Classroom Environment

Visual Input: Calming Or Stimulating?

Consider the typical classroom and everything that happens from a visual perspective. See if you can sense the difference between these environments:

1- Natural light vs. fluorescent light
2- Solid carpet vs. loudly patterned carpet
3- Cool colors vs. hot colors
4- Bulletin board space vs. paper-cluttered space

The first environment is more calming and can help all children attend to what is really important rather then the environment around them. The second environment is an exciting space to the majority of children, but may require relaxation stations, concentration stations and visual calmers to accommodate children who are easily over-stimulated by visual input. Ideas for these are in the Integrations catalogs.Imagine sitting in a room trying to learn a new language and having posters all over the walls, things hanging and moving above your head, and brightly colored items all throughout the room, how hard would it be to listen to the teacher and learn that new language? As a mature adult, you would be looking all around the room and not at the teacher! These items only call the attention of the curious child to them and away from what is really important. The only thing in a classroom that needs bright colors and visual attention drawn to it is the teacher and the work she is presenting!

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