作者：金慧廷
This book is about designing a house to make studying/revising become a part of the house or make it natural instead of being forced.
Take note that the summary is based on my interpretation of the book and may not be 100% accurate. As we are still reading the book, we will continuing updating the summary whenever we can.
Here is the summary:
Part 1: Why do we need to design a study room?
Provide different types of study area
Creating a conducive environment for learning is important to build an interest towards learning, to encourage healthy growth, build their resilience and promote self-directed learning.
External factors affecting students: room brightness, noise level, colour, stationery, furniture etc
Internal factors affecting students: personality, hobbies, praise and criticism from parents and teachers etc
Different people have different study habit. Some study well in a quiet library while others study better in a noisy cafe.
Everywhere in the house can be a study spot for your child. So feel free to decorate the study spots with items like books and stationery. If your child lost concentration in one spot, they can to another learning spot to engerise them. Change up the study room every 6 months (shift furniture position, add stationery, ornament etc). Keep the study room/spot well ventilated to keep carbon dioxide low as the gas will induce sleepiness.
Most importantly, the tabletop should be mess free when your child studies to increase effectiveness of the study session. Ideally only the book and stationery they are using should be on the table.
Some suggestions:
1. Keep computers/laptops far away from study area. Set rules with your child on device usage. Set up different areas in the house such as craft area and game area etc for your child to pick their recreation from
2. Chair with adjustable height preferred to suit your child's growth
3. Separate study and rest area. If not possible, try to at least put the bed as far away from the study table as possible.
Study table placement
Position the study table such that your child is not facing the door directly, otherwise they may be distracted and think of getting out of the room. Ideally, your child's back should face the wall with their side facing the door. Best position is wall - bookshelf - chair - study table. Place books that will be of interest at child's eye level.
Avoid putting the table under strong sunlight as the glare may make reading difficult, resulting in eye strain. In addition, looking out of the window may cause the child to lose focus. If the table have to be positioned in front of the window, curtain or blinds would be recommended.
Bed should be put furthest away from the door to reduce temptation to rest the moment your child enter the room. Discourage your child from studying on the bed to avoid body strain and bad posture. If your child cannot resist studying on the bed, consider shifting the study table out of the room.
Avoid putting computer in study area to eliminate distraction. Communicate that computer is not just a tool for enjoyment but it is an educational tool. Do set limits for usage. If computer is put in the living, it increases chances for communication as compared to putting in the room. Phones should not be brought into the study room. Parents can make use of the phone locker to put the kid's phone in. Parents' phone can be put in together with the kid's phone, acting as a role model.
If you have more than one child, you can consider putting their tables side by side, with a barrier in between them. The barrier should allow them to see each other when they lift their heads. Can consider making friendly competition to boost their study morale. (E.g. who will reach their goal first?) However, if they are preparing for major exams, a taller barrier should be used.
The book recommend choosing movable table. That way, the table can be moved to different parts of the house easily. This is especially useful for younger kids since they may require supervision. It will also be a good chance for them to ask you questions since you are nearer to them. Can also consider investing in a "standing" table where the kids will stand and do their work when they feel restless sitting down. Do be mindful of their posture when they are doing so.
For chairs, best to let the kids try the chairs without wearing their shoes. Sit on the inner most part of the chair and the knees should form a 90 degrees with both feet touching the ground. The book recommends non-mobile chair to minimize distraction as there may be a tendency for kids to play with the chair, leading to distraction.
