How to Create a Functional Homework Station in Your Home

Finding a quiet location is the first step to setting up a functional homework station. To keep little minds concentrating on the task at hand, distractions should be kept to minimum – so, not near a TV, high-traffic hallway or street-facing window. The den, a main-floor guest bedroom or an underused corner of the dining room could work, especially if it’s easy for kids to call out for help when a multiplication problem really stumps them.

Now, if your home just doesn’t have the square footage to house a permanent designated homework station, don’t worry – there are lots of portable or space-saving options too. A drop-down wall desk, an eye-catching tray filled with supplies, or a movable wheelie cart could all work as homework command centres. Kids’ bedrooms tend to be pretty messy, so setting a small serene homework station where you can keep an eye on them works best.

What really makes a homework station function is the supplies. Make sure you have all the necessary tools for homework completion on hand so that precious post-dinner family time isn’t wasted searching for this and that. Pens, paper, pencil crayons, glue sticks and paperclips are basics that all have to have a labeled, handy-to-reach home. Make a morning of it and head to the stationary store with the kids to pick up what they need… and maybe even a few items just for fun (glitter glue and geometric washi tape, anyone?)

Tracking incoming and outgoing school assignments on a colourful wall calendar or workflow chart will help prep your children for higher education and get them in the habit of being responsible for their own work – with a little bit of adult oversight, of course. Hang one above the homework station and have daily or weekly check-ins to see how things are coming along with upcoming projects and if they have everything they need.

While the main function of a homework station is to provide a quiet spot for kids to complete their school assignments, you also want them to feel comfortable. Having the right sized chair and adding personal touches such as photos from a past class trip will make them feel more at ease when trying to come up with a story about John Cabot and Samuel de Champlain. Setting the scene with a functional homework station at home can really help kids concentrate on the task at hand and complete their assignments in style.