This is a very stressful period for many families. We hope these tips help reduce the stress you might be feeling as parents working to create the best home learning space for your children!
1. Clutter
Remove clutter to help your child concentrate on their work. When you think of clutter, you might imagine toys, papers, and other items all over your child’s desk.
This kind of clutter can be very distracting and should be cleared away. Also, be aware of clutter from other family members in your child’s study area.
If your child uses a desk or table that other family members also use, ensure it’s clean and free from distractions when it’s your child’s turn to use it.
2. Technology
Ensure that your child’s technology is charged, plugged in, and connected correctly. It’s a good idea to practice using the tools and programs with your child to see if they understand how to use them. This also allows you to fix any issues that might come up.
3. Supplies
Help your child keep their supplies tidy with a supply caddy or desk organizer.
It’s important that your child can easily reach essential items, like pens, pencils, and whiteboard markers, and has extras of the ones they use most. However, having too many supplies out can be distracting.
Find a balance by placing necessary supplies within easy reach and storing extra or seldom-used items separately.
4. Lighting
Before your child starts remote or homeschooling, choose their study area and see how much natural light it receives.
With families both working and studying from home, space is limited. Your child may end up in a space that doesn’t get enough natural light.
Alternatively, your child’s study area might have too much natural light. If so, watch out for glare, especially since they will likely spend a lot of time in front of a computer.
5. Fidgets
Fidgets can help your child remain focused and calm during lessons. If they are effective, let your child select one or two to keep on their desk while studying.
However, avoid placing all their fidgets out at once. Choosing fidgets during lessons can be too distracting for them.
6. Break Box
Breaks are crucial for students, especially as they adapt to new ways of learning and new environments.
To make your child’s breaks enjoyable and effective, consider preparing a box with items they might like to use during their break.
You could include drawing supplies, books, games, and toys. Keep the break box near your child’s study area but far enough away so they aren’t tempted to look inside while they are learning.
7. Sunday Checks
As you and your family get used to a new back-to-school routine, we suggest using Sunday nights to check your child’s learning environment.
During this time, clean up their study area, make sure all electronics are working and charged, refill any supplies that are low, and clear out any clutter from the past week.
This will ensure your child’s learning space is neat and prepared for another week of homeschooling or remote learning. You can then feel at ease, knowing everything is set up for their success.
We hope these 7 tips make the shift to remote learning or homeschooling smoother for you and your children!
