Creating a distraction free workspace. Where does your son/daughter do his or her schoolwork? One of the important things that a education center provides is a location and energy devoted entirely to academics. Once students walk in, their minds shift into study mode, and they are more receptive to doing homework, learning, planning and organization, etc. The environment in which we do something influences how well we do that thing. Most homework is done in a setting that is not designed to be a workspace. For parents, home is NOT a workspace...it is a place designed to be a place to relax and feel comfortable. And while students also need that after a long day at school, they will still need to get work done. So what can we do to help make home a place where students can get their work done successfully? 1) Eliminate distractions. Distractions could be people (younger brother wants attention, mom wants to remind the student of something) they could be environmental (messy room, unfinished tasks/projects in sight), or they could be devices (phones, computers, TV, etc). When your child sits down to study, try to make sure that there is nothing in eyesight or hearing that is not involved in studying. Phones are put away, messes are cleared away, computer turned off if unneeded for this particular assignment. Earplugs can be a great investment (I buy these ones www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008MCUOH2 . They are also great for blocking snoring at night :) ) . Just having an uncluttered desk can make it easier to focus. Turn the desk in a direction that move distractions out of sight. 2) Don't use the space for recreation. The more single use the space is, the easier it will be for the student to shift into an academic mindset and stay there. Even something as simple as a comfy chair that is only sat in for reading/studying can make a big difference. This is also why we shouldn't use electronics in bed...making bed a place where we browse facebook makes it harder for our bodies and minds to remember that bed = sleep! 3) Ask for help from the rest of the family. When it is study time, the rest of the family should understand that no one should disturb the studyer! For a student who struggles with staying focussed, even a check-in from Dad could break them out of the zone. A visual check-in that the student doesn’t notice can allow parents to know when to intervene without unnecessarily breaking the student’s focus. By the way, it could be that home is just a bad place to study! Is there a better place to study? We offer space in our center for study, (based on availability) to our clients. What about the library? Or a parent's office? The more we can control our children's environment to make it more accommodating for focus and attention, the easier they will find it to get and stay focused.   Finals are coming up soon for La Jolla High and Muirlands Middle...is your son or daughter ready? Call or email to schedule some time for class support or organizational/planning support today!