Indianapolis Business Daily

What environment should a student study in at home?

Trying to get that teenager off the couch and studying/doing homework can be a real nightmare. We say to them "That homework isn't going to do itself" and "The information won't just run around and climb into your brain". But they still don't listen. What environment should a teenager study in, and what tips are they for studying? Please link to (if you have any)

Public Comments

1. I made my teenager come home and do his homework before he did anything else. He usually sat at the kitchen table, no tv or noise in the house. I checked his homework when he was done. He knew that's how the day was going to go, and if he didn't get it right, we worked until he did, so he figured quick he might as well do it right the first time.
2. either a dining room table, kitchen table or desk area, no music, tv, videos .. quiet area. in my house, the rule is come home from school, have a snack [if wanted] and get to the homework.. take a break for dinner, and back to homework before anything social or activities
3. Teenagers will study when they feel focused.My daughter chooses to do her homework after tea because she feels that she can concentrate better at night.She is a night owl.All kids are different.Some like to have music on others need peace and quiet.Let the kids choose the time when they want to do their homework and get them to stick to it.
4. oh all that quiet room no tv stuff didnt help my kid. and it never worked for me either. a coffee table or kitchen table is just fine, or if alot requires computer use...make sure the computer isnt in the bedroom. a low radio for background noise never hurts...the rythm of the music actually helps get work like math done quicker for many of us. and nagging will encourage his/her procrastination. just tell them that to get the career that will make them enough money to pay all their bills and be able to eat that they have to get the degree, to get the degree they got to get in college, to get in college they gotta get off their ass and do the homework. and if they still dont get up...say fine work at mcdonalds, dont make enough money to pay your bills or even on all of your bills, dont plan on eating cuz you wont make enough money and forget about borrowing from me...i put in my work when i was suppose to.
5. Some kids need quiet, some need music, some need frequent short breaks to get up and stretch, others do better sitting on a yoga ball, or kneeling on the chair backwards instead of sitting. I can't read at a table; I need to be comfortable or I get distracted. One of the things I spend a lot of time doing with my students is talking about how they learn best. This means both how do I reach them--lecture, book, notes, powerpoint, video, etc--and how they learn best on their own. Ask your kid what they need, and make them really think about it and talk through it. And then help them get organized. Get pens, paper, printer cartridges, etc, make sure you have a dictionary etc.
6. Read Here... http://article.ezedir.com/Environment/
7. My mother was the source of wisdom. I was a very good student, but if I was too tired from staring at a book, or notes, she made me run around the house - out the front door, down the steps, the perimeter of the yard and back again. The physical exercise stirred the blood and stimulated me. Sometimes I had to run several times before returning to work. Everyone needs a designated place for homework, although my son has three, but they are for different activities. The sofa in his room is for reading chapters over for review. The desk in the den is for any online research or word processing. The table in the kitchen is for personal writing and note review. So work try scheduling time - 10 minutes on homework and 10 minutes off Some need soft music, some need loud music (boys tend to need noise, girls end to need quiet). Lighting is important - bright or soft - depending on the student. Some cannot stand the "wiggle" that some fluorescent lights have - or the noise they make. To determine each child's learning style go to http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/ it is free and may give you some ideas as to environment that is right for each student.