Temperature

Overview

Providing ways for students to meet their individual temperature needs supports Attention and Inhibition & Self-Regulation. Maintaining a comfortable classroom temperature, usually between 68°F and 74°F, also promotes increased student engagement and learning.

Use It in the Classroom

Learn how this elementary school with no air conditioning tried to cope during a heat wave. By dimming the lights, opening the windows, and blowing fans in each classroom, these educators attempted to monitor the temperature and cool down the school.

When teachers are able to control the temperature of their own classroom, they can adjust it according to the needs and current moods of their students. However, if this individual control is not possible, some affordable classroom accommodations that help mediate differences in temperature include blankets and portable fans.

Design It into Your Product

Products can monitor the temperature of a learning environment and provide suggestions to maintain the optimal temperature for a learner. Being in an environment that is too cold can lead to distractibility and decreased Attention. Similarly, an environment that is too warm can also result in decreased concentration due to discomfort and drowsiness.

View References

Resources

Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.

Examples

Ten Simple Tips

DIY ideas for fun ways to keep students cool on hot days

Research

Heat's Impact on Student Learning

Article on the correlation between heat and lower student outcomes

Research

Importance of School Facilities

The impact of school facilities, including temperature, on student outcomes

Factors Supported by this Strategy

Literacy

Cognition

Attention

Inhibition & Self-regulation

Sensory Integration

Student Background

Adverse Experiences

Safety

Socioeconomic Status

More Physical Space Strategies

Dim or Natural Lighting

Dim or natural lighting provides a calming environment.

Individual Spaces

Having spaces where students can go supports self-regulation and individual deliberate practice.

Mobility & Flexibility

Multiple tables and chairs on wheels allow for setting up the classroom to support the desired learning outcomes of each classroom activity.

Multiple Display Boards/Screens

Multiple display spaces promote collaboration by allowing groups to share information easily as they work.

Multiple Writing Surfaces

Multiple writing surfaces promote collaboration by allowing groups to share information easily as they work.

Quiet Environment/Pockets of Quiet

Decreasing extra audio input provides a focused learning environment.

Rich Library: Audio & Braille

Books for vision differences support reading development for learners with visual needs.

Rich Library: Complexity

Reading materials of varying complexity and levels are necessary for all students to experience success.

Rich Library: Diversity

Multicultural and diverse books are critical for supporting all students.

Rich Library: Multimodal

Providing varied types of resources that align with interests of individual students supports overall literacy development.

Rich Library: Poetry

With figurative language and creative sentence structure, poetry supports the development of a deeper understanding of the different ways language makes meaning.

Rich Library: SEL Topics

Books on social and emotional learning (SEL) topics, such as developing empathy and productive persistence, help teach these skills.

Sound Level

Providing ways for students to adjust sound level supports individual auditory needs.

Uncluttered Environment

Spaces that are structured, organized, and clean provide increased room for collaboration and active learning.

Literacy 4-6

Temperature

Overview

Use It in the Classroom

Design It into Your Product

Resources

Factors Supported by this Strategy

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