Learning at home
I often get a lot of messages asking for advice on organising and supporting your child’s learning at home.
So, let’s start with your child’s bedroom. I’m aware that not every child will be lucky enough to have their own bedroom (my 3 are currently sharing the one room as we are in the middle of a house renovation!) but all children should be entitled to their own SPACE irrespective of size or sharing. It just needs to be carved out.
One way that you can carve this space out is with a *desk*
As children grow, their need for a desk will grow too. Yes, you can always use your kitchen table, but there is something wonderful about a child having their own desk- their own space to create lego, colour picture, write letters and complete homework (or eat a snack at as mine like to do!!) And having your own desk is often the perfect way to help the reluctant child discover an improved work ethic too! (Who doesn’t love a filled pencil pot, a drawer to hide secret notebooks in or a stack of brightly coloured post stick notes to scribble on!?)
The desk can be any size and small is often better (personally I would avoid the lift up versions- they look beautiful, but they don’t allow anything to stay on the surface for long) and all desks benefit from a drawer or shelf or too, just to enable another layer or organisation (more on this soon!) My favourite is IKEA’s Micke desk which my 11 years has had since he was 6 and he still uses.
However, with the desk, also comes the chair. At a young age, I would personally avoid swively ones as they can be distracting and don’t offer enough back support. My favourite is the Tripp Trapp chairs that are height adjustable and offer brilliant posture support. They aren’t cheap but can often be bought second hand (I got mine for £40!) If your child struggles to sit still for long, consider a move n sit cushion (Amazon) or even a gym ball to sit on- both offer sensory feedback to aid concentration and help keep children focused with movement.
Side note before I sign off- when your child sits at the desk or table, their feet should be FLAT on the floor. If they aren’t, consider a small stool underneath their chair or a plastic box that they can put their feet on top of. Their bottom should be right back into the chair.
Oh, and don’t forget to label those pens and pencils! All of the items from my children’s pencil case items are adorned with easy2name labels!
