Effective Home Working and Homework

Whether you need a home office space, a hobby space or your child needs somewhere to do their homework, try to find a set space in which to work. People are creatures of habit, good and bad, and habits have strong connections to places, so try and find a special, permanent space. It does not have to be a whole room; it can be a corner in a bedroom or somewhere else in the house.

A noticeboard above the space can hold reminders of long and short term goals. Your or your child should find out how you/they spend time on different activities. Note how much homework is set and when it needs to be handed in, or when work has to be delivered. Then you/they can set up a homework/leisure home timetable. Do work/homework first, then 'reward' yourself with something you enjoy doing.

People also like rituals, including clothing for specific activities. This puts us into the right frame of mind for the activity, so have a work outfit - don't work in pyjamas. For homework this could be a favourite 'studying' t-shirt or a hat (the thinking hat) or a scarf.

Baroque music played regularly as backgound to work/homework can become a positive mental trigger - the brain recognises this as time to study. Listening to the music on headphones can also block out other noises and distractions. Turn off technological distractions (phones, etc.).

Make sure you have the right equipment - pens, pencils, paper etc - for the task in hand. Have a special notebook in which to jot down ideas. For children, get a good store of stickers; get them to be independent learners by setting their own goals and deciding when to reward themselves. Works for adults too as a visual acknowledgement of where you have got to in a task!

Technology. What children and adults hear, see and touch they remember better and for longer. if using the Internet for research, specify beforehand what you want to find out, then search out those facts. Limit your search time and keep on track.

Don't forget to get enough rest - the brain needs sleep.

Main source: Make Your Child Brilliant by Bernadette Tynon. Quadrille, 2008 (ISBN 978-184400-579-6)