I chose a basket similar to this for the portable homework station because it was sturdy and would endure my three boys. I used toilet paper rolls and empty vegetable cans to separate items within the baskets.
It’s easy, right? Just set up a study space for your child to do homework. Now don’t forget the basics: make it fun, organized, child-sized, accessible and filled with kid-friendly, inviting items. Wow! That’s a lot to consider, isn’t it? Now, to get really overwhelmed, just search out homework spaces or homework stations. There are so many great ideas and beautiful spaces out there, but …. let’s be realistic.
As a mother, I knew there was no way I could afford these spaces or even create them. Not only did I not have the financial resources, I also simply did not have the space. Instead I needed to create a space which could and would work for many different things. I chose my kitchen table. Why? Because the kitchen in my home is the inviting space where everyone wants to be. It is also a good space because I could fix snacks and dinner while my children were working.
I made a portable homework station. It was simple. Before the kids came home from school, I made sure the kitchen table was cleared off and set up. There were snacks within easy reach and drinks. As they were finishing with their snacks, the homework basket would appear.
What should you put in your portable homework station? Start with some basics:
- pencils and sharpener
- markers
- crayons
- ballpoint pens
- Sharpie
- tape
- stapler
- hole punch
- colored pencils
- calculator
- protractor
- compass
- ruler
- scissors
- eraser -lots of them!
- glue/glue stick
In a document box which I stored under the basket, the kids could find lined paper, graph paper, and construction paper.
What other things have your children needed in their homework station?
By Tracy Harrington-Atkinson
Tracy Harrington-Atkinson, mother of six, lives in the Midwest with her husband. She is a teacher, having taught elementary school to higher education, holding degrees in elementary education, a master’s in higher education and continued on to a PhD in curriculum design. She has published several titles, including Calais: The Annals of the Hidden, Lemosa: The Annals of the Hidden, Book Two, Rachel’s 8 and Securing Your Tent. She is currently working on a non-fiction text exploring the attributes of self-directed learners: The Five Characteristics of Self-directed Learners.
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