7 TIPS FOR CREATING A PRODUCTIVE STUDY SPACE

With schools slowly re-opening across the country, many parents find themselves homeschooling their children until they are allowed back at school. Whether your children are learning from home fulltime or simply need a space in which to complete their homework, creating the perfect study area at home can increase your child’s engagement and help keep you sane.
 

Pick the perfect study area
Ensure that the area you pick is well lit – dim lighting can make your child feel tired and put significant strain on their eyes. Place the desk close to a wall so that they can stick up their notes and study schedule. Avoid using Prestik as this will pull the paint off the wall when you remove the notes. Instead, put up a cork noticeboard so that important papers can be easily pinned up and removed as needed. 
 

Recreate a learning environment
Your environment has a massive impact on your productivity. Speak to your child about what usually surrounds them in class and try to recreate this environment. For example, if their classroom has a lot of informative posters, adding one close to their desk might help increase their ability to concentrate. 
 

Eliminate distractions
Ideally, your child’s study area should have a door to block out any loud noises or distractions. Create study area rules that will ensure your child will focus and be as productive as possible (e.g. no cell phones or social media, no games, and no tv while sitting at their desk).
 

An efficient desk is an effective desk
Your child’s desk should be neat and organised. Ensure that you clear the clutter and have all their school supplies easily accessible. If you don’t have a separate space in the home for their study space, give your child a sense of ownership over the space by making them responsible for clearing the desk at the end of the day and setting it up for the next day. 

Display their study schedule
Write out your child’s study schedule and put in a visible place by their desk. To avoid any unnecessary disruptions or movement, give them a clock or timer so that they’ll be able to track their study sessions and break times.

Create a pleasant and positive space
Do your best to create a pleasant and positive space to encourage learning and focus. Calming hues like blues or greens improve concentration for older children, while brighter colours will help make the space more welcoming for younger children so that they feel enthusiastic about learning in the study area. 
 

Make it a study-only zone
The area should be limited to school-related tasks (e.g. studying and assignments) as we tend to associate different areas with certain activities (e.g. your bedroom is where you sleep). When taking a break, encourage them to move away from their desks to ensure they associated this space solely with studying.
 

Final advice
Have a chat with your child to find out what kind of environment would help them focus and be productive – after all, they are the ones who’ll need to learn in the space you create. If your home is too small for a designated study area, you could start searching for a new one. Just be sure to mention to your real estate professional that a home with a study is a selling point for you.