LearningSuccess™ Tip: Lighting Matters

People are affected differently by various lighting situations, which can then affect focus and concentration when learning or working.

Is the lighting bright or low, natural or artificial? If artificial, is it incandescent, fluorescent, or full-spectrum?

Fluorescent lighting has been shown to negatively affect children and adults. It can cause headaches, difficulty reading, eyestrain, irritability, and hyperactive behavior. Plants will not survive under fluorescent lighting but we expect people to!

What if a student does better with natural lighting? Try moving that student near a window in the classroom, or at home when doing homework.

Full-spectrum lighting, commonly used to grow indoor plants, more closely resembles the full spectrum of light present in nature. Positive effects have been documented in classrooms that have switched to this lighting.

If you have fluorescent lighting at home, try switching to full-spectrum. It could make a big difference in attitude and productivity for the whole family.