These tips are designed to help reduce the stress many families are currently facing.
We hope they make it easier for parents to create an effective at-home learning environment for their children.
Declutter
Minimizing clutter is crucial for helping your child concentrate. While clearing away toys, papers, and other distractions from your child’s desk is essential, take notice of the broader environment.
If your child shares a workspace or uses a desk other family members have used, ensure it’s free of their items when it’s your child’s turn.
A clean and dedicated space helps maintain focus and reduces interruptions.
Additionally, consider organizing storage solutions to keep educational materials neatly arranged and easily accessible, enhancing your child’s learning experience.
Technology
Ensure that all technological devices your child will use are plugged in, fully charged, and connected correctly.
It’s a good idea to run some tests with your child to confirm they are familiar with the necessary tools and programs.
This lets you address technical issues before they become problematic. Additionally, familiarize yourself with the technology to assist your child effectively.
This preparation can help prevent interruptions and keep the learning process smooth.
Supplies
Help your child stay organized by using a supply caddy or desk organizer.
Ensure they have quick access to essential items like pens, pencils, and whiteboard markers, with extras available as needed.
However, too many supplies in view can be overwhelming.
To balance this, frequently used items should be stored in an easily accessible place while keeping surplus and less common supplies in a separate location.
This approach helps maintain focus and reduces distractions. Additionally, regularly review and restock supplies to ensure they are always prepared and minimize interruptions during their learning.
Lighting
Before your child starts remote or homeschooling, choose a well-lit area for their workspace. Assess how much natural light the space receives.
With many families working and learning from home, your child might use a previously unused corner lacking adequate light. Conversely, they might be in a spot with excessive natural light.
Too much light can cause glare, especially if your child spends significant time on a computer. To mitigate this, consider adding adjustable lighting or shades to control brightness and reduce glare.
Additionally, ensure the workspace is free from harsh reflections and shadows to create a comfortable learning environment.
Fidgets
They can effectively help your child remain focused and calm during lessons. If they prove beneficial, allow your child to select one or two to keep on their desk while learning.
Avoid placing all available fidgets within reach, as choosing among them could disrupt their attention.
Instead, select a few that best support their concentration and keep the rest stored away.
Additionally, consider choosing quiet and non-intrusive fidgets to prevent disruptions during online classes or virtual meetings.
Break Box
Breaks are essential for students, particularly when adapting to new learning methods and environments.
To ensure your child’s breaks are relaxing and effective, create a break box with items they can enjoy. Include drawing supplies, books, games, and small toys.
Position the box near their workspace but not within immediate reach to prevent distractions during lessons. This setup will help them unwind and return to their studies refreshed.
Additionally, consider including a timer or schedule to help your child manage their break time effectively, ensuring they balance relaxation with productivity.
Sunday Checks
While your family adapts to a new school routine, use Sunday nights to review your child’s learning environment.
This time can be spent tidying their workspace, ensuring all electronics are functioning and charged, restocking used supplies, and clearing any accumulated clutter from the past week.
This preparation ensures that your child’s learning area is organized and ready for the week ahead.
Additionally, this routine can help identify recurring issues and proactively address them while maintaining an optimal learning environment.
Doing so lets you set up your child for a successful week and enjoy peace of mind, knowing everything is in order.
Conclusion
We hope these tips assist in easing the shift to remote learning or homeschooling for both you and your children.
To further support your transition, consider reaching out to discuss our new homeschooling program or our consultation services.
We’re eager to connect and provide guidance to help you and your child make the most of this time at home.
Feel free to schedule a chat with us and learn how we can assist in optimizing your homeschooling experience and ensuring a thriving learning environment.