3 Strategies for Setting Up a Positive Homework Environment to Avoid Homework Anxiety
So much information is available on the topic of homework. It’s difficult to break the information down into manageable, useful chunks that make sense. If we consider where to START when it comes to homework, start with the homework environment. What goes on around us while doing homework, study, reading, or any activity that requires concentration, can significantly impact our ability to focus. So, here are three starter tips to avoid homework anxiety.
- Provide a comfortable place in which to work without distractions. If there’s so much going on in the house that it’s hard to find that place, consider making three walled study carrel out of a cardboard box.
- If possible, use full-spectrum lighting There’s been a significant amount of research over the years about how light impacts the brain. All the research indicates that full spectrum lighting and natural lighting are the best “lighting” environments for learning. Now that incandescent full spectrum bulbs are no longer available, what do we do? This article discusses the LED’s place in this discussion.
- Calm the homework beast with music at 60 beats/minute or less. The right music has a tremendous ability to calm nerves and avoid homework anxiety.
- Helps with attention issues and sensory processing
- Supports organized body movement
- Assists in actively engaging the learner
- Increases the brain’s alpha and beta waves, which are associated with a quiet, alert state, ready for learning
- Helps to provide structure for organized thinking, ex. writing reports or papers or doing activities that involve planning
Music Suggestions that Calm Nerves and Help to Avoid Homework Anxiety:
- Native American Flute
- Peruvian Mantra
- Mozart for Learning (Caution: Some Classical is too rambunctious. The key is 60 beats per minute or less.)
- Enya
- Typically, music without words (which may be distracting) is the best option while studying.
- Aside of the beats-per-minute theory, my son worked best when doing homework to compositions written by John Williams for popular movies. Whenever he was doing homework, it felt like we were in the middle of the drama in Raiders of the Lost Ark, or E.T.
You can easily determine the beat of the music using the second hand of your watch or clock.
Another good way to help reduce your child’s stress with music is to let them learn to play an instrument, then give them time to play before homework, or after. Take a look at this article with 16 benefits of learning to play and instrument.
Good luck setting up your stress free homework environment. I’d love to hear how these ideas worked for you and/or your child.
For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Please Help Me With My Homework. Available in both print and electronic versions!
Bring Susan to your campus or parent organization!
Featured seminar – Please Help Me With My Homework! Strategies for Parents and Caregivers