ARTICLE

The Best Home Learning Setup

3 mins read

With many schools making the transition to home learning it is becoming increasingly important to provide children with the required technology and tools as well as a dedicated learning space at home to help them excel.

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As many schools are moving to a virtual delivery system in which students will be attending classes through online options and required to complete work through online forums, you may need to download teleconferencing apps such as Zoom or Skype. With this, it is imperative that you have the required and up-to-date technology to ensure that your child doesn’t fall behind.

What Technology Do You Need?

1. Laptop

Your child is likely to complete the majority of their home learning on a laptop. It is therefore important to have a device that can handle this workload. The Microsoft Surface Laptop has been redesigned with a 10th Gen Intel Core Processor to make multitasking a breeze. Plus, it has 11.5 hours of battery life which is more than enough to last the school day. Students can hit the ground running with the familiar Windows feel, but with the advantage of new and improved features to create a faster, more powerful home learning experience.

Your child may be required to use Microsoft Office Software such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to complete school activities and homework, which is a lot easier to achieve on a device with a relatively large screen. Laptops are also a great idea as once children return to school, they can continue to use them.

2. Tablet

Tablets are a great device to have when it comes to home learning as many come with an interactive Smart Pen which has multiple uses. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 has an included S Pen which is a fantastic way to help children problem solve maths equations, help with spelling, practice handwriting and so much more! Other products that are Smart Pen capable, include Samsung Galaxy products, Apple products and Microsoft Surface products. Don’t forget you’ll need the applicable laptop or tablet to use your Smart Pen.

Your children are used to a lot of social interaction and contact at school, so it is likely they are feeling the effects of social distancing. One way to break up the day but still mirror a typical school day is by spending recess or lunch interacting with their friends online through video chat. It may be easier to use a tablet or mobile phone for this activity allowing your child to move easily around the home showing their friends their toys, pets, artwork and other objects.

3. Monitor

Depending on the age of your child, they may benefit from having multiple screens in front of them.
One screen may have their teacher conducting a class and the other may have a document where they are typing notes. This will help to increase productivity and allow students to multitask.
You may need a HDMI cable to link the extra monitor to your laptop.
Find our range of monitors here.

4. Printer

Many teachers have sent online learning packs home for children to work on. Some children learn and respond better by having a hard copy of the work in front of them, so you may need a printer to be able to print relevant tasks and activities. Alternatively, if your child is struggling with something such as the spelling of a particular word or a maths equation it can be a good idea to print it out and stick it somewhere in their learning space for them to visualise and see multiple times a day.

Create a Learning Space for Your Child

Create an area in the house for your child to be able to focus on learning. It should be a place that is relatively quiet, without distractions and has a strong wireless internet signal. If this is not possible, you can use a wifi extender to increase wifi range to get the most out of online learning.

You want to make sure it is a space where your child feels comfortable. Set up a dedicated work space, with a desk and supportive chair rather than having them work from the kitchen bench, couch or bed. It’s important that it’s in a different space to where they would normally play games or watch television.

Temperature can affect a student’s attention span and concentration, so it is important that the room is a comfortable temperature for optimal brain function. Dyson< has a range of heating and cooling products which can help with this. Now more than ever it is important to remain healthy - so you may also want to look into Dyson’s Air Purifiers. They capture allergens, pollutants and bacteria, which will help to keep the air quality high and clean.

It is important to have a pair of good quality headphones in your child’s learning space. Headphones allow students to focus on their studies, block out background noises and avoid distraction. It also helps to keep parents sane – by providing some silence!

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Find more home learning setup ideas here.