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Create a Child Friendly Workspace in your Home.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Create a child friendly workspace in your home.” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23ffa02f” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]By Victoria Bagnall, Co Founder, Connections in Mind

With everything going on in the world at the moment we are all in a huge period of adjustment. Parents are working from home, children are off school and we are unsure about how much longer we will be able to move around our normal outside routines. So how can we harness what we know about executive functions and apply them to our home spaces and make homeschooling for our children that little bit easier? One of our suggested ways is to create a child friendly workspace in your home.

Setting up a workspace which is free from distractions, clutter and is comfortable for your child will help support motivation, task initiation and completion.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Set Up” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23ffa02f” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]First, consider your child’s studying style. If they are easily distracted, a secluded, quiet spot is best, but if they are more comfortable working with other people around, choose a corner of the living room or kitchen. Make sure the area is free of clutter and that other family members respect “working time.”

While music may be okay at low levels, TVs should be turned off — very few people can resist becoming distracted by the TV. But no matter where your child does her homework, research* shows the benefits of a quiet space with natural lighting, relative quiet**, and close-at-hand supplies.

Two other essentials are a reasonably large work surface and comfortable seating. If you can afford an adjustable chair, that’s great, but you can also adjust your existing furniture by stacking pillows on the seat. If your child’s feet don’t rest on the floor, use a footrest, boxes, or more stacked books. A final tip is to use a rolled-up towel or small pillow between the back of the chair and the child’s lower back to provide lumbar support.

Finally, let your child take part in creating their study space so they will feel more comfortable and be less likely to think of home working as a chore. Your child may feel less intimidated if he has a favourite toy sitting beside him to “help” study spelling words, or if she has a “magic thinking hat” to wear when stumped by a math problem.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Computers” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]A few additional ergonomic guidelines should be followed when your child works at a computer. The monitor should be level with their head, and it should be directly in front of them, about 18 to 30 inches away. Make sure there’s no glare falling on the screen or use an anti-glare screen, as glare causes eyestrain. If your child is very young, consider getting a child-sized keyboard and mouse or switching to a trackball, as little hands often have trouble using these adult-sized components.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Necessary Stuff” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]Once you’ve got the space and furniture covered, stock up on basic supplies. For younger children, also include arts and crafts materials. For older children, including a dictionary, thesaurus, and an atlas. Use colourful jars to hold supplies, or for a portable option, use plastic stackable cubes or even a sturdy shoebox.

For children working at a common area such as the kitchen table, bringing out the “homework supplies” is also a great way to indicate that “working” time has begun. The other essential item for all ages is a wall calendar where your child can record dates and other important information.

By setting up your child with a workspace that works for him or her, the homeschooling process will be a smoother one for everyone.

At Connections in Mind we believe, and research*** has proven, that children who plan and organise their work, build in short and long term goals and reflect on their processes are more likely to succeed. Not only in their education but throughout their lives. If you would like to know more about executive function coaching and how it can help your children or you, as parents then book a free discovery call with our Client Services Manager today.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Research” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text]*The home learning environment and achievement during childhood (Dearing & Tang); In Handbook of school-family partnerships (Sandra, Christenson & Reschly, 2010). “Strong correlations between having learning materials in the home and nearly all areas of achievement” and “children’s access to literacy materials is an excellent predictor of literacy achievement”.

**Does noise affect learning? A short review on noise effects on cognitive performance in children. (Klatte, Bergstrom & Lachmann, 2013), “enduring exposure to environmental noise may affect children’s cognitive development”.

***Executive function and early childhood education (Blair, 2016), “…important contributor to school readiness and school success”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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