Colours are everywhere. They are part of our language and our culture, and they are a big part of what we learn. In addition, they help determine how we learn. Not only do colours send signals to the brain to make us hungry or calm, but they also have the power to distract a child or enhance a child’s learning potential.
For instance, young children are attracted to warm, bright colours, while elementary-aged children prefer tints and pastels. Middle school children enjoy colours like greens and blues, while high school students prefer darker colours like burgundy, grey, navy, dark green and violet.
Perhaps a fresh coat of paint may be in order as you consider these facts about the human body’s response to colour and learning at home:
Blue increases productivity
Cool hues cause the body to produce calming chemicals that actually slow down a person’s heart rate, revealing the meaning behind the hospital term ‘cardiac blue.’
Red stimulates brain activity
Red often triggers hunger, and attracts attention. However, if overused, it can be very distracting. Red is known to increase the heart rate.
Green is very relaxing
It is associated with nature, creativity and fertile thinking.
Yellow is a difficult colour for the eye to see
It heightens concentration, but it can also be very overpowering. Children like it as infants, but they grow less fond of it as they get older.
Purple is not readily found in nature
But children usually prefer it!
Black, brown and grey are seldom chosen as a child’s favourite
Fear and defiance may be indicated in a child’s emotional life if they use these colours in excess.
Black and white as a colour scheme can lower a child’s IQ
It can also dull learning.
Bold reds and oranges may increase a child’s IQ as much as 12 points by attracting a child’s attention to details.
Small children naturally prefer luminous colors like red, orange, yellow and pink.
Reading comprehension increased 80% in dyslexic children when using a blue or grey overlay on the page.
Along with having the right colour in your child’s learning environment, it’s also important to incorporate colour into your daily lesson plans and activities. Because children remember colours better than verbal cues, combining lesson content with colorful visuals can improve your child’s memorisation.
In short, if you want your child to learn better, consider the power of colour. Because 80% of the brain receives information visually, be sure to incorporate the element of colour as you homeschool and paint the perfect picture for your child’s educational future.