How to Create a Functional Homework Station
If you have been online at all in the last few years, you have likely heard of homework stations. Today, I have some tips on how to create a functional homework station for your child. Homework stations are a great way to keep your kids consistently working on assignments and projects with their own designated and organized space.
1. Keep it away from distractions. Distractions come in many forms including siblings, busy locations in your home (like a kitchen) or areas with TV or music. It’s important to create a functional homework station in a location where it’s easy for your child to concentrate on the task at hand. However, it should be in an area where you can easily keep an eye on him or her and be available if they need help. A den, guest room or corner of the dining room are great spots.
2. Make it portable if you live in a smaller home. If your home is short on space, you might not be able to make a designated area just for homework. In that case, you may need to create a portable homework station. Use a portable tote that can store supplies and be easily tucked into a corner or under a cabinet when not in use. Dual purpose desks can also be used for kids’ work stations for homework and school projects. If you have to use a small or dual purpose space, simply find a way to hang supplies or store in drawers, tubs or totes for easy access.
3. Properly store supplies. Having the necessary tools are key for any job including completing homework assignments and projects. If you don’t create some kind of functional storage for your child, you’ll find them spending more time looking for things they need than actually working on their homework. A filing cabinet or folder is great for storing paper. Pens, pencils and paper clips are better stored in small bins in a drawer or a pencil case that can be tucked away in a tote for storage.
Creating a functional homework station is important for your child’s academic success this year. Try it out and adjust as needed to make it work best for your family!
Do you have a homework station for your child?
In our house, we’ve always used the bedrooms
Thanks for the tips! I usually make sure tv and systems are off and homework gets done.
Great tips for student success.
We have a small desk set up, unfortunately it is currently under a pile of crafts. Next weekends chore is to dig it out.
Finally did it, I made a homework station! Your tips were very helpful. Thank you!
My children each had a desk to do homework on in their bedrooms – (7 desks meant there was nowhere else!) However, more times than not they preferred doing their homework on the kitchen table, probably because I was close by if they had questions or needed help. All told I’d say that our 7 desks were a waste of money, I think one daughter used hers regularly the others only sporadically.
I use this concept for my office. It is so easy to get distracted around this house.
These are great tips and timely… especially because my son is starting to get more homework!
Our “homework stations” do tend to be portable. We keep their supplies in a little homework kit and sometimes they work at the kitchen table so I can help and other times in their rooms.