Ensuring your child is in the ideal learning environment at school is crucial to their academic success.
When looking for the perfect school environment, many factors should be taken into consideration. These include class sizes, the attitudes of other students, teacher personalities, classroom orderliness, and temperature of the space, to name a few. Once you do finally find that perfect fit for your child, making sure they are getting everything they can from their ideal school becomes the next goal.
There are a number of ways parents can help their children benefit from their school as much as possible. One of the very best options is to help your student bring that positive learning environment home with them. This allows them to continue learning and exploring outside of school and encourages a lifelong love of learning.
How can you make sure you are providing an ideal learning environment at home? Try the tips and tricks below!
Encouragement and Engagement
Whether your young scholar is interested in bugs, cooking, or China, encourage them to explore that topic. No topic should be off-limits, and everything that sparks the interest of your child should be looked into, even if it isn’t officially for school. That said, there are often ways you can help your child insert their interests into their school work, so be sure to help your student keep an eye out for those opportunities.
By doing these things, you will put your child into an exploratory mindset and help them understand the joy of learning and the mechanics of finding information.
Even when your child seems to be fairly self-sufficient, it is important to stay engaged in their work by asking questions and showing interest in whatever it is they are working on at the moment. This will help them realize just how important their work truly is and will help them stay on task when working on something for school.
Dedicated Workspace
Provide your child with a desk or table that is purely for their projects and work. This space will be theirs to care for, and will be where all of their work lives.
Students should be encouraged to keep the space tidy to promote good focus, and it should be private enough for them to work without distractions. Many children find it handy to have a bulletin board to display notes on, including homework deadlines, any ideas they may have, and other important bits of information. Be sure to keep this space well-stocked with pencils, pens, different kids of paper, paints, post-its, and anything else your child uses on a regular basis.
Providing your child with their own workspace gives them the freedom to explore topics and concepts without worry of being underfoot or creating a mess that will later get them in trouble. The freedom to explore is very important when attempting to grow an avid learner and lover of knowledge.
Trips to the Library
Make frequent trips to the library so your student can find new material for researching current interests and topics being covered in school and for broadening their horizons. Encourage borrowing materials of new genres or on topics they may not have thought to read about, but never discourage them from checking out materials on subjects they currently have an interest in.
Libraries often offer classes or workshops. Keep an eye on the library calendar, and take advantage of classes that interest your family. These are especially valuable if they expand upon a topic your child is currently learning about in school.
As you can see, growing an avid learner and providing a positive learning environment is as simple as providing encouragement, staying engaged in your child’s projects, and providing materials when needed. By doing these things, you are sure to see your child grow as a student in ways you never would have imagined.
That said, even the best learning environment at home means very little if your child isn’t comfortable at school. Are you still looking for the ideal school environment for your child? We encourage you to consider The Tenney School.
Please contact us today to schedule a meeting so you can see what we’re all about.