Creating a Productive Learning Environment: The Importance of Color

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It is the first day of school and an excited kindergartener is glowing as he approaches his classroom. He has been waiting for this day for months, but now that it is here, he feels the butterflies in his stomach, nervous about his new environment. Upon entering the classroom, he looks around amazed at all the posters on the walls, the alphabet above the white board, and the bright colors all over the room. He stands there for a moment with his eyes wide open and a gigantic smile emanates upon his face. At that moment in time, all the nervousness, all the annoying little butterflies, went away and only pure excitement permeated his emotions. Although the totality of the room made him feel safe, a considerable part of that environment is color. Teachers have a foremost responsibility to create a productive learning environment as this child’s teacher did. Therefore, what is it that makes color so important? In reference to the child mentioned above, his nervousness subsided upon entering the classroom; is this even possible? Moreover, can it actually affect the way students learn? There have been numerous studies on the effects of color on the brain and emotions, in not only adults but children as well. In fact, one series of tests by engineers at the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company indicated that when a person is subjected to a certain color for even as little as five minutes, their mental and muscular activity changes according to their physiological response to that color. In other words, the emotional or cognitive response to a color can literally affect a person’s physical state. In addition, studies have identified color as affecting various mental conditions. This is due to the retina’s relationship with the hyp... ... middle of paper ... ...gn to maximize student performance. Retrieved from http://www.excellence.dgs.ca.gov/MaxStPerformance/S4_4-2.htm 5. Gale, Ann Van Nice. (1933). Children’s preferences for colors, color combinations, and color arrangements. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press. 6. Johnson, Virginia. (1992). The power of color. Successful Meetings June Issue. (41) 7, 87, 90. 7. Morton, Jill. (2010). Why color matters. Retrieved from http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/why-color-matters 8. Simmons, S. (1995). Drawing as thinking. Think Magazine, 23-29. 9. Wohlfarth, H., & Gates, K. S. (1985). The effects of color psychodynamic environmental color and lighting modification of elementary schools on blood pressure and mood: A controlled study. International Journal of Biosocial Research. 7, 9-16.

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