Here Are The Top 7 Things You Can Do To Create The Perfect Study Environment For Your Child

Here Are The Top 7 Things You Can Do To Create The Perfect Study Environment For Your Child

by GT Scholars

As a parent, you play a vital role in supporting your child’s educational journey at school. Not only should you encourage your child to study hard and improve their grades, but you also need to ensure that they complete their homework and prepare for upcoming tests and exams. 

You might wonder how to help your child complete homework and study after school hours. This task can be daunting, mainly if your child requires extra time to focus on homework. One of the best ways to achieve this is by creating a conducive home environment that promotes studying and learning.

An organised and comfortable study area creates a calming effect that promotes a positive mindset to manage workload efficiently and approach studies productively. Understanding the benefits of a good study environment, let us explore seven things you can do to create the perfect environment!

1. Find a Quiet and Distraction-Free Area to Set up a Study Space

Finding a peaceful area within your home where you can establish a comfortable and practical study space for your child is crucial. Avoid high-traffic areas, like the kitchen or living room, and search for a location free of loud noises and disruptions. If you create their study space in their bedroom, ensure it’s far away from their bed to prevent any temptation to rest rather than work. Also, if there is a television in their room, try to position their study area so that it faces away from the TV. Doing this can reduce potential distractions and optimise their studying environment.

2. Make Sure the Study Space Has Good Lighting

Having proper lighting in a study space is crucial for many reasons. Adequate natural lighting helps maintain focus, prevent eye strain, and provide various health benefits. Exposure to natural light can help regulate sleep patterns, boost mood, and enhance academic performance. Therefore, choosing a location with ample natural light is essential when setting up your child’s study space.

Instead of positioning the desk against a wall, consider locating it near a window with plenty of sunlight. A poorly lit or dull room can make studying challenging and lead to decreased information retention. According to research, dimly lit study areas can cause the brain to store less information while studying.

A desk lamp is a must-have tool for any teenager’s study area as it improves the lighting quality and helps reduce eye strain and fatigue, allowing them to focus better on their studies. If natural lighting isn’t sufficient for the study space’s needs, adding a side lamp to the desk is an excellent option. By providing appropriate lighting in your child’s study area, you’ll be helping them establish good habits and set them up for success in their academic endeavours.

3. Invest in a Comfortable Chair and a Suitable Desk

Ensuring your child has comfortable seating during long study sessions is essential for their physical well-being, concentration, and productivity. Proper posture support can prevent discomfort and strain on the back and neck muscles, while a cushioned seat can reduce pressure points and promote good blood circulation. 

Investing in a high-quality ergonomic chair or adding cushions to an existing seat can significantly impact your child’s studying experience. If getting a new chair isn’t an option, you can use a chair cushion to help with comfort and allow your child to study longer. However, taking breaks every hour to stand up, stretch, and move around is essential to alleviate discomfort from prolonged sitting.

4. De-clutter and Organise the Study Area for Better Productivity

Ensuring your child’s study space is well-equipped with the appropriate resources and kept clean and organised is essential. A messy and chaotic workspace can be detrimental to their ability to focus, leading to feelings of discomfort, frustration, and stress. These negative emotions can make it difficult for them to retain information or complete assignments efficiently.

Research has shown that clutter can impact our brain’s information processing and focus. A study by the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that physical clutter competes for our attention, resulting in decreased performance and increased stress levels. On the other hand, a clutter-free environment promotes a clear mind and heightened productivity. 

Additionally, a 2011 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that visual stimuli, such as clutter, can increase activity in the part of the brain associated with processing emotions, leading to heightened anxiety and stress. Furthermore, another study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that working in a clean and organised environment can improve productivity and creativity. 

These studies suggest that minimising clutter is not just a matter of aesthetics; it can also significantly impact our cognitive functioning. Encouraging your child to take just five to ten minutes each day to tidy up their study area and arrange their materials in specific places can help minimise distractions and save time that would otherwise be wasted searching for items. You can provide them with drawers, baskets, or organiser trays to help keep their resources together in one place.

A neat and well-organised study space provides a sense of calmness that can translate into improved concentration levels, resulting in better academic performance. Help your child develop good habits by emphasising the importance of maintaining an orderly workspace.

5. Reduce Distractions in the Study Areas, Especially Electronic Devices

It is essential to prioritise minimising distractions electronic devices could cause when studying. With their bright screens, constant notifications, and alerts, it can be challenging for children to focus on tasks. 

To tackle this, it’s best to keep smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices in separate rooms during study time. Alternatively, they could be turned off or switched to “Do not Disturb” mode to avoid any temptations that may arise from notifications. Another way to limit access to distracting websites or social media platforms is by using website-blocking apps or browser extensions. These measures could help students stay focused on their studies.

Several apps could also help in reducing distractions and boosting focus. For instance, the app Forest offers an innovative way of improving concentration by allowing students and adults alike to “grow” trees while focusing on their tasks and avoiding distractions. If they exit the app before completing the task, the tree they grew withers away! Use technology to your advantage and as a tool to help keep your teen accountable and manage their time effectively.

Establishing clear boundaries around study time is crucial for effective studying. This involves communicating with your child about what hours are strictly dedicated to studying and ensuring minimal interruptions or compromises unless necessary. Following these tips will no doubt contribute positively towards increasing productivity when studying.

6. Create a Study Routine to Stay Consistent

Learning to be consistent in tasks and study habits is a valuable skill your child will carry. Establish a regular study routine that coincides with your child’s natural energy levels and concentration peaks.

Your child’s study routine should include dedicated study time, breaks in between and other activities. It’s important to remember to involve your child in planning and setting up their study routine. That way, they can give their input and ideas on what they think would work best, and you can agree on study times and activities.

Discuss short-term and long-term goals for studying with your child. This will help your teen clearly understand what they want to achieve and make it easier to allocate their time effectively and identify areas requiring extra focus.

You can then list all the subjects or exams your child needs to study for. Once you list the subjects or exams, discuss what tasks are required for each and how your child will manage the tasks.

After identifying all the subjects or exams and their respective tasks, discuss which subjects need the most attention. Prioritise them in terms of importance. Then you can help your child prioritise the list.

Additionally, you can read our blog here for more tips to help your child start studying.

7. Let Your Child Personalise Their Study Area

One way to encourage your child to personalise their study area is by involving them in the design process. They may have a favourite colour or hobby that they would like to incorporate into their space. Allow them to choose the colours and decorations that they feel are most inspiring. 

Allowing your teenager to customise their study area can positively impact their motivation. When students feel like they have ownership over their space, they tend to be more invested in the work that they’re doing. 

By giving your teen the freedom to choose things like desk décor, lighting, and even furniture placement, they’ll feel empowered to create a learning environment that works best for them. This sense of control can help them stay focused and engaged, ultimately leading to improved academic performance. 

Additionally, having a personalised study space can make studying feel less like a chore and more enjoyable. Allowing your teenager to customise their study area is a simple but effective way to encourage them to take ownership of their education and develop good study habits.

The Importance of a Good Study Environment and Ways It Can Help Your Child

A conducive study environment is essential for your child’s practical academic success. It significantly impacts their ability to focus, concentrate, and study productively. A good study environment eliminates distractions like loud noise, clutter, and digital devices that can lead to a loss of concentration and focus. 

Without distractions, your child can concentrate better on their studies, engage in critical thinking, and retain information effectively. Well-organised study space can also increase productivity by providing quick access to study materials and necessary resources. This reduces stress and anxiety levels while studying. 

Creating a Study Environment for Your Child Is an Investment in Their Academic Success

Studying is a fundamental aspect of education that cannot be overlooked. Creating a conducive environment and an effective study routine for your child can significantly impact their academic success. 

Besides excelling academically, establishing great study habits will teach your child critical life skills such as discipline, responsibility, and prioritisation. These are essential skills that your child can use throughout their life to accomplish both personal and professional goals.

At GT Scholars, we understand the importance of unlocking every child’s full potential. We have many years of experience providing tailored support to help children achieve academic excellence. 

GT Scholars aims to ensure that every child gets the opportunity to succeed academically. We believe that students need to be given the right strategies, skills and support to unlock their full potential and achieve greatness. Find out more in the expert-led parent webinar and discover the 9 Scholar Success Habits to help your teen succeed at school and beyond! 

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