Take the Stress Out of Homework: 8 Steps for Setting Up a Homework Station

^{August 16, 2023}

Homework can be an integral part of a student’s schooling. Depending on the grade, children can spend anywhere from one to seven hours a week on it. So it’s important to provide them with an environment that’s conducive to productivity and efficiency. The simplest way to achieve this is to set up a dedicated homework station for your children.

In this article, we’ll delve into the benefits of homework stations and walk you through the steps of setting up one in your home.

How a Homework Station Can Help Students

Children’s short attention span s and propensity to lose focus when dealing with tedious tasks can make homework a frustrating experience for students and parents alike. A dedicated space reserved for homework and school-related activities can help mitigate some of the stress.

Setting up a homework station may not only help keep your home organized and decluttered, but it can also help your child focus and create a quiet bubble for them to do homework assignments, read, or study without being distracted by what’s going on in the home.

A homework station can help you instill a routine. It can help your child sustain the habit of doing homework at a set time — increasing the student’s sense of time management and ability to work within established time frames.

Where Should You Put Your Homework Station?

When you’re picking out a place for your homework station, choose a part of your home that offers seclusion and quietness. Other than that, there are some additional qualities the location of your homework station should have, which can invite calm and focus.

Choose an area for your homework station that has the following qualities:

Good lighting: One of the main things you should consider when picking a location for your homework station is natural light. Ideally, you should opt for an area that gets plenty of light from a nearby window. However, keep in mind that this might not be the ideal option for every child. For example, children with severe ADHD might lose focus and get distracted by what’s going on outside if they’re near a window. If this is the case for your child, you can still use artificial lighting to create a calming atmosphere.
Ample space: The space you dedicate for homework needs to be spacious enough to provide students with comfort. While a small area might seem adequate, it’s more likely that an open area will help your child feel relaxed and focused. One that’s somewhat cramped can feel disorganized.
Few distractions: Set up the homework station in a quiet area that presents few distractions. Avoid parts of the home where there’s a lot of activity, such as the kitchen or the living room where the child can get distracted by the TV.

How to Set Up a Homework Station in 8 Steps

Let’s go over setting up your homework station step by step so that you can create a home learning environment your children will love.

Step 1: Get Your Kids Involved

It’s great when kids are excited about the prospect of having a dedicated space for school activities. Before you dive into setting up a homework space, see if you can encourage your child to take an interest in the process. The most effective way to do this is to make them a part of the plan from the get-go.

When you’re shopping for furniture and school items to help you create a homework station, make sure you get input for your child. Let them choose their own accessories such as a bulletin board, dry erase whiteboard, desk organizer, and a planner. Involving kids in the process can help bring out their organizational skills and encourage them to take ownership of the space.

Step 2: Determine the Best Location

Next, pick an ideal location for your homework station. The designated space needs to be spacious enough to accommodate a desk and computer as well as the various school supplies that your child needs.

You’ll also want to make sure there’s enough space for shelving or a bookcase for textbooks and reference material nearby. Measure your space to confirm it’s a proper fit when you’re adding components.

Step 3: Choose a Desk
After determining the ideal location and measuring the space, your next step is choosing a dedicated study desk. There are several types of desks that can be suitable for homework stations.

Learn about the different kinds of desks to help you choose the best one for your child:

Writing desk: These desks typically have a simple yet functional design. Look for writing desks with drawers for storing school supplies.
Small desk: Compact desks offer great placement flexibility, and they’re ideal for a small home or apartment.
Computer desk: For a larger study area, consider a computer desk that can house your child’s PC and printer.
Small corner desk: Thanks to their L-shaped design, small corner desks can fit snugly in the corner of a room while saving space and accommodating a decent amount of supplies and accessories.
School desk: If you want to replicate a classroom environment at home, you can opt for a school desk. If your child is already used to these desks, doing homework on them can feel more natural and comfortable.
Kids table: While desks are quite practical, they’re not a necessity when setting up a homework station for young children. If you don’t plan on adding a computer to the homework station, a regular kids’ table might do the job.

Step 4: Choose a Comfortable Chair

A comfortable chair can go a long way in improving focus and productivity for your child. When picking a chair for a homework station, ergonomics should be taken into account. In fact, there’s some compelling evidence that links ergonomically correct setups for homework to an improvement in learning abilities.

Ideally, the chair you pick should allow your child to sit with their feet planted on the ground and their knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Additionally, the chair should be relatively narrow and not too deep to help promote good posture.

The following chairs can make a great addition to your setup:

Task chair: This type of chair is designed to accommodate multitaskers. They offer comfort, mobility, and back support.
Desk chair: With a pair of armrests, a waterfall seat cushion, a pneumatic adjustment feature, and a flexible base, this kind of chair offers a combination of comfort and mobility. It’s ideal for anyone who works for prolonged periods of time.
Kids’ desk chair: If you think a professional office chair is overkill for a young child’s homework station, you may want to opt for a kids’ desk chair. This kind of chair offers good back support for children and has a simple and compact design that can fit anywhere in your home.

Step 5: Add Lighting

Even if you set up your homework station in an area that gets plenty of light, it can still be a good idea to invest in high-quality lamps for extra illumination. This will be especially helpful when your children need to do homework at night. Good lighting helps prevent eye strain, and it makes reading and writing easier.

Some desk light options to consider adding to your homework station include desk lamps, floor lamps, and strip lighting.

Step 6: Get Basic School Supplies and Technology

Once you’ve completed the setup process, you can get all the school supplies and technology that a young student may need.

We’ve listed some of these supplies below:

Step 7: Add Desk Organizers and Accessories

Next, you can add some desk accessories to your homework station. These items are not only effective at keeping the desk organized, but they can also enhance its visual effect and make it more appealing to your child.

Some accessories you can add include a desk organizer, wall clock, tape dispenser, child-friendly scissors, and a pencil holder. You can also add desk decor, such as a globe or a small potted plant.

Step 8: Add Privacy Walls

Depending on the size of your home, finding a perfectly secluded study area that’s free of distractions can be challenging. With that being said, you can try to create your very own bubble inside your home.

Installing a partition wall can help separate the homework area from the rest of the house and create a quiet environment where your child will feel comfortable doing homework.

Better Homework May Result in Better Grades

Homework can help with the development of problem-solving skills, and it can encourage children to be responsible while they work independently. It helps encourage self-discipline and reinforce classroom learning, and that can mean good grades and overall academic success.

Given the prevalence of homework, it’s clear that creating the right environment away from distractions and interruptions is essential to helping your child develop a healthy routine for completing tasks. Involving your child in the process when choosing furniture, supplies, and accessories can make setting up a homework station easy and fun, and may encourage academic success in your student.

About the Author

Yassine Ugazu is a versatile writer who has helped businesses from a wide range of industries communicate effectively with their customers and convey their brand message through high-quality content.

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is” and neither the author nor Office Depot, Inc. warrant the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.