Back-to-school time is a great opportunity to designate a study area for your kids. Forget flopping on the bean bag and doing math pages on your lap … a good study area requires more than that. Position, lighting, organization, and placement are key elements to consider.

Position

A good chair and clear workspace are important to a child’s learning. How so? Bad posture during homework time (slouching in a bean bag for example) strains the eyes, neck and shoulders. Doing homework on your lap leads to messy homework. Doing homework on a cluttered floor can lead to missing homework. A good chair and clear workspace offer the healthy positioning for learning.

Lighting

Like a bad seating position, bad lighting can strain the eyes (causing headaches). Encourage your kids to do homework near a window during the day (natural lighting) or under adequate lighting at night to avoid eye strain.

Organization

Your child’s study area should be clutter-free because an organized space helps to organize the mind. Use magazine holders (available at business supply stores) or stackable containers (available at hardware stores) to house homework and resource materials.  These holders/containers can be stored in closets, the bedroom or another area for each child (or subject). It also makes finding field trip forms a whole lot easier when there is a go-to bin for all things school-related!

Placement

The placement of a study area is important. Distractions like TV, video games and phones can impede learning (for even the most focused of students).

Younger children need more help during homework time so a communal area like a kitchen table may be a preferred place.

Older kids can benefit from a desk and chair in their bedrooms as a study area (especially if there are younger siblings who disturb them during homework time).

Now that computers have become part of the modern homework routine – one must consider computer placement. A computer in a communal area is preferred as parents can supervise online surfing.

At work you have your own desk.  At school kids have their own desks. So it should be that at home, kids have a designated workspace. And now is the time to set it up.

Caroline Fernandez shares family friendly activities and tips on her site Parent Club.