August signifies the beginning of summer’s end and the start of the new school year. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated school reopenings this fall. While some students will be in a socially distant classroom, many others will be learning virtually from home.
If your child is learning from home this fall, you need to provide them with adequate space to learn and replicate the classroom environment as much as possible. Providing proper learning tools, a comfortable temperature, and engaging workspaces are all important aspects of learning at home. Read below to learn how to convert parts of your home for learning.
Picking the Location
When contemplating how to convert parts of your home for learning you need to first pick the room for your in-home classroom. This is the first step to creating a healthy learning environment. Some have the luxury of dedicating a space in their house for their child’s learning, while others will set up a classroom environment in a multi-purpose space, such as a living room or dining room.
Regardless, there’re certain crucial amenities that any child needs for their in-home classrooms, such as a chair and desk space. Some are purchasing separate desks and chairs specifically for at-home learning, but you can also use a kitchen table and dining chairs or other chairs and flat surfaces already present in the house.
Why the Quality of the Learning Room is Important
The room’s physical environment is also essential because temperature, lighting, colors, and other factors have shown to impact cognitive function and productivity. Simple ways to improve the indoor environment include utilizing natural light when possible and improving ventilation by opening doors or windows and turning on ceiling fans.
The HVAC system is also very important to the indoor environment. An inefficient HVAC system creates distractions through loud noise levels and the failure to properly regulate temperature. These distractions can inhibit your child’s learning experience and focus.
Ductless mini-splits are an excellent option for those looking to create a comfortable and healthy indoor environment in their at-home classroom. They create a pleasant indoor environment through highly efficient temperature regulation, and their nearly silent operation makes them ideal options for those homeschooling this fall.
The prolonged time indoors can negatively impact indoor air quality, but ductless mini-splits improve air quality by removing harmful airborne contaminants such as mold, dust, dirt, debris, and more. Creating a comfortable and healthy indoor environment leads to increased brain function and focus, which goes a long way towards your child’s at-home educational experience.
Create Multiple Workstations
If your home has adequate space, it may be easier to convert parts of your home for learning. You can even create multiple areas dedicated to learning.
These different stations can be separated by subject matter, activity, or required equipment. For example, you could have your child’s reading and book space in a separate room from their computer to increase their focus on each task.
This is especially recommended in homes with multiple homeschooled children, as it may become cramped and difficult to concentrate on everybody in the same area. It also helps to replicate the physical environment, as your child may not be in the same classroom all day.
School Supplies
Back to school shopping is a staple of the late summer months, even in today’s climate of uncertainty. You need to ensure your child has the proper supplies for their at-home learning experience.
Pencils, pens, notebooks, a calculator, and required books or textbooks are just some of the general supplies needed for at-home learning. Other supplies may also be necessary, depending on your child’s curriculum.
For those who do not feel safe shopping in-person, all necessary supplies can be ordered online. You will also need storage space for school supplies, Cabinets, shelves, and bins are excellent options, but you can purchase portable storage containers.
A computer is a vital school supply for at-home learning. A significant portion of your child’s education will feature a virtual component. Whether it’s a Zoom class or downloadable lectures and material.
Some laptops and tablets work better for virtual learning than others. This is due to screen size, touchscreen capabilities, webcam quality, storage, battery life, and other various factors.
Test the Internet Connection
With at-home learning’s reliance on the internet, you’ll need to ensure your connection is up to the job. A poor internet connection will lead to buffering videos, slow-loading pages, and other problems that significantly impede the learning experience.
Before the school year begins, be sure to test your internet strength. If it’s not up to par, there’re ways to improve it. You can switch providers entirely, but this can be complicated and lead to a potential increase in service charges.
However, some companies are offering free internet for households with students. You can also purchase Wi-Fi extenders to broaden the connection. Another option is moving the router closer to the student’s at-home classroom.
Other Elements of Homeschooling
While the physical learning space is essential, there’re other elements to homeschooling. For example, it helps to stick to a schedule and routine as if your child were physically attending school.
This helps provide structure during these unprecedented times, and it smoothes the transition to at-home learning. You should eliminate electronic distractions such as television, video games, and cell phones, while they are learning.
This will keep your child focused and attentive. It also helps to provide your child with breaks, so they do not get burned out. Encourage them to step away from the screen and schoolwork for a short break.
These tips on how to convert parts of your home for learning will help you create a perfect environment for learning. Your child will be able to maximize their homeschooling until schools are safely reopened.
A healthy home provides an enabling environment for learning. Here’re some useful tips to help you supplement your child’s education while at home.
