A well-designed classroom can increase a child’s performance by as much as 16%, according to research from the University of Salford. With an increasing number of parents choosing to homeschool their children in order to facilitate their children’s education, this figure shows the importance of getting the room just right. So, how do you transform your spare room into one that will capture your child’s imagination and stimulate their mind?
Banish clutter
Multiple studies have found that clutter can affect a child’s learning performance. Research from Princeton University revealed that being surrounded by clutter reduced the attention span of participants. Clutter can even affect a child’s behavior, according to the University of Sussex, who found that a clean and organized environment resulted in well-behaved children. With this in mind, be sure to have a thorough clean out of the room you’ll be using to homeschool your kids. Box up paperwork and store it out of sight, place books in a bookcase, and remove photographs and other knick-knacks altogether.
Ensure the room is comfortable
The temperature and air quality of the room children learn in is paramount to their education. One study assessed how three different temperatures affected the performance of students on a memory test and found that students performed poorly at both high (80 degrees) and low temperatures (64 degrees). It was ultimately concluded that 72 degrees is the ideal temperature to learn in. However, it’s also important that the quality of the air in the room is adequate. Pollution, damp, and mold can all affect air quality and result in reduced productivity and impaired learning. As such, be sure to regularly inspect your room for mold and damp and take action to eradicate it by sealing up holes and cracks and treating it with an anti-microbial spray. A dehumidifier is also good for boosting air quality, banishing excess moisture, and removing air pollution.
Use color
The color of the room that you teach your children in can have a significant impact on their learning. Research shows that people perform 5-10% better when color is used rather than black and white, so it’s worth spending time getting to grips with the best shades to use on the walls of the room and even on the furniture. Red will grab your child’s attention and encourage their creativity, orange will make your child alert and passionate about their work, while small amounts of yellow will boost their happiness. Blue and green create a soothing, calm atmosphere that will help your children to stay focused, and a dash of pink can aid a child’s imagination, so bear this in mind when you’re at the DIY store picking up supplies.
Homeschooling is growing in popularity due to the increased learning benefits that it provides to youngsters. However, it is not something that should be done lightly. You need to spend an ample amount of time perfecting and maintaining your homeschooling room to ensure that it’s spacious, clean, comfortable, and colorful so that your children benefit in every way possible from their home education.
Credits:
Article submitted by: Karoline Gore
Images: Taken from pexels.com
