THE IMPACTS OF COLOR TO THE INTELLIGENCE OF CHILDREN
For children who are from 0 - 6 years old, “learning and playing” is a golden stage to develop their brain, help them develop comprehensively physically, mentally and intellectually.
The baby's nervous system has begun to rapidly develop from the 8th week of pregnancy. At birth, a child's brain weight is about one-quarter the weight of an adult brain. By the age of 1, 70-75%, by 2 years, 80% and by the age of 6, the brain will almost reach 100% of an adult's brain. A UNICEF study has also shown that half of the child's intelligence is developed primarily from birth until the age of 4. Therefore, if you do not invest in this period, it will limit the optimal development of children in the long-term.
Children learn very early through experiences in their life.
A child can learn everything at an early stage because he or she lives in a different and repetitive experience environment. The biggest advantage of young children is having sensitivity to first-time objects and being able to remember easily and deeply. Children can feel the world around them through all their senses such as sight, hear, touch, taste, smell, including non-verbal expressions.
The children’s learning through experiences helps the neuronal connections in the brain become stronger, to form billions of dense connections and networks in the brain. It is the brain cell connections that determine how an individual becomes. If parents pay attention to the stimulation of children’s brain development, they can support children in developing their characteristics and ethics. On the other hand, when the child's brain does not receive the right care and education, later it will take a lot of effort to help the brain develop at the right rate and most likely will not achieve optimal results.
The intelligence of children develops extremely multifaceted
Intelligence as a single or general ability encompasses a range of competencies, and talents. In Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Harvard University psychologist Howard Gardner proposed the theory of multifaceted intelligence. According to him, the innate intelligence of each human being, which consists of 8 types of intelligence, they work together to improve the "total force" of brain power and physical strength of each individual are:
• Verbal – linguistic Intelligence
• Logical – mathematical intelligence
• Visual – spatial Intelligence
• Musical intelligence - rhythmic and harmonic Intelligence
• Bodily – kinesthetic Intelligence
• Interpersonal Intelligence
• Intrapersonal Intelligence
• Natural intelligence
Thus, there can be many different types of intelligence and may have more prominent intelligence thanks to the results of children's experience in their daily life.
Those children who are excellent in visual-spatial intelligence, colors and images are an effective method to convey messages to children. Children often pay attention and enjoy colorful books, utensils and toys. This type of intelligence can be developed through perseverance, as well as a catalyst that is a passion for experience with colors. Some famous people have outstanding visual-space intelligence: Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, Frank Lloyd-Wright, and Leonardo DaVinci.
The reaction of children to color
Colors are everywhere and are one of the most remarkable attributes of the world around us. People connect with the color world through VISION. After birth, the child's eyes are visible, but the brain is not ready to process complex information at this time. Therefore, the baby's ability to handle colors is still very limited. By the age of 3 months, most babies have a clearer distinction of colors. From loving objects or black and white paintings, children will turn to favorite colors such as orange, red, or blue. By the age of 5 month, the color vision of children has developed very strongly. Around the age of 3 or 4 years, children will recognize, identify and name basic colors, and can develop oral language skills when they use colors as a learning tool to describe and communicate with other people. The child's color vision development continues until the age of 10. On the average, the human eye can perceive 150 different colors in visible light.
According to the researchers, the human reaction to color is very important. When color is transmitted from the eye to the brain, the brain releases a hormone that affects emotions, mind and energy levels. The positive and negative psychological effects of color can be observed in humans based on the combination of colors used. For example, children may feel uncomfortable in a room painted entirely yellow, but they may feel peaceful and calm in a room painted in a combination of blue, green and yellow.
The impact of color on children's intelligence
Color is a part of language, culture, and is also an important part to enhance the potential for learning and developing human intelligence, especially at the golden stage of children.
Color not only plays an important role in aesthetics, it also has an impact on the physiology, health, emotions, perception, learning and behavior of an individual. Especially in the preschool age group, children have started going to school but have not been able to use reading and writing skills in communication, so colors are considered as necessary learning tools. For example, in math, color recognition is used to classify, organize, and compare. As children learn to identify colors and use colors as a language tool to describe things, they develop and strengthen their ability to communicate effectively. Psychologists and Russian pediatricians believe that colors not only help children feel better, but also enhance their intelligence, concentration and attention. Research by Dr. Anna Franklin conducted 250 children using a number of testing techniques as well as using specialized camera equipment to determine the colors that children prefer by using Look, the child's attitude towards those colors.
Each color has a wavelength, and each color affects both the body and brain in different ways. Using appropriate colors and positions can affect your emotions, attention and behavior during learning. A number of studies on the effect of color on brain performance have shown unexpected results. Here are some colors that have a positive effect on cognition and psychology to help children develop intelligence:
Red: after the black and white, red is the color that children recognize early after a few weeks of birth. Children are extremely interested in this colorful monochromatic. Scientists have shown that red helps children remember longer because it has a stronger impact on the senses, which makes it easier to remember. When red color is used in conjunction with repetitive effects or detailed directions, it can help improve focus and efficiency.
Green: Green is the color that our eyes can easily recognize under the darkest levels. Green is ubiquitous around children. According to scientists, green has a special relationship with children's nerves, helps children focus, develops thinking skills and promotes the desire to explore the world around them. In addition, green creates a sense of relaxation and helps children feel more confident. This is the largest color scale in the world.
Blue: Blue is the color of trust, confidence, and intelligence. Blue encourages intellectual activity, reasoning and logical thinking, and acquires lessons faster. That is the color of intellect. It has the power to help people adapt to new environments. The dark blue tone stimulates clear thinking and the lighter blue tone calms the mind and aids concentration.
White: White is a gentle color, easy to see and not dazzled, uncomfortable. Therefore, it brings a sense of peace, lightness, relaxation in the children’s soul. Ivory white helps increase learning efficiency. This is the premise to stimulate children's intelligence.
Pink: Pink is a bright color that attracts the preference of girls in particular and women in general because it is delicate, gentle and emotional. Pink has a calming effect on anger and anxiety, and has been shown to reduce heart rate. For young children, pink helps children always feel peaceful, gentle, easy to go to deep and delicious sleep. The children in the pink room will feel more comfortable and sleep better. Thanks to that, the child's intelligence is constantly stimulated and developed.
Yellow: Yellow brings a warm feeling, increases the enjoyment and ability to operate the mind. Bright yellow makes sense of happiness and joy; pale yellow makes us feel active and creative; Dark yellow creates the cozy feeling of eternity. However, if used too much it can cause eye irritation leading to stress, discomfort.
Orange: Orange is a harmonious combination between red and yellow. Orange is a very vibrant and energetic color. Orange stimulates logical thinking, enhances memory and potentially boosts oxygen to the brain. This way the brain will work better, be more creative and be smarter.
Purple: Purple is a combination of the intensity of red and the solid color of blue. Purple is a symbol of strength and creativity, it brings a sense of calm and warmth and high relaxation. Investigations have shown that 75% of teenagers prefer purple to other colors.
So the question is, how should parents and teachers approach children to help them develop their intelligence?
Colors not only stimulate children 's vision, it also stimulates the brain to help children develop their intelligence. Young children are attracted to warm, bright colors, elementary students prefer lighter colors, junior high school students prefer colors like green and blue. Most people prefer darker colors like burgundy, dark blue and purple. Therefore, the family and the school need to create conditions to apply the effects of colors on developing children’s intelligence.
>> 1. Use colors in decorating kids' bedrooms, play rooms and learning places:
The child's psychology will be adjusted by colors chosen to decorate the nursery for sleeping, playing and learning. Colorful spaces will be a good environment for the development of children. In the age of young, children should choose bright and eye-catching colors to create a feeling of love, warm such as yellow, green, blue, white, orange or pink. From 5 - 10 years old, you can decorate the room in the theme to help your child develop the brain and the special love for his private space. If you want to adjust a child's mood and behavior, starting with changing colors: for a fairly passive child, help your child become more confident and stronger by choosing bright colors like orange, yellow or red. For active children, decorating the room with green and blue colors so that their moods are always stable and calm. Children are allowed to live, play and study in a brightly colored room, their IQ will be higher, more creative, and if the room has a dark color, their IQ is low and the child's reaction more slowly.
>> 2. Help children recognize colors through interactive activities, communication of adults with children:
Children get acquainted with colors through interactive activities, daily communication with parents, relatives, teachers and friends. For example, "What color would you like to wear today?", "Can I find you a white car", or when you see a picture with your child, you can ask your child to look at the colored animals and flowers in the picture. It is also possible for children to participate in games such as selecting and arranging blocks according to each color group (red arranged separately, blue arranged separately ...); cut the picture of fish from various cardboard boards, with different colors, drop the fish floating on a water tank and ask the child to pick up the colorful fish as required.
For preschool children, the colors used in word cards, number cards, picture cards can be used to teach children to become familiar with literacy, math, etc.
>> 3. Let your child learn to draw, shape, color:
Based on the results of research over the years, scientists and psychologists all claim that children under 18 months of age have been able to use colorful images as a symbol to convey thoughts and feelings. Children begin to get acquainted with crayons to draw what they think, even just doodles or can freely play with watercolor. From 2 years old to 8 - 9 years old, children should practice coloring, painting, modeling with crayons or modeling clay. They are just a fun tool for entertainment and a useful impact on learning.
>> 4. Early aesthetic education for children:
Aesthetic education has a great effect to develop intellectual activities such as observation, memory, thinking and imagination. The variety and richness of aesthetic features on the subject are depicted making aesthetic vibrations and emotions. From there, it helps children enjoy the beauty of nature and develops the right brain with the ability to remember photographs, opens intelligence, promotes the ability to create.
These are favorable conditions for children's intellectual and cognitive development. Therefore, parents and teachers should create an aesthetic educational environment as soon as possible and regularly. Always having fun, always respecting and trusting children, to guide children to draw and explore paintings on their own. Always encourage and praise children, keep their works everyday and hang beautiful works for them to feel cared for, encouraged, stimulated by their passions.
In short, if you want your child to learn better, pay attention to the power of colors. Because 80% of the brain receives information visually, incorporating color elements when teaching children at home to complement your child's educational picture. And remember, these methods are not to turn children into geniuses or prodigies, but the main purpose of applying these "play" methods with colors is to help children maximize their abilities and skills.
Sources:
- Right Brain for Kids. Charler H. Cranford. NXB Văn hóa- Thông tin. Năm 2014
- Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Thomas Armstrong. NXB Giáo dục Việt Nam. Năm 2014
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- https://www.sheknows.com/home-and-gardening/articles/1003817/top-10-paint-colors-to-make-you-smarter
- https://www.medicaldaily.com/color-psychology-10-ways-colors-trick-you-every-day-295460
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- http://renketkisi.com/en/the-effects-of-colors-on-children.html
