Homework time can be filled with breakthrough and breakdown moments for parents and children alike. Deciphering algebra and conjugating Spanish verbs is hard enough, making having a calm, quiet area to focus on tasks essential for a student’s concentration and a parent’s sanity. Ann Dolin, founder and president of Educational Connections Tutoring, not only discloses how to perfect your homework space, but gives tips on how to cater that space for different learners.
Before you buy
Dolin urges that you investigate and see what studying style best works for your child before you invest money into a homework space. According to Dolin, some kids like a designated study space, and others like to study in multiple places and environments. Your children’s idiosyncrasies can also indicate their study patterns; a child who covers their ears with loud noise will tend to need a quiet place to study, and one who doesn’t mind noise will flourish in a “Starbucks-esque area” for studying, according to Dolin. Regardless of a child’s study pattern, Dolin suggests creating a list and testing the areas where students are most productive, also asking the child where they have studied successfully.
Picking the right space
The location of a homework station doesn’t have to be black and white; anywhere that your child is successful and free from distraction will work. However, Dolin recommends that you resist allowing children to do homework in their bedroom to avoid procrastination and distractions. The key to a successful homework space, in Dolin’s eyes, is ensuring comfort. When Dolin’s children were younger, they never used the homework desk she put in her kitchen, but found that they were productive in recliners with a built in desk. A study station doesn’t have to be elaborate or even large, especially when school supplies are decreasing as school years increase. If you want to use all the space you can, a big whiteboard or bulletin board is great for organizing tasks of the day, says Dolin.
Supplies
Dolin is a strong believer in a simple, yet practical study station without a lot of fluff. It needs to have plenty of light and has to be clutter-free. All school supplies have to be visible to avoid the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, suggesting that containers be used to store supplies as opposed to drawers. For children who are mobile learners, putting their supplies in a shower caddy or tackle box makes for easy transportation from one successful study area to the next. Dolin loves hanging file folders because it is a great way to visualize and archive papers clearly. For younger children, she suggests using a big desk calendar to show schedules and important deadlines easily. A clock with visible hands needs to be in sight at every homework station so students can see elapsed time and learn time management.
For more helpful homework tips, check out Dolin’s book, Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework. In September, be on the lookout for Getting Past Procrastination: How to Get Your Kids Organized, Focused and Motivated…Without Being the Bad Guy.
