South African CAPS Practice Exams

How To Create The Ultimate Study Space

Written by Aiden Delport

Concentration is the key to any great study session, but what if your child is always getting distracted? Does their study space have something to do with it?

Yes, the way that your child studies and what they study is super important, but have you ever stopped to think about just how important their study environment is?

Have you tried to sit down and read a really good book, but can’t seem to take in the words because the dog is barking, your kid is moaning that she can’t find her tablet, and your next door neighbour has decided that 6pm is a great time to use his state-of-the-art leaf blower that he just ordered from Takealot. Annoying, right?

Well, that’s exactly how your children feel when they are trying to study with a million distractions around them.

But how do you create the perfect study space for your child?

Here’s how!

Step 1: The location

In an ideal world, you’d be able to dedicate an entire room to studying. If this isn’t possible, you should try to find a spot away from the noisiest parts of your home. If your child has a clean corner of their room with a desk, this can work, but be mindful of distractions. Remove all possible objects that could cause a distraction, and ensure that their desk / study surface is clean and organized.

Allowing them to study while lying on their bed is generally not a good idea. You know how easy it is to drift off when you’ve been lying on your bed for just 5 minutes!

The goal is to choose a clean, clutter and distraction free space that your child can focus in sufficiently.

Laptop and plant on desk

Step 2: The lighting

As a follow up to step 1, it almost goes without saying that your child won’t be able to study effectively in a dark, dingy room. It is super important that their study space has efficient lighting, conducive to reading and writing with ease.

If the space you choose is near a window and already has perfect lighting, then awesome, you’re already set! If not, look into investing in an LED lamp. Not only are they brighter than normal lamps, but they also don’t give off any heat, unlike normal lamps that give off heat and could make studying uncomfortable for your child (especially in summer).

Cluttered desk against a white wall

Step 3: The Chair

If your child prefers walking around while studying (I found this method to be quite useful), then this step doesn’t necessarily apply to you. If your child prefers sitting and studying though, then it is important that the chair they have doesn’t become a distraction.

It shouldn’t squeak or make any funny noises. It should be ergonomic and comfortable, but not SO comfortable that they might doze off. It should enable them to keep a good posture while seated, which will help keep them awake and alert while studying (and save you time and money in visits to the chiropractor – that’s not a joke, I have experienced this!).

Desk and chair near window

Step 4: The Sound

As mentioned earlier, distractions are the biggest concentration killer, and what is one of the biggest distractions you can think of? NOISE!

This step often requires a bit of team effort. We all know that busy households are generally also noisy ones, and so finding a spot in your house that is 100% quiet is sometimes impossible, especially at certain times of the day. This is something that you can work around though.

Look at your child’s study schedule and make their study time the new “quiet time” in your house. Get everyone at home on the same page about it, and work together to allow for some peace and quiet in the household for your child to study during that time. No loud volumes on the TV, no loud talking. 30 mins of peaceful studying is better than 2 hours of distraction.

You might also want to try putting on some peaceful audio tracks to create some ambiance in your child’s study space. We have some awesome FREE ones available here.

Phone and wireless speaker

What to do next?

Now that you know how to set up the ideal study space, get cracking! There are a few more steps to complete before you are 100% ready though.

Check out our free exam resources, and consider signing up for a paid WorksheetCloud membership.

Keep learning, keep acing, keep WorksheetClouding!

I’m very interested to hear how you helped create a great study environment for your child. What challenges have you faced? Post your comments, suggestions and questions below. I personally read and answer every comment.

The Author - Aiden Delport

Aiden heads up our design department and is in charge of making WorksheetCloud look great. He also forms part of the product team in charge of developing new features. His top skill - making a mean cup of tea!

WorksheetCloud is the most exciting way to study for exams and tests!

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4 Comments

  1. Helen Paice

    My teenage daughter insists that having her music and sometimes podcasts on in the background helps her study. My husband and I are not convinced but trying to convince her is proving to be a sticky point. Any advice on this?

    Reply
    • Ross Frank

      Hi Helen! Thanks for your comment! Music has a profound effect on our mood, blood pressure, and heart rate. For the best music to focus and study, choose tunes that keep you awake but won’t cause you to start tapping your body to the beat. … You can plan a set amount of uninterrupted music, which serves as a built-in timer for studying as well. Every child is different, so some children may lean more towards listening to music while studying as this sometimes helps with their exam stress and anxiety. You could also try suggesting some of our peaceful audio tracks here https://www.worksheetcloud.com/free-exam-downloads/.

      I hope this helps. Please let us know if there are any other blog topics you would like for us to cover in the future or if you have any questions regarding our content.

      Ross 🙂

      Reply
  2. Rosemary Jones

    Morning
    I have taken note of your suggestions and will at my next Parent Teachers Meeting challenge all the parents to do the above. Thanks for all your very practical and informative ideas.
    Rosemary Jones

    Reply
    • Ross Frank

      Hi Rosemary, thanks for your comment on our blog! I’m really happy to hear that you found our blog useful and helpful!

      Please let us know if there are any other blog topics you would like for us to cover in the future or if you have any questions regarding our content.

      Ross 🙂

      Reply

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