Classroom Rugs - The "core" of the classroom plus a whole lot more!

This excerpt is taken from a teacher who did a product review for us on one of our classroom rugs. WOW, does it feel good to be LOVED! BUT, I'm not gonna brag about how great we are. I wanted to share this for the ways she talked about the many uses and benefits of her rug:

Our large classroom rug is the center of our classroom. The "core" I like to call it. We're on the rug more than we're at our seats. When I'm teaching mini-lessons, students are seated on the rug. This ensures that they are close to the instruction, paying attention, and have few distractions. When I'm reading aloud a book, I'm in my comfy chair and students are right in front of me on the rug. Listening attentively and often following along in their own copies of the book. When students are playing games or doing partner work, they all want to be on the rug! It's comfy. It's warm. It's the top choice! It is the core of our classroom. It's where learning takes place. It's where readers grow. It's where mathematicians explore and solve. It's where students and the teacher make connections and build a relationship. Every single classroom needs a large rug to be the "core."

Okay, stop here for a second, because I lied. This is where I start to brag...the rest of this review is pure joy for me:

Unfortunately, I've had a love/hate relationship with my large classroom rug. You see, as you probably know, those large classroom rugs usually range between $400-$600 at school supply companies. Out of a teacher's budget FOR SURE! So in the past, I've compromised. I've bought rugs from our local home improvement stores or rug outlets. They didn't last more than a few months...Let's face it, items for the classroom have to be built for the classroom. Heavy duty! I do have smaller "school-grade" rugs in my classroom that have lasted for years so I know it's possible, but the large "school-grade" rugs are just out of my price range! Or, at least they used to be.... Enter KidCarpet - the only place on the planet where people can buy classroom rugs directly from the factory, saving teachers LOTS of money! A 7'6" x 12' rug is only $279.99 and is shipped FREE!! I am SO excited to have this new rug as the core of my classroom for next year! It is "durable enough for the highest traffic areas," fire rated for commercial use, and large enough for all of my students. Check. Check. Check! I chose the "On the Spot" design because I love polka dots, plus there are 24 dots and each dot is spaced 24" apart, giving a "spot" for each of my students on the carpet. Genius! The first day it showed up in my classroom, several of my girls gasped out loud and declared it the most beautiful rug EVER! I think they like polka dots as much as me. :) 

Written by Amanda Madden, http://www.teachingmaddeness.com/2014/05/ 

Classroom Rug Uses

When teachers have these compliments for us, I can't help but shout it from the mountaintops! However, I digressed from the true point of this post, which was to explore the many uses of a classroom rug. The most obvious of course is eloquently described above: organizing the class, having personal space for your students and for comfort. Here are a few more benefits to consider that are less obvious but still very important:

• Noise reduction - carpet and rugs reduce noise by absorbing sounds and improving acoustics, a huge benefit with a classroom full of youngsters with boundless energy.