#4 Tips on How to create a Homework Station that works

If I had my way, I would drastically reduce or even ban homework! Radical I know, but seeing as how Hummingbird Learning world domination is a while off (yet), homework is something that everyone with school going children has to cope with.

Creating a dedicated spot in your home for them to complete their work can help improve their focus and develop proper study habits.  A really good place to go for inspiration is the Ikea or Argos catalogue. A study nook doesn’t have to a staid serious place.  In fact a fun, quirky desk can make studying a far more pleasurable event; simply because it becomes a place you like and want to be.

To achieve this, here are some tips to create that Dr Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) Spot:

#1 Location

• Lighting: Good light is essential.  A good desk lamp coupled with softer overhead lighting works really well.
• Heat: The study nook needs to be warm but take care not to overheat the room as this can make the student drowsy
• Ventilation: Fresh air is really important. If possible, open the windows for a while when the kids are at school.  A good supply of oxygen will help the brain remain focused for longer.
• Quiet: While our brain becomes really good at blocking out continuous background sounds over time, it is important to create a calm, quiet study area
• Sockets: When deciding on a great location be sure to consider where the plug points are. You are going to need lots!

 #2 Fixtures & Fittings

• Plants: Plants lift the sterile look of a desk, brings actual life to the table and if you use a plant such as a Peace Lily or Spider plant, even increases the oxygen levels in the room, making plants an aid to studying.
• Desk: It is really important to get a desk that suits the child. It doesn’t have to be an office type desk.  Have a look in Ikea & Argos for ideas.
• Good Chair: This is vital.  Your child is going to be sitting for a long time & needs to have good posture to prevent back problems in the future and also to maximise oxygen intake.  If they are young, put a step under the desk for them to rest their feet on.  It also helps them be more grounded.
• Notice Boards: These are great for keeping reminders, notes & personal items close at hand.
• Storage boxes: Keep everything tidy in cool storage boxes or tins.  Catalogues are full of ideas.  Convert old boxes or tins you have already into something bespoke to reflect your child’s personality.
• Clock: A silent one – no ticking but an alarm can be handy!  It will help to train your child to work within time segments – vital when doing exams.
• Book shelves: Great for keeping a desk tidy& having reference books & stationery to hand

#3 Technology

• Computer: There is no way of getting around this one – computers have become part & parcel of a student’s life.  I recommend using a laptop though, that way it can be taken away to stop it becoming a distraction.  There are loads of applications, such as Net Nanny, available block or limit access to websites, especially social media ones!
• Printer: Set up the printer at the homework station for ease of access.
• WiFi: Be sure to have good internet access at the homework station.  If the signal is poor invest in a booster. It will repay itself over and over in hours saved from listening to moaning about bad wifi!

#4 Stationery supplies

• Dictionaries: We may be in the digital age, but I still think old school is best when it comes to dictionaries.  Make sure to have ones for foreign language classes’ and invest in a really good thesaurus dictionary.  Nothing beats a thesaurus for vocabulary expansion.
• Timetable: This is where the cork board comes in handy.  Have the corkboard on the wall in front of the desk and pin the timetable to it.  No excuses for not knowing what classes you have tomorrow.
• Calendar: Use a type of calendar that has space for writing and fill in the school events, holidays, exam weeks etc. This forward planning means that you are organised for the year ahead
• Store Supplies: Be prepared! Avoid late night panics when supplies run out and have all of the following in a storage box; tape, staples, paperclips, pencils, biros, paper punch, poly pockets, spare folders / files, printer paper, spare copy books, writing pads & notebooks, Art supplies – glue, glitter, felt-tip pens.
• Desk Supplies: Calculator, maths set, stapler, paperclips, pens, ruler, correction ink. Folder to keep completed work / ongoing projects

Having a defined space to study creates a pattern in your brain.  Just as picking up your car keys brings you into a type of automation for driving ( for example, without thinking you automatically go to the driver’s side), sitting at your homework spot immediately tells your brain I’m going studying and I need to focus.

Now, before the kids go back to school, is the perfect time to create that perfect spot.

Elaine Sparling is the creator of the Hummingbird Learning Method® and is about to launch online the popular Secrets to Successful Spelling™ workshop at the end of August. Based in Adare, Co Limerick, where she works with clients on a one to one basis, she can be contacted on 087-2996054 or through their website http://www.hummingbirdlearning.com

Why Meaning is So Important for Spelling

When my boys were in primary school, they had an English book that was used for reading and spelling.  It was different to the type of reader that I had in school (who is old enough to remember the Maura, Seán and Rusty books).  Their English book was more of a workbook.  Along the left hand side were random words chosen simply because they were phonetically similar. Spelling homework was to learn off the words.  It was pretty easy to remember them, in the short term, because they all had the same sound.

Understanding what the word meant wasn’t really part of the process, but without meaning, learning how to spell the word is worthless.  Being able to use the word again, in the appropriate context, is an essential part of learning to spell. It is also an important aid in reading and composition. Why else would we need to do it?

In order to understand what a word means you have to either make a visual still image of it or create a contextual mini movie in your memory.  Creating this means that in the future when reading the word, for a fraction of a nano-second, that image pops back into your head and you have understanding.

This skill allows you to expand your vocabulary and comprehension.  It allows you learn new languages quickly and easily. Like all skills it must be learned and honed.  Controlling your images for spelling and comprehension is essential.  It is easy to make an image for nouns.  Imagine a dog – easy.  For abstract words it is more complicated but once mastered it too becomes easy.  This is where internal mini movies come into their own.

A good Thesaurus dictionary is a vital item in every home.  I think they are a wonderful way to connect words of similar meaning to the same internal image. If you come across a new word to spell and are unsure of the meaning, look it up in the Thesaurus.  Chances are that you already have an internal picture of another word that has a similar meaning to the new word.  Now all you do is tag the new word on to the same image.

Some skills are learned to do something that lasts for a short period of time.  Learning how to put meaning behind every word is a skill that will make spelling easy for the rest of your life.

Elaine Sparling is the creator of the Hummingbird Learning Method® and is about to launch the popular Secrets to Successful Spelling™ workshop, online, at the end of August. Based in Adare, Co Limerick, where she works with clients on a one to one basis, she can be contacted on 087-2996054 or through their website http://www.hummingbirdlearning.com

Help with Homework?

One of the very first things I teach my Hummingbirds is juggling.  There are lots of reasons for this, there is the fun factor of course but perhaps the main reason is to help them with mistakes. Learning to juggle is tricky and mistakes are made – a lot. I love the quote; “the man who never made a mistake, never made anything”.   Mistakes can be a good thing and learning how to deal with mistakes is a really important life skill to have.  The way I see it, there are no mistakes or failures, only feedback.  If a mistake is made, you look at it, take the feedback from it and adapt that knowledge to move on.

 That is why it is so important to allow your children to make mistakes with their homework. Homework is a method that teachers use to get feedback from their students.  It helps them to gauge whether or not some additional time or adjustments need to be made to their classwork. With a class of twenty or more students, teachers need that constant feedback.

 As parents, our natural instinct is to protect our child and for the most part we don’t want them to go into school with work that is going to end up scored with red biro and Xs.  So we help them with their homework.  I know parents who sit down with their children for every moment of homework, to the point where they use the phrases, ‘we do’ or ‘we start’ or ‘we are doing’, when talking about the homework as if the teacher had assigned it to both of them.

 I know that it is done to take the struggle and fear out of homework.  I know it is done out of love.  I know that the last thing those parents want to do is to make things harder for their children.  The thing is, without that valuable feedback, the teacher will assume that the child understands and underlying issues can go undetected for longer than necessary.  Then there is disappointment and surprise when the exam come around and the results don’t live up to expectations.

 So with the New Year, start a new routine with your child. Supervise homework by all means but allow mistakes.  Watch for patterns.  If the same mistake continues, intervene by drawing the child’s attention to it.  Awareness is the first step to making change – if you aren’t aware of something, how can you change it?  If the issue persists then bring it to the teacher’s attention. Most teachers I know want parents to do this.  Write them a note, sent them an email, schedule a meeting.  Don’t leave it until the annual Parent / Teacher meeting. Be your child’s advocate but give your child the freedom to make and learn from mistakes.

 The basketball superstar Michael Jordan (who also does dyslexia) sums it up beautifully:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Elaine Sparling is the creator of the Hummingbird Learning Method® and will be holding The Secrets to Successful Spelling in Adare, Tralee and Charleville in January & February.  Places are limited.  To book email elaine@hummingbirdlearning.com or phone 087-2996054.