Back-to-School: Setting Up a Homework Area

If left to their devices, many kids would do their homework on the sofa in front of the television or sprawled out on the bed listening to their favorite CD.  If we help our kids develop good study and work habits early on, it will pay off for them in the years ahead.  Setting up a comfortable, well-organized homework area will allow your student to better focus on assigned tasks.  And establishing a consistent homework routine can help him develop a more relaxed and positive attitude toward homework time in general.

Setting Up a Homework Area

Where is the Best Place for a Study Zone?

Many kids start off doing homework at the kitchen table or island, where there is plenty of work space and parents are close-by to offer help, guidance and encouragement.  For very young children, this arrangement may work well.  But as the demands of homework increase, children may find it difficult to concentrate in such a high-activity area.  Many learning experts agree that setting up a homework zone away from family areas and their distractions is a better long-term strategy.  As a rule of thumb, by age 7 or 8, children are ready to begin doing their homework more independently in their own study area.  Start by furnishing the space with everything your young student will need to succeed.

Providing Homework Area Essentials

“The Workhorse”

The most important consideration when planning your child’s work space, is to make sure the desk or table provides ample room for your child to spread out materials and work.  Consider a desk that will grow with your child and can be adapted as his needs change. If your child doesn’t already have a computer, chances are he may later; so get a desk that will accommodate a monitor in the future.  Provide storage solutions that will get supplies off the desk surface and keep it clean and clear of clutter. Your child will be much more motivated if he doesn’t have to begin his homework session clearing off a space to work. 

A Good Task Light

Buy your child a goose-neck or adjustable arm desk lamp to provide good task lighting on their work surface.  Halogen desk lamps are NOT recommended for a child’s study area; though they produce good, pure white light, they also generate enough heat to burn your child if she should touch a hot bulb. 

A Great Chair

If you splurge on any purchase for your child’s homework space, invest your money in a high-quality desk chair that will provide comfort, promote good posture and stand up to the hard wear of a child.  An ergonomic, adjustable chair with a swivel base and easy-glide casters should fill the bill.  Expect to spend $100 - $150 for a good quality chair.  You can order this fun, animal-print task chair from Montgomery Ward for $119.99; or maybe your child would prefer the Palomino, Bobcat or Tiger print.  For all-out color, check out the bright and bold I-Chair from Target in bright blue, green apple, purple or graphite at $149.99.

Supplies

If you stock your child’s homework zone with these basic supplies, she won’t have to get up and go hunting for what she needs to complete her homework assignment:

• Calendar for planning and tracking project tasks
• Reference books: dictionary, thesaurus, almanac or atlas
• Calculator
• Ruler
• Pens/pencils/highlighters
• Erasers
• Pencil sharpener
• Paper
• Index cards
• Stapler
• Paper clips
• Tape
• Glue
• Scissors
• Colored pencils/washable markers/crayons

Storage Solutions

Look for storage options that provide your child with convenient and easy access to his supplies.  Provide a place to put everything away so your child can keep his work space neat.  Clear containers, open shelving or labeled boxes will make it easy for your student to find what he needs quickly.  Consider these clever storage solutions that keep supplies up off the desk area and add color and interest to your child’s study space. 

The pegboard wall system from Pottery Barn Kids is a spin-off from the one in dad’s garage.  Metal hooks secure caddies for supplies, books and files, and clips can display your child’s calendar or post assignments.  18-inch pegboards come in white, honey or espresso ($24-$29) and 36-inch boards come in blue, red, green, or light pink ($99).  Hooks, clips and caddies sold separately.

Or how about this option for mounting your child’s calendar and providing open storage?  Buy this bin bulletin board from the Land of Nod and add some mini storage storage containers to hold supplies in the bottom bin section.  Get it in white or blue for $99.

 This cute, wall-mounted bucket shelf, also from Pottery Barn Kids can hold all your child’s pencils, pens, and art supplies, up off the desk surface.  The shelf comes in a white or honey finish for $39.  Mini-buckets come in a set of 6 (light pink, light green, red or navy) for $24.

For great under-the-desk storage, check out this colorful storage unit on wheels, made with a metal frame and sliding PVC drawers and perfect for corralling papers, folders and other supplies.  The 24-inch high unit should tuck nicely under most desks.  Order it from Montgomery Ward for $49. 

Show your child these ideas and solicit her input in designing her learning environment.  Participating in the design decisions will give your child a stronger sense of ownership and a vested interest in her homework area.   When you create a space tailored to your child’s preferences, doing homework seems more pleasant and less like a chore. Remember, color choices are subjective; colors that may inspire creativity and promote learning in some children may be overwhelming and distracting to others, so let your child’s personality set the tone for the space.  Ask your child what she wants to hang on the walls in her study area.  Maybe displaying some of her personal artwork would inspire more creativity.  Or hanging a couple of school assignments she is most proud of would motivate her to achieve.  If you follow your child’s lead, you can create a functional, comfortable and creative homework area she will enjoy for years to come. 

Coming up next…children that are good readers typically do well in school.  So why not set up a comfortable reading corner in your child’s study space that encourages your child to read?  For more back-to-school organizing tips, read Back-to-School Checklist for Parents, Organize Your Household for Back-to-School: Communications Central, and Back-to-School: Organizing the Entry or Hall.

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