How To Create An Effective At-Home Learning Environment For Your Children

There are many reasons a child may be learning from home nowadays. The pandemic is one of the main reasons, but it’s also important to recognize that for many families, homeschooling is the right option for their children.

No matter the reason for your children learning from home, there are some features that make for a more positive and effective learning environment for children to live in. For your child to be successful in school, you need to learn how to create an effective at-home learning environment. Read on for some tips to help you get started.

How Can You Create A Positive Learning Environment At Home?
If you want to create a positive learning environment for your child, you have to create a space that’s only for learning. Why? Because the brain, stickler that it is, associates different spaces with different things. Your bedroom, for example, is a space your brain associates with sleep, the kitchen with eating, and so on. Setting up a physical space that is just for learning can help to create the positive learning environment you’re looking for.

That doesn’t mean you have to break the bank and build an additional room or buy classroom furniture. All it means is that you need to choose a space in your home that will be dedicated to learning and repurpose it. That could mean you pick a corner of the living room or a spare bedroom – whatever works in your home. As long as you give your student ownership over that space and it works for them, you can’t go wrong!

You should ensure that the space you chose has good lighting. You may also want to consider a task list (perhaps mounted on the wall near their desk) to help your student stay on track. A quiet corner, reading nook, or comfy space for them to take a break from their desk is also a good idea.

You also want to make sure you’re operating on some type of schedule when schooling at home. A routine is important for kids of all ages, especially when it comes to school. This is something done in the classroom that you should definitely strive to recreate in your own home.

How Do You Create A Virtual Learning Environment?
If your child is studying from home in a virtual learning environment, there are things you can do to help support them and bolster their success. You should:

  • Reduce distractions – You probably already know that you don’t want younger siblings or pets running around distracting a student who’s learning virtually, but you also should limit other types of distractions for your student, such as social media and gaming devices. Make sure to limit their use of devices that aren’t needed for school until they’re done with their lessons for the day. Their favorite toys should not be around, either, since they can be distracting. Strive for a clutter-free and quiet workspace for your virtual student.
  • Provide brain breaks – Screen time is an issue parents hear a lot about, but how are you supposed to keep a cap on screen time during virtual learning? Don’t get too overwhelmed. The most important thing to remember in this instance is that you need to provide brain breaks for your kids when they’re virtually learning. For younger kids, a quick break after every 20 or so minutes of work may be needed. You can also work in “recess” breaks for your children to help them burn off some extra energy so they can better focus on their lessons and help them to reduce stress. You can also easily create a standing desk with a laptop and a stack of books to shake things up a bit from the usual seated desk learning. Whatever works best for your kids!
  • Help them with time management – A consistent schedule through virtual learning is they key to success. You can help your child with their time management skills by helping them to create a schedule and having them wake up and go to bed at the same time each day. Building as much structure as you can into the virtual learning experience is vital.
  • Give positive feedback – Praise your child for the successes they’re having in a virtual learning environment. Stickers, progress charts, or even just good old-fashioned praise are great ways to engage your child and make them feel good. For older kids, extra time on their devices or watching a movie of their choice may be a good reward.

How Do I Organize My Child For Virtual Learning?
Organizing is another important way you can help to support your student when they’re learning from home. Since you’ve already set up a designated learning space, the next thing to do is make sure they have an outlet for their devices close by and an easy way to keep cords for different devices separate.

Also place all learning materials and any supplies they may need in a central location so they know where to go to get what they need. Check it each day to make sure it’s set up for their use and that they have anything they may need right at their fingertips.

Featured image by Giovanni Gagliardi on Unsplash