Create a Clever Corner.
New year, new term, new chance at getting it right.
For most kids school starts tomorrow, the 17th of January. Whether your kid is going to grade 1 or prepping for matric exams, the value of a dedicated “clever corner” should not be overlooked.
Helping your child set up a space for them to do their homework, work on projects, read or study is by far the best way to ensure success.
This does not have to be a disruptive or expensive process. We have come up with a couple of sensible, and most importantly sustainable changes to any space in your home that will transform it into a learning zone.
Sibling-free zone.
Privacy and a space without distractions is a must. No one can concentrate if they can see or hear their younger siblings playing or watching television. Try to set up your clever corner in your child’s bedroom or otherwise in a room in the house that can be closed off from the rest of the children and pets.
Tune in to productivity.
To add to the calm ambience of the clever corner, invest in a small Bluetooth speaker and give your child access to YouTube Music or Spotify. Both of these streaming services have amazing playlists geared at inspiring productivity and creativity. Stick to classical or instrumental music and keep the volume regulated. Soon the mere sound of these tunes will have your kid in the right frame of mind to finish their work.
Ink and paper books
It goes without saying that this space should be distraction free. No tablets, phones, or televisions. If your child needs to do research for a project, have them do it in a separate room, gather the info they need and then send them to go do their work off-line. If the project requires word processing or some other computational input, carry a laptop to the corner and have them finalize the project without getting distracted or wasting time. Real stationary is extremely valuable when it comes to practicing fine motor skills and boosting creativity.
Exciting stationary
Following on the above, treat your kid to a special pen or notebook, or a set of colour pencils that stay in this clever corner. This will once again help set the mood for a productive work zone and who doesn’t love new stationary? For older kids you can have notebooks and files for each subject and put up a shelf for neat storage. Desk top organizers can also help you keep this space neat.
Big kid chair, proper lighting, good desk.
It goes without saying that this corner should be well kitted out and comfortable. Get a desk and chair that matches your child’s physical dimensions and ensure that you have adequate lighting. Invest in some proper battery or rechargeable lights for when loadshedding tries to get your kid down.
Inspirational food and drink.
There is nothing wrong with a kid who needs a snack while they work. Treat your child to a fun, inspirational water bottle or coffee cup (if your kid is older), but also allow them to have healthy, low sugar snacks on hand to keep them going through the long study sessions.
Time management tools.
As your kids get older you will have to step back and allow them to do their own time management. For toddlers and foundation phase kids, you can still help and guide, but once your child reaches the age of 10, they should take matters into their own hands more and more and once they reach high school you should simply be an observer, with them setting their schedules based on workload and goals.
To help them with this have a wall mounted clock or watch clearly visible, as well as a monthly calendar showing the days of the week. A pin up board or white board can also give them the opportunity to plan their own lives.
