The reopening of school is yet to come for many students. Many families are still making preparation for students to return to the school environment – well equipped and well attired. There are many, however, who have not given thought to preparing the home environment for the new school year. They have not asked the question; does the home create an environment conducive for learning?
This week we share with you some tips on creating a space that will improve the learning experience for the students in your home.
Isolation is best. A room dedicated to the purpose of school work: homework, study, reading, etc. away from the distraction of other family activities provides the best environment. However, this room should not be too isolated that parents cannot easily drop by to ensure that the student is remaining focused on school work. No available room, no problem. A corner or a wall can be easily set up as a study area.
Wherever you have available, the essentials are the same. You will need a:
• Desk
• Comfortable chair, preferably a task chair with wheels
• Task lighting or a desk lamp
• Stationery supplies
• Drawers or shelves to store supplies
• Charts or print outs on the immediate wall with essential information such as a world map, timetable, important formulae, mathematical tables, etc.
• Clock, preferably with alarm
• Trash bin
A home study area must also come with motivation and encouragement. The student must be encouraged and motivated to make use of the space. Here are some ways to achieve this:-
• Involve the student in the setting up and design of the space so he/she will feel more comfortable using it.
• Remind the student to use the space when he/she is seen using other areas of the house for school work. Be intentionally patient if having this study space is something new to the student.
• Show interest in the work being done in the space, not as a stalker or an investigator but as a lover of learning.
• Do not be a distraction. Ensure that other family members respect the use of this space by keeping noise or distracting activities away from the area or at least to a minimum while it is being used. It is also very distracting if materials needed for work have to be located elsewhere during a study or homework session because mum borrowed a pen to write down the shopping list and did not put it back.
• Ensure that the student bears some, if not all, of the responsibility for keeping the study space clean and organized.
We hope that the above tips were helpful. If you have any additional useful ideas for a study space, please share them with our readers in the comments.
If you need any clarification on this topic, feel free to email us at feedback@millenia.dm.