Learning Centers for Schools
A.C.E. curriculum is intentionally implemented in a unique individualized manner. After students have been diagnosed and placed in the curriculum at their performance levels, they are assigned study carrels located around the perimeter of a classroom called a Learning Center. These study carrels form an integral part of the A.C.E. experience and are referred to as student "offices."
The individual offices minimize distractions and permit students to focus on their academics. To provide maximum privacy, safety, and effectiveness, a student office should be accommodating in size, have adequate lighting, and be decorated with items that point their minds consciously and subconsciously toward Biblical values.
This furniture section is intended to serve as a guide for constructing A.C.E. Learning Center furniture. It is recommended that all Learning Center furniture be built by a finish carpenter or cabinetmaker. The quality of the furniture will be much more satisfactory if done by a professional.
The illustrations and drawings listed below demonstrate the use of laminated materials. Plywood or chipboard may be used for the base material. Particleboard (high-density cabinet grade) may also be used. However, it can weigh as much as fifty percent more than plywood and is sometimes permeated with formaldehyde and stamped with a warning about being used in a closed area such as a Learning Center.
A high-quality enamel paint may be used on interior surfaces. The tambour as illustrated may be replaced with plastic laminate (such as Formica™) or carpeting or may be simply painted.
When purchasing building materials, request a "Certificate of Asbestos-Free Material" from the supplier. Specifically require such a certificate for any Celotex™, especially when used as bulletin board material.
REMEMBER: Care exercised in construction will be reflected in the quality of your Learning Center!
Learning Centers for Homeschools
If you are a homeschool parent, select an area in your home in which the student can work with minimal distractions that will be designed as the Learning Center. Whatever place you choose, make sure it has good lighting. This area could be the corner of a family room or a spare bedroom. Be sure to furnish an individual office for each student. You will find more tips in the Home Educator's Manual.