Colour is everywhere around us, making it an essential element of learning for children. Kirsten Hayward, Category Manager for Education at Winc, shares her advice on the best six ways colour can enhance learning in the classroom.
1. Get crafty with paint
We all know that painting is enjoyable, but did you know that it also has numerous positive effects on child development, including improved fine motor control, eye-hand coordination and creativity?
“Painting is one of the best ways for children to achieve all their developmental goals in one activity. It’s also a good way to encourage children to share their cultural backgrounds through art, colour, and patterns, as well as to explore and understand the diversity around them,” says Kirsten.
Equip your classroom with watercolour and acrylic paints to meet all your classroom learning needs.
2. Use counters to help with early math skills
“Children learn as they play, sorting bright colours into groups, pairing up shapes, and matching sizes,” Kirsten suggests.
Counters such as the EC Learning Can Be Fun Dinosaurs Tubs are ideal teaching aids for quality learning outcomes because they assist children with counting and sequencing, sorting, stacking, and pattern making, all while having fun with the dinosaur-shaped counters.
3. Add more colour in the classroom
“Sensory processing is influenced by bright and bold colours. Colours play an important role in creating a positive working environment and increasing productivity,” advises Kirsten. Display children’s artwork around the room to encourage self-expression and creativity.
Ensure your classroom is fully stocked with coloured markers, art supplies and even colourful modelling materials ready for all your lesson plans.
4. Build communication skills
“Include colour-related questions in your curriculum. Ask your students how colour affects their mood, thinking, and learning by asking them how they feel when they are exposed to certain colours.
“Another good tip is to colour code areas of your classroom to help children associate certain areas, training their memory and perception skills through visual learning,” advises Kirsten.
5. Boost outdoor learning experiences
Incorporating brightly coloured equipment, such as a hopscotch set, is an excellent way to improve the outdoor learning experience. Outdoor learning, according to research, improves children’s engagement in learning, as well as their social interaction skills, concentration, and behaviour2.
6. Design quiet spaces for focused work
A busy classroom is always a good sign, but it is not always conducive to productive and focused learning time. Similarly, too many colours in the background can be overwhelming.
“It’s critical to implement quiet time and provide quiet spaces to assist children when they feel overwhelmed or overstimulated by their usual environments,” advises Kirsten. “Try incorporating green colours, which are known to promote restfulness and calm while improving focus.” Kirsten suggests literacy tubs for displaying books while keeping the intimate space clutter-free.
Brighten your classroom with colour and make learning fun with our colourful range of education essentials.
Source: Winc
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