Desk Options
Desks can be bought that either have a built in storage area under them or that are simply a flat surface. Storage is particularly useful with younger children, who will usually remain in the same seat throughout the day and can use that space as a place to keep their pencils, crayons, and other small items that are important to getting their work done. The square shape and flat surface of this style of desk is also particularly popular in classrooms where the teachers like to encourage a lot of group work and social learning. It makes it easy to group several students together and have them use their desks as a shared work surface, with all of the sides meeting.
With older students, however, most schools prefer to switch over to models that have the desk surface and chair as a single unit. The writing space itself is smaller with this approach, but it's a very efficient style of school furniture and older students generally keep most of their supplies in their backpacks, so they don't have as much need for additional space.
Items for Younger Children
In classes of very young children, a desk isn't yet appropriate. In that case, buying nursery furniture is a better fit. A single pre-school table will often have multiple small chairs grouped around it, which helps the kids to gather together, work on puzzles and craft projects as a group, and to develop the social and functional skills that will be important throughout their education.
Every teacher has a unique approach, and it's best when a school can equip classrooms to be a good fit to the teacher and what the students will be asked to do during the year. While younger kids need storage space and a desk that can be used to encourage them to work together, older kids often do well with a simple small writing surface.
