Beyond Decorating: Classroom Design for Thinking and Learning

“Websites such as Pinterest give teachers ideas for decorating a room, but do these ideas support student learning?” ask Andrew Ayers and Amelia Glauber. They note four ways classroom design impacts executive function skills:

1. “When the design of the classroom tells students what to do, it frees up working memory for learning content rather than procedure.”
2. “The design of the classroom should help students organize their bodies, their materials, and, most important, their thinking.”
3. “If supplies are clearly marked and accessible, students can initiate their work independently.”
4. “When design is clear and simple, students won’t be as easily distracted and can better regulate their own behavior.”

In their book Complementary Curriculum, Lisa Porter Kuh and Iris Chin Ponte affirm this, “How teachers set up their classrooms, from furnishings and materials to wall decorations and floor coverings, communicates what they believe about teaching and learning, and reflects their values about childhood. The classroom environment influences how children feel, how they interact with each other and materials, and how they behave… The settled classroom is a space where children are free to choose materials and experiences that interest and delight them, have the time and space to concentrate on meaningful, interesting activities, and work and play joyfully as part of a community of learners.”

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