How to create a great study environment at home

A student’s academic performance is influenced by a host of factors, including the learning environment both inside the classroom and at home. While students may have only limited control over the environment in their classrooms, they and their parents can do much to create home study environments that are conducive to learning.

• Create a “distraction-free” zone. Today’s students are inundated with distractions. Whereas students were once most distracted by radios, televisions and the great outdoors when studying at home, nowadays kids must also find time to focus on their studies with their tablets and smartphones just a stone’s throw away. When choosing a study area at home, parents can designate a “distraction-free” zone where no televisions, radios, tablets and smartphones are allowed. Children are increasingly dependent on their smartphones and tablets, and while such devices can sometimes prove useful to students, that benefit is often outweighed by the distraction they present. When kids study at night, be sure they turn off their smartphones and only use their tablets as study aids.
• Emphasize organization. Various organization techniques can help kids be more efficient when studying. Encourage kids to separate their learning materials by subject, and keep a calendar or daily planner at home listing when their assignments are due and which days they will be tested. Encourage youngsters to keep their home study areas tidy as well, as unorganized areas can make it harder to focus or force kids to spend some of their study time cleaning up.
• Establish quiet hours at home. Quiet hours at home while kids are studying can help them better absorb their coursework, and that may lead to improved performance in the classroom. While it’s important that a kids’ study areas remain distraction-free, it can also help if distractions outside those areas are minimized. Keep televisions and other potentially noisy distractions turned off while kids are studying. If you want to catch up on a favorite television show or watch a movie, do so on your tablet instead of the television, connecting earphones so kids are not overhearing anything while they’re trying to study.
• Keep healthy snacks on hand. Hunger can be just as distracting as electronics or noisy housemates, so keep healthy snacks on hand. In lieu of unhealthy fare like potato chips or empty calories like pretzels, keep your home stocked with fruits and vegetables and protein-rich snacks like Greek yogurt. Such snacks will quell kids’ hunger pangs while also providing a boost of energy.

A strong home study environment can help students do their best in the classroom. 

Adapting To Your New Furry Friend

Adopting a dog is a wonderful way to bring joy into a home, and adoption may very well save a dog’s life. According to the Humane Society of the United States, between six and eight million pets end up in shelters each year and half of those are unlikely to be adopted.
Adjusting to life with a dog is not always easy. Owning a dog is a big responsibility, the scope of which first-time dog owners may not fully grasp until their furry friends arrive at their new homes for the first time. But there are ways to make the transition to dog ownership go smoothly, which should afford new dog owners more time to spend with the newest additions to their families.

• Prepare your home before Fido’s arrival. While many dogs adjust quickly to their new homes, preparing the home before dogs arrive can make that adjustment even easier for the dog. Dogs might be nervous and under significant stress when entering a new home for the first time, so prepare the area where the dog will be spending most of its time. Remove items that curious pooches may break, and don’t forget to move household cleaners from floor cabinets to high shelves so dogs won’t ingest anything harmful. Have a crate ready for the dog if you plan to crate him or her so you don’t have to introduce it after the pet has already grown acclimated to its new living arrangements.
• Prepare and stick to a schedule. Dogs benefit from routine, so before bringing your dog home figure out when you are going to feed and walk the dog, and which times of day you plan to play him or her. Examine your own schedule and recognize that you might need to make some changes to accommodate your new housemate. Stick to the same daily feeding, walking and socializing schedule, which should acclimate the dog more quickly. Another benefit to adhering to the same schedule is the dog will grow accustomed to relieving itself at the same time each day, reducing the likelihood of potentially messy accidents that no dog owner wants to clean up.
• Keep things calm. A hectic household might make it difficult for the dog to adjust, so remain calm and encourage other residents to do the same until the dog seems comfortable in its new surroundings. If necessary, limit visitors to your home and steer clear of the dog park or other places where the dog might become overexcited. As the dog grows more comfortable, you can then invite one or two friends over at a time and start taking the dog to the park as well.
• Take note of any irregularities. Some shelter dogs come from abusive situations, and the effects of those situations may still be lingering. While it’s perfectly reasonable to use leashes when walking dogs, recognize that some dogs may associate leashes or other objects with past abuse. In such instances, speak with your veterinarian about the best ways to address these irregularities, and always exercise patience as your dog adjusts to his or her new surroundings..

Shelter dogs often make great companion animals, and owners should afford their new dogs ample time to adjust to their new home.