We have all been children once and know that, in order to study, sometimes sitting in front of your books is not enough; one also needs a good atmosphere that helps the task. It is not exactly good, for example, to have our child doing his homework in the living room while we watch TV or in the kitchen while we are doing the dishes.
So we have to try to turn their room into a place that promotes not only his interest in learning, but also their creativity focused to studying. Many specialists suggest using the following guidelines:
- Make sure that the room has a source of natural light and is located in one of the quietest and more silent places of the house. This will help the child to concentrate.
- Removing any object of distraction. This can be complicated: do we take his computer away? Do we place the video game console in the living room? Do we allow him to have a radio with him? These extremes can be counterproductive, because the chid can end up associating study with punishment. We believe that it is better to “eliminate” somewhat differently: making him see that the sooner he finishes his homework, the sooner he will be able to play. It will be tough, but more effective in the long run.
- Try to keep the room tidy and have everything at hand: keeping the desk orderly, so that he can quickly find the book he needs, and that the materials for studying have their place on the desk… The big problem is that we also have to make our child see that tidiness and order, apart from fundamental, makes things more comfortable and saves up a lot of time.
This is what we can do about the place of study, but there are other important aspects that are more “abstract” and that will depend greatly on our attitude. We have to remain conscious that we too must help our kids study, and for that we recommend:
- Not distracting them. Let’s go back to the previous idea: watching TV in the room next door, listening to the radio at a high volume, or moving around the house can also be counterproductive. We can maybe set up a studying schedule with the condition that both parents and children must respect it.
- Make them know that, in case they have any doubts, they can ask for our help. Do not leave them alone when they are doing their homework and, if they get lost or distracted, remind them that we are there to help them, and not to keep surveillance on them. And if they ask anything we don’t know the answer for, make sure to help them find the information in the Encyclopaedia or the Internet.
- Be strict, but not inflexible. The studio is a duty and an obligation, but not an order. There will be days when the kids cannot concentrate or don’t get a profit from their day’s study, as happens to us adults at work. Try to understand the situation and, if we notice any difficulty in their learning process, make them tell us what is happening to them. Maybe the studying schedule can adapt to this too, and end earlier, only to recuperate that time later on.
Of course, this is not written on stone, and it very well can be that there are other, more effective, pieces of advice. We don’t want there to be any doubts on our view of the situation: studying is not only about them, the children, but we also have to help in creating the adequate atmosphere for it.