Robert Davis Shares Tips for Parents to Create Good At Home Learning Environments for Kids
Creating the ideal environment for children to learn at home doesn’t have to feel like a monumental task. It can be an opportunity to bond with your kids, tidy up and get organized, and create life-long habits of learning and exploration.
Robert Davis of RD Heritage Group has always had a penchant for education. He studied Zoology and at the University of Michigan and trained as a physician at the University of Miami School of Medicine. When being a practitioner physician wasn’t enough, Robert Davis went on to contribute to the fields of technology, oil & gas, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, and more. As a parent and advocate for continual education, Robert. Davis knows the importance of early childhood learning and shares his tips for creating the perfect environment for learning at home.
Create a Space Just for Learning
If possible, Robert Davis recommends creating a space in your home dedicated to the activity of learning. If your home isn’t particularly large, you don’t necessarily have to dedicate a whole room to learning. Instead, consider turning a smaller portion of a room into a safe haven for education. It can be as simple as a desk or table, a book shelf, and a colourful area rug to denote the space. Get creative with inexpensive décor and accessories to make an inviting place for your kids to cozy up with a book or tackle a report. Ideally, the space won’t play double duty with other activities like meal time or tv time to reduce distractions.
Minimize Distractions
Just like having a television in your bedroom can keep you awake at night, having distractions during learning times can detract from your child’s at-home educational experience. Robert Davis recommends removing clutter and distractions from your child’s learning space. Things like video games, unnecessary tablets or other technology, and television can take your child’s focus away from schoolwork. Try limiting these activities to other areas of your home so that the learning space can be just for learning. If your child requires the internet to work on a project, allocate time limits for tasks like research and writing so they don’t get sidetracked.
Leverage Non-Traditional Opportunities
A great way to make learning more interesting to kids is to leverage non-traditional opportunities, says Robert Davis. Depending on your child’s age, activities like going to the grocery store can become learning opportunities for budgeting or nutrition. Noticing your child’s eye glazing over at books? Take a trip to the public library or museum to change things up. Sometimes a change of pace is all your kids need to make the connection between at-home learning and real-world applications.
Make it a Family Activity
Assigning your kids a task and walking away can sometimes leave them feeling unmotivated, says Robert Davis. Instead, consider engaging with your kids through family reading time, educational games, or group puzzles. Kids learn through imitation and interaction as much as through studying. Setting a good example for them by engaging in learning activities yourself can show kids that learning is a lifelong journey. It’s also a great opportunity to bond with your children.
