School’s back in session: Is your home ready?
The pandemic has turned over a new leaf in the field of education. Homeschooling has taken on a new significance these days. As such, parents are rightfully invested in ensuring that their home school has a fun and safe learning environment.
Keeping kids engaged and entertained in a remote learning culture for does, however, require some effort. Using makeshift desks, planning activity schedules, transforming a free wall, and putting the right furniture together – there’s a lot to think about!
The New Dawn of Learning
During the past year and a half, many parents leveraged the services of real estate developers to build virtual classrooms for their children.
When schools were forced shut due to the pandemic, many had to make peace with a temporary learning set-up that was less than ideal. Social media channels like Twitter and LinkedIn were littered with snapshots of closet desks and under-the-stairs learning hideaways.
Within a few weeks, it was clear that the pandemic isn’t going away anytime soon. In homes across the country, parents found themselves needing to reimagine, reconfigure—and in some cases—rebuild their living spaces.
Finding an interior designer and contractors who successfully transform spaces such as a den into a home classroom can be a challenging feat. Yet the intentional design of such spaces can change student engagement and even contribute to higher learning outcomes. Just imagine a brand-new virtual classroom where your kids could learn—and simultaneously have fun while learning.
This has been the experience of countless parents in recent times. Since many schools in the United States continue to allow virtual learning, you’ll want to ensure that your child receives the best support and environment, even (and perhaps especially) amidst all the distractions of home.
Tips for Building a Virtual Classroom
Check out the following three tips for creating an online learning space:
- Home-learning equipment: Now, what’s necessary here differs with age. Kindergarten students generally need play tables and side tables, whereas elementary-school kids would also need worksheets, books, and other school supplies.
- Allow natural light: When it comes to remote home learning, windows are your children’s best friends. Design your home learning area in such a way that they’ll receive ample sunlight to fuel their creativity.
- Build outdoor classes: It’s not easy to be efficient and focused every day within a remote learning setup. (If adults can find it challenging as remote workers, then you can imagine what it must be like for kids!) So if you have a patio space or backyard and temperate weather, consider using it as a secondary home school. When things get mundane, this offers a stimulating change of scenery, which could boost productivity.
What Does the Future Look Like?
Many districts such as Des Moines, Iowa, had planned to resume live classroom this fall. However, the challenge remains that young students ages 12 and under are still ineligible for vaccination (at the time of this writing).
Given the fact that the Delta variant of COVID-19 is taking hold of the country, resuming traditional classrooms is a gamble that many families are not willing to risk. Several states are following suit and reconsidering their school reopening plans.
In times like these, it only makes sense to find ways to further improve your home learning space according to the needs and preferences of your child. Let us know how the above tips worked for you.
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