Education Expert Says Plants Are Essential In Your Child's Learning Space

The first day of classes for public school has come and gone. How did your child cope? For many, it’s a learning opportunity. Does the learning space you’ve set up for your child work? 

The learning being at home during the time of the pandemic is a massive adjustment for many families. The goal is to adapt and make this school year enjoyable for the kids and as stress-free for the parents. One way to do that is to create a balanced learning environment for the kids. 

In Smart Parenting’s How Po Series Episode 4, entitled Become Your Child’s Best Teacher! How To Do Preschool At Home, childhood educator and consultant Maricar Gustllo-De Ocampo listed the essentials when setting up a balanced learning environment for your child. 

“One thing I learned from a balanced learning environment is that you have to have a very good space. You don’t have to have a big space, but a good, quiet space,” Teacher Maricar shred. 

How to set up a balanced learning space

What should be in your child’s learning space? If possible, you should convert a room or corner into a special study area, where your child can study at the same sapce every day. Here’s what Teacher Maricar enumerated during the webinar: 

• A table
• A comfortable chair
• A computer or tablet
• Plants! “Plants enhance the learning space by adding color to it,” Teacher Maricar suggested.
• Good light or bright lamp. It doesn’t have to be a ring light. The best source of light is from the sun, Teacher Maricar said.
• Good ventilation. An electric fan will do.
• Earphones or headphones to help clear the study area of noise and distractions so they don't disturb your child (and vice versa if you’re also working from home) 
• Space should be near your child’s school needs, so they’re readily accessible, say if he needs paper or pencil or the dictionary. Instill in your child the habit of looking up the meaning of new words

Use the learning space only for learning

According to Teacher Maricar, ideally, kids should use their learning space for that purpose alone. “When they finish [classes], they close the computer, and they leave that space because that space is their learning space. 
Wear a uniform; don’t “go to school” in pajamas.

To the many moms who are asking if wearing the school uniform or a uniform for distance learning helps, it does. “The kids have to dress up. They cannot go to school in their pajamas,” Teacher Maricar warns. “All of us have to have a semblance of normalcy but also at the same time, knowing that we also need to adjust,” she adds. 

Give the learning space a positive vibe

“The gift of joy is so important to have fun while you’re doing this,” Teacher Maricar reminds parents. “When you like what you’re doing, it becomes better, so you have to make the learning fun, especially for the younger ones,” she stresses. 

In case you’re supervising your child’s learning from home schedule, make sure your little one has bathroom breaks, snack breaks, and water breaks (or he may have his water jug in his learning space). Teacher Maricar suggests five-minute gaps in between 30- to 45-minute classes. 

Watch the webiner below:

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