet stay on the carpet until they are vacuumed out. On hard surfaces, they are recirculated into the breathing space. A properly maintained carpet can help keep the air in the learning environment fresh.
As the summer rolls down and our children move back to the classroom environment after weeks of playing in the backyard, the area they spend the next ninth months growing in should provide them with more than numbers and letters, but an atmosphere that helps keep these equations fresh in their mind for the next quiz. Carpet simply makes the grade in our book.
Werner Braun is president of the Dalton-based Carpet and Rug Institute.
