Study Friendly and Doing it your way

I have always encouraged parents to have a “study” area in their house that was free and clear of clutter and had a cart or a box filled with school tools. This is the teacher talking.

Examples of tools would be: pencils, pens, paper, index cards, tape, glue sticks, colored markers and pencils etc.

But this area could look different for each learner. It could be a work space like a table or desk or it could be a quiet area in a corner on a bean bag but the one thing is clear it has to be a personal and customized work space designed for the learner. For instance, as a learner myself, I love a quiet area free of clutter, but I like to see everything I need in front of me. My children on the other hand have music in their ears and everything spread out on a couch or a bed and everything they need is in their backpack. They are also usually eating and drinking water at the same time.

I recently attended a conference on the Montessori Method and in Early Childhood settings their work area is on a floor on a small rug or mat.  What it emphasizes is an independent work area that is yours- A space where you can concentrate. However it looks; make sure it is what works for you. Make sure you look specifically at three essential areas for designing your space:

1. Seating (floor, chair, bean bag)

2. Work Area (table, mat, lap)

3. Tools (pencil/paper, laptop, multi-sensory materials) and added value(music/quiet, food/drink or fidgets).

Enjoy and happy learning, doing it your way!!!