Our environment isn’t simply the space we’re in; it’s also everything that surrounds and affects us. To promote learning, your child should have a study environment that meets their needs.
To improve your child’s concentration during homework time, try setting up a workspace that’s conducive to learning. Think about your child’s specific needs. First, ask them where they prefer to study:
- Alone in their room?
- At the kitchen table, closer to you?
In an ideal learning environment, your child should be able to concentrate. During study sessions, try to limit sources of distraction, such as screens:
- TV
- Phone
- Video games
- Etc.
If your child loses focus easily, consider getting them noise-cancelling headphones. For some children, they work like a charm.
Your child will have an easier time staying focused if they’re comfortable in their workspace. Make sure their desk and chair are the right size and height for their body. Here’s how to check if they need adjusting:
- Are your child’s hips far back enough in the chair?
- Is their lower back supported?
- Are their feet flat on the floor (or on a box)?
- When their arms are on the desk, are their elbows bent at 30 degrees?
It’s important for your child’s workspace to have proper lighting. Dim light can cause eyestrain and affect concentration. When setting up lighting in your child’s workspace, pay particular attention to the following:
- Direction of the beam
- Light colour
- Distance from the desk
- Etc.
Does your child like listening to music? You’re in luck: soothing instrumental and classical music have been shown to boost concentration.
Since you don’t want music to become a source of distraction, choose a genre that your child enjoys and make sure they keep the volume low.
Once you’ve figured out your child’s magic formula, you can start integrating the same components into their homework routine.
Writing : Viviane Asselin and Marie-Claude Ouellet
Scientific review : Isabelle Brassard, psychoeducator
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Rewriting : The Alloprof Parents’ team