Education Matters: Create a Nurturing Home Learning Environment
Raising a child is likely the hardest thing you will ever do. We all want the best for our kids. In order to give them the best, you need to provide them with the best possible learning environment so they can excel and succeed. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune. No, a few simple tweaks can give them an advantage. Here are a few ideas to consider when creating a nurturing home for your child that promotes learning.
Location, Location, Location
If your children attend public school, your location matters. Location often determines what school your kids can attend, so make sure you live within the boundaries of a highly rated school district. For instance, if you live in or are moving to the LA area, research where to live based on some of the best school districts to give your kids a leg up. Out of the 249 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, 86 of them received bronze, silver or gold in the U.S. News and World Report ratings. Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies received the highest rating for LA high schools. Consider where the best school districts are in your own state and location.
Environmental Considerations
While you are looking for a place to create a nurturing learning environment for your children, you must make sure to find an environmentally safe home for the entire family. Air quality and other factors can impact learning, or, in extreme cases, impact your child’s development. While you may think of car exhaust and smog when you consider air quality, the air quality in your home is an even more important consideration. Exposure to mold, lead, and tobacco smoke all adversely affect children. Hire companies who specialize in environmental inspections to periodically check your home for any air quality issues.
Design Matters
Once you find an environmentally safe residence for your family, think about how your interior design can best encourage learning. An article from Western Governors University claims that good lighting is essential for staying focused while studying. The article suggests assessing how the light is when your child sits down to study and if it will stay consistent. Studying outside is a great option in the middle of the day when the sun is bright and doesn’t cast any shadows. However, if it’s close to sundown, it’s probably better to study indoors under full-spectrum fluorescent lights that have been shown to help you feel calmer, steadier and less easily distracted. The article also suggests maintaining a clean and organized learning environment, so your child isn’t distracted, stressed or claustrophobic.
Electronics vs. Books
While you probably don’t want to raise a luddite, you should limit access to electronics and focus on the old-school paper and pen methods of learning. Many studies show that tactile learning (i.e. hands on) is much better for developing minds. Moreover, this is a style that benefits many children on the autism spectrum.
You can show your child the importance of reading by surrounding them with books, rather than electronic devices. Build a bookshelf in your child’s bedroom and load the shelves with age-appropriate books. Your child will turn to books for entertainment, which will improve his learning abilities
