• Designing the Modern Classroom: Lakeshore's Flex-Space Furniture Debuts to a New Generation of Learners

    From balance ball seats and cozy couches to mobile desks and tables that easily glide wherever students need them, Lakeshore's Flex-Space Furniture is designed to provide the ultimate flexibility that 21st-century classrooms demand.

    Created for kindergarten through fifth grade, the new line was developed for the real-world needs of modern classrooms, where there is an increased focus on critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration.

    Today's students are encouraged to get actively involved in their own education, discovering which learning methods work best for them—and ultimately developing the higher-level thinking needed for college and career success.

    To help support these objectives, Lakeshore's Flex-Space Furniture allows teachers to quickly rearrange their classrooms for a wide variety of independent and collaborative activities, project-based work and more, while also providing choices to support students' individual learning styles.

    "Unlike the traditional classrooms that many of us experienced as children, today's classrooms are dynamic places where learning happens in a variety of ways," said Patti Clark, Lakeshore's Vice President of Product Development. "Our goal in developing this furniture was to help teachers seamlessly transition their classroom from one activity to the next, while helping students learn in ways that are comfortable for them."

    With decades of hands-on teaching experience and close ties with educators in real classrooms across the country, Lakeshore's expert development team created the new furniture line to meet the highest standards of quality and durability—which are hallmarks of the company's long-standing reputation. Highlights of Lakeshore's Flex-Space Furniture include:

    Mobility: Built-in casters quickly transport furniture as activities change throughout the day, making it easy to create custom spaces for independent work, group projects, whole-class presentations and more.

    Collaborative Spaces: Desks and tables configure multiple ways to support student interaction, while cozy carpets and chairs provide comfortable settings for small-group meetings.

    Flexible Seating: A variety of seating options lets students choose those that help them focus and perform at their best—whether they prefer wobble chairs, beanbag seats or one of many other options.

    Best of all, for schools that are designing new classrooms from the ground up, Lakeshore's Flex-Space Furniture is available with the company's exclusive Complete Classrooms® service, which includes FREE design, delivery and installation. A true "one-stop" shop, Lakeshore provides the turnkey solution for new or expanding programs—from furnishing the classroom and providing supplemental learning materials to coordinating delivery and on-site furniture assembly. Plus, with two national distribution centers serving the eastern and western regions of the United States—and more than 1.2 million square feet of storage space—Lakeshore is always in stock and ready to deliver quickly and completely!

    To learn more about Lakeshore's Flex-Space Furniture, visit LakeshoreLearning.com/FlexSpace.

    About Lakeshore—Products Designed with Learning in Mind™
    Lakeshore Learning Materials is a leading developer and retailer of top-quality materials for early childhood education programs, elementary schools and homes nationwide. Since 1954, Lakeshore has offered innovative learning materials distinguished by their quality, educational merit and safety. To learn more, visit LakeshoreLearning.com.