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How to Create a Positive Learning Environment: Tips for Happy, Engaged Kids

Tears over homework? Believe it or not, the reason is not always you, your kid, or the subject you’re trying to tutor. Sometimes, it is something as unexpected as a distracting learning environment or unaddressed anxiety.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through tips, life hacks, and some useful habits to create a positive learning environment at home.

Key Points

• Positive learning environment is a setting (physical, emotional, and social) where students feel safe and supported to learn.
• Creating a positive safe learning environment promotes neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new connections. 
• Online educational platforms like Brighterly form their after-school curriculum based on positive learning environment principles. 
• The importance of a positive learning environment cannot be underestimated, as it supports emotional, social, and cognitive well-being and goes beyond desks and chairs.

What is a positive learning environment?

A positive classroom environment is a setting (physical, emotional, and social) where students feel safe and supported to learn. Parents often think that quit space is enough. In reality, it’s all about creating engagement, respect, and curiosity – factors crucial for kids to reach their full potential.

In an ideal situation, in a classroom or in home settings, children should feel safe and secure to ask questions. Teachers, tutors, or parents play a key role and provide constant encouragement and constructive feedback, tailored, of course, on individual needs of a child. 

To create a positive learning environment, Brighterly math and reading platform, for example, focuses on combining 1-on-1 engaging lessons with interactive tools. The platform ensures that students not only learn skills and close knowledge gaps, but also receive emotional support and encouragement. As a result, children boost the big 3 at the same time: critical thinking, problem-solving, and social skills. 

What makes a good classroom environment?

A good classroom environment is a safe space that promotes learning, motivation, and emotional well-being. These attributes of a good classroom environment include:

• Supportive relationships
• Engaging instruction 
• Clear expectations 
• Positive reinforcement 
• Physical comfort

When creating a positive learning environment, it’s best to keep in mind that you’re creating a space that supports cognitive, emotional, and social growth. 

Reading and math tutors from Brighterly use a plethora of aspects required to create a positive classroom environment, including one-on-one personalized instruction + interactive learning methods, and encouragement-driven feedback. 

I personally love that Brightelry is one of the platforms that adapts lessons to each child’s needs – that is what keeps them actively involved during the lessons. Not to mention, Brighterly offers reading worksheets and math worksheets free of charge, so that each student can boost their skills independently. 

Why is a positive learning environment important?

Creating a positive classroom environment is important because it helps a child learn. It gives kids the confidence to question everything around them and to think more critically. The confidence kids build makes it easier to understand formulas and ideas.

You may wonder why you must care about creating a learning environment for a child rather than just teaching them. The answer is that you are responsible for the children you teach, and for their mental, academic, and emotional development. The metric for measuring your success as an instructor and supporter starts with your child’s test scores and extends to their emotional well-being.

How to create a positive classroom environment?

• Address the needs of your students
• Be generous with praise
• Teach children to see failure as a learning tool
• Encourage learning through games and hands-on activities
• Don’t openly criticize students
• Set clear expectations
• Encourage collaboration
• Create a comfortable physical space
• Implement varied teaching methods
• Celebrate achievements
• Encourage curiosity
• Provide opportunities for autonomy

To create positive learning environment, you may go beyond improving everyday interactions with students. Parents need to overhaul existing processes to transform the learning environment. But before making changes, you must realize that each child is unique, so you may need to apply individual approaches to improve their experience.

Address the needs of your child

One of the examples of positive learning environment is a space where your child’s needs are addressed and taken into account. It’s vital to understand your kid’s learning style, knowledge gaps, and emotional needs. 

So, find out the needs of your kid, be responsive, and endeavor to meet them to the best of your ability. Reach out to someone who can address those needs you cannot handle. The bottom line is that your students should never think that you don’t care about them.

Be generous with praise

When a child successfully finishes a task, academically or behaviorally, it is essential to let them know how you feel about that win. Yes, even small wins like getting through a learning session without getting distracted or fussing. 

When a child hits an educational goal, roll out the sirens and praise them. Let them know they did well by rewarding them.

Teach children to see failure as a learning tool

How to create a positive learning environment? Teaching children that failure is part of the learning process.

Instead of letting kids wallow in self-doubt, teach your child the place of failure in every success story. Let them see every test as a chance to learn something new, irrespective of grades. 

Encourage them with fun quotes like:

“Do not worry about your difficulties in math. I can assure you, mine are still greater.” – Albert Einstein

When your child doesn’t get things right, have them walk you through their thought processes and see all the points where they may have faltered. Correct the wrongs that led them to that failure, ensuring they learn from the mistake.

Encourage learning through games and hands-on activities

These days, more children like math because of the availability of games and activities that interest and keep kids glued to math concepts. Games and exercises are perfect for bonding and ensuring your kids learn what you teach them.

One of the positive classroom environment examples is using gamified learning. With games in the mix, children can bond better and grow friendships that will last long and make them look forward to attending class. Brighterly, for example, uses a myriad of fun, gamified activities to teach math and reading. 

Don’t openly criticize a child

Parents and educators alike should know that they must not criticize their students openly. But we are human beings, and sometimes that happens. 

Just remember that you’re dealing with kids, and stamp out any prejudices before they happen. One is a negative learning environment if it makes the child feel judged. So, try to correct children’s errors without making fun of them. Don’t judge their performance, but praise their effort. 

Set clear expectations

What is a positive learning environment in the classroom? It is when kids know what is expected of them. Set behavioral expectations and educational objectives, so your child knows what’s required of them. Such clarity gives form to focused and effective learning. 

These expectations should be rechecked occasionally, and students should be given a few reminders. When students understand what is required, they will feel a sense of structure and direction; this naturally creates a good learning atmosphere.

Encourage collaboration

Collaborative learning is essential to creating a positive experience. Plan activities that will encourage you and your child to work together and learn how to solve problems collectively. This not only develops social skills but also makes your bond stronger. 

Create a comfortable physical space

Your physical space should come to mind when you think about how to create a positive learning environment for students. Organize your space to encourage interaction. Be sure a room is in order and has limited distractions.

Small touches such as comfortable seating, colorful displays, and natural lighting can make a difference. These demonstrate how a properly planned physical environment can influence childrens’ attitudes toward learning.

Implement varied teaching methods

Each child is unique, so it’s important you know what is your child’s learning style. Use various teaching methods to cater to your child’s needs, whether they’re visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. 

It appeals to students’ various methods of taking in and retaining information. Offering a range of learning activities helps you attract the interest of a broader audience, maintaining their class participation at an active, exciting level. Acknowledging and accommodating diverse learning styles is part of a healthy creation environment.

Celebrate achievements

Praising academic and personal successes can help maintain a good learning environment. To create a positive learning environment, recognize accomplishments like solving a mathematical problem well, completing something you are working on, or behaving correctly. Forms of celebration may be oral praise, certificates, or a callout to everyone in the class. 

Highlighting achievements helps children feel good about themselves and makes the whole school emphasize effort and reward. This positive reinforcement keeps students motivated and interested, helping build a sense of pride in their work.

Encourage curiosity

In a positive classroom environment, kids feel no reservations about expressing themselves. Cultivate an environment where your children are encouraged to be curious and feel no inhibition about indulging their curiosity. 

Incorporate activities through which students can delve deeply into and become genuinely interested in a subject. It develops a love of lifelong learning and fosters an environment that encourages students to seek knowledge.

Provide opportunities for autonomy

Giving kids autonomy can boost motivation to learn new things. Add activities where your child can work independently, such as independent projects or flexible assignments. Let them do as they please to give them a feeling of responsibility!

This autonomy stimulates students’ imagination and gives them practice in making decisions and managing time. Through this balance of directed education and independent study, you help maintain a good class atmosphere based on students gaining control over themselves.

Conclusion: What are the elements of a positive learning environment?

To conclude, a positive learning environment is crucial for your child. Not only does it promote neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new connections – but it also fosters deeper connections between parents and children. The attributes of a positive learning environment are:

• Supportive relationships
• Engaging instruction 
• Clear expectations 
• Positive reinforcement 
• Physical comfort

And if you need a little help setting your expectations and making instruction more engaging, Brighterly can save the day. This platform is perfect for parents who are looking to help their kids build strong foundations in math and reading. The Brighterly platform also:

• Adapt to your child’s pace and preferences
• Aligns with the school’s curriculum
• Won’t stretch your budget too much (lessons form $17.3!)
• Has flexible plans

Book free lesson now!