By the time your child reaches 5th grade, they should be doing about 50 minutes of homework and/or studying at home each day. Even from a young age, kids should have a place in the home that they can use solely to study and get their work done without distractions.
As a parent, creating the right atmosphere in your home for homework and studying can help your child be more productive, create a sense of comfort, even make doing the work fun. It starts with setting up the right space that is conducive to studying and learning, utilizing the right tools, and making sure your child can stay focused on the tasks at hand.
Abraham Lincoln said, “Teach the children so it will not be necessary to teach the adults.” By encouraging learning at home and being a guide for your children along the way, you can set them up for lifelong learning skills. That can help to boost their imaginations, cause them to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers, and inspire curiosity in them that can lead to success throughout their lives.
So how can you set up the right study space for your children in the comfort of your own home?
Create a Learning Environment
As you might expect, the ideal learning space starts with the environment itself. You can transform almost any area of your home into an adequate learning space with a few simple tips. The right space can help your child to feel more comfortable so they can get their work done more efficiently.
Keep these tips in mind to create the ideal learning space for your children:
- Think about what your child needs in order to concentrate. Some do better in solitude while others thrive with activity.
- Pick a space that is comforting and relaxing but will also encourage focus and concentration.
- Make sure your child’s work surface is at the right height.
- Have adequate lighting or try different types of lighting to keep your child from having to strain their eyes.
- Keep all of their necessary supplies in one location.
- Decorate the space with things that will inspire your child and help them to feel more comfortable.
The right study space doesn’t need to take up an entire room. Dedicating even a specific corner of a room to getting homework and studying done can make a big difference in your child’s productivity.
Utilize Technology
Technology has become a large factor in the world of education. It has changed the modern-day classroom, with many schools across the country allowing their students to take home laptops or tablets to get their work done.
Using technology is a great way to inspire your kids to learn differently. The introduction of gamification, for example, literally makes learning fun by making it more exciting and interactive. Technology can also make learning more personalized, showcasing where students struggle and where they excel, so teachers and parents can focus more attention on the subjects that are more difficult.
It’s likely that the future of education will continue to depend heavily on technology. We’ve caught a glimpse of that in the wake of the recent coronavirus pandemic, where many schools across the country adopted an eLearning platform for students who weren’t physically allowed to attend school.
Letting your kids use a computer or tablet for their work at home can help them to be more efficient, but it’s important to monitor their digital activity. Track the websites they’re looking at and monitor their time online. Learn the ins and outs of social media, and how to check their accounts. There’s a fine line between safety and freedom for your children, and it can be a difficult balance to find sometimes. But, it’s better for your kids to be safe online than for you to have to wonder what they’re doing or who they might be talking to.
Minimize Distractions
A study funded by the Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences found that 25% of an elementary school student’s time was spent being distracted. Obviously, the more a student is distracted, the less they’re learning.
Distractions can be even more dangerous at home. If your child is too comfortable, they might be less motivated to get their work done. If they have their phone, computer, or tablet and they’re using them for things other than schoolwork, it can be far too easy for them to hop onto social media, watch videos, or chat with friends. Even the typical happenings around your home can be distracting.
While it might seem impossible to eliminate every possible distraction, creating the best study space involves limiting those distractions as much as possible. Set rules and boundaries for homework/study time. In doing so, you’ll motivate your child to work smarter and get the job done.
You know your children better than anyone. There isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” study space for every child/teen. Think about what would work best for your child’s learning style as a starting point. Once you keep that in mind, creating the perfect space for their specific needs will be much easier.
Contributed by Beau Peters