Not only posture and vision depend on the workplace, but also the success of the future student. How to arrange it correctly in terms of child's health and ergonomics?
September is just around the corner. Very soon your baby will become a first grader and will move on to a new, more adult stage in his life. Part of this adult life will naturally take place at home: despite the prescriptions of the NUS, prescriptions and reading are still asked at home by the majority of primary school teachers. Therefore, one of the main stages of preparation for school is the correct organization of the workplace for the future first grader.
Some might say that it is not at all necessary to give your child a separate place to study in the first grade. Say, three lines of words can be written in the kitchen. This is a big mistake, because the main purpose of the working area is the ability to concentrate and tune in the right way. In addition, it is in the first grade that the child develops the habit of sitting correctly (or incorrectly) during lessons. And his future posture and vision directly depend on this. So the first rule in arranging a workplace for a student is that it should be highlighted in the house in principle.
Where to place the workplace
The location of the table near the window is considered ideal (photo from open sources)
It's good if the child has his own room. In this case, it will not be difficult to allocate a couple of square meters for a desk and several bookshelves. The ideal is the location of the table parallel to the window: this provides the child with a lot of natural light. However, this is not always convenient, because you will need to think over the placement of cabinets and bookshelves - so so that the kid does not have to stand up for textbooks all the time while completing assignments or notebooks.
It is more rational to put the table "facing" the wall perpendicular to the window. If the child is right-handed, we put the table against the right wall (so that the light falls on the left). If left-handed - respectively, vice versa: it is necessary that the light from the window falls from the right. In this case, you have additional wall space. There you can hang shelves for textbooks, cups for pens and pencils, children's watches, a lesson schedule, and tips (for example, rules for writing letters or tables of addition and subtraction).
If the space in the apartment is barely enough, you have to get out. Many parents decide to buy a loft bed. This is a two-storey complex in which the bed is upstairs, and the workplace, along with a wardrobe and bedside tables, fits comfortably into the gap under the bed. However, experts say this is not the best solution. The racks that support the bed on the left and right tend to shade the workspace too much. Whatever bright lamp you put in this "nook", stress for the eyes of the student will be too tedious.
At the loft bed, the table must be roll-out (photo from open sources)
Therefore, for small apartments, it is better to choose a complex with a roll-out table, which hides under the bed at night and extends perpendicular to it during study. In this case, the complex itself can be placed against the wall near the window, then the location of the table will be ideal from the point of view of natural lighting.
How to choose the right table and chair
The standard desk for first graders is too high (photo from open sources)
It is very undesirable to buy an "adult" desk in the first grade for a child. The standard height of these tables is 75 cm. It is suitable for children with a height of 150 cm and above, but for kids it will be extremely uncomfortable to sit at this table. If your child is still under 120 cm, the maximum height of the tabletop should not exceed 52 cm. With a height of 120-140 cm, a height of 55-65 cm is suitable.
To avoid running around shopping malls with a tape measure, take note of a simple test: while sitting on a chair, the tabletop should be two fingers below the level of the baby's chest. Another test - if the sitting child puts their elbows on the table, the fingertips (with a straight back) should be at the level of the temples.
Unfortunately, there are practically no ready-made desks for children's dimensions on sale. Therefore, you will most likely have to make it to order. It is best in this case for the first few years of study to buy transforming school desk with height adjustment, and already in high school (as soon as the child grows to 150 cm), change it to a large and beautiful table.
For the first time, a student can buy a growing desk (photo from open sources)
You can adjust the correct position of the child at the table using a child seat. Now on sale there are options with a maximum seat height of 58-60 cm. However, keep in mind that the child's legs in this case will dangle in the air. And this is very harmful for posture and concentration of attention while studying.
The ideal fit is that in which the student's feet are on the floor and bent at the knees at an angle of 90 degrees. To achieve this effect, you can use a footrest. In some models of child seats, such a stand is included in the package and is screwed directly to the body. However, the price tag of such ergonomic models starts at $ 3.5 thousand. hrn. Most often, parents buy a stand separately, but the child's feet are not on it. The temptation is too great to twist it with your legs, push it, turn it over and move it in every possible way.
During study, the child's legs should not dangle in the air (photo from open sources)
Should a schoolchild buy a chair on wheels? There is no definite answer to this. But many experienced parents say that this "attraction" only distracts the student from his studies. In addition, most of these chairs not only ride, but also revolve around their axis. This does not contribute to the habit of sitting upright at lessons. So the child is guaranteed problems with posture on swivel chairs. If you already decide to choose this option, do not be stingy and find a model with locking wheels and seat rotation.
How to equip a work area
At the workplace, the student should have everything at hand (photo from open sources)
School is the first serious responsibility in a child's life. With her, he becomes the owner of an extensive school property. It is important that this property is always in one place: this is the only way to develop the kid's skill to quickly navigate in it and find what he needs. Therefore, be sure to provide enough drawers and shelves to accommodate textbooks and stationery. Ideally, they should be at arm's length so that during the lessons the student does not have to get up again for a notebook or ruler.
Please note that now in elementary school, most textbooks and workbooks are published in A4 format. They are quite thin and therefore do not stand on the shelves. For them, it's best to consider vertical trays or hanging pockets, one for each item. Or arrange them in hard folders of different colors, which can be put on a shelf or hidden in a desk drawer.
Hanging shelves and trays will help to systematize school equipment (photo from open sources)
It is convenient if it is possible to place a magnetic or cork board above the table, on which the child can attach various tips and "reminders". If there is no room for a board, you can put a transparent silicone pad on the table, under which you can also fold various notes or drawings. Another plus of such overlays is that they protect the tabletop from damage. Younger schoolchildren love to distract themselves during lessons and draw on the table.
The last nuance is a shelf or a hook for school backpack. He should be near the workplace, not in the hallway. Again, we follow the principle of “everything is at hand”. This will make it easier and faster for the child to organize for homework.
You will also be interested to read:
Is your child ready for school: 5 simple yet effective tests
Backpack for a first grader: 10 rules for the perfect choice
