Set Up for Learning

Hume Valley School Occupational Therapy Department

1. Set up your home for learning and school routine

Here are some general tips and recommendations of how to set up your home to help while your child learns from home. Today you can go through this checklist with your child and put a tick ✓ next to what you already have in place and what you will try starting from today’s session. Please contact your child’s teacher or a school occupational therapist who can provide advice for your individual circumstances to optimise learning at home.

☐ Designate a quiet and comfortable work space for school hours. This is likely to be a shared space such as your dining table or living room.

Location in the home where internet signal is the strongest if using an electronic device for learning.

☐ Lighting is sufficient.

There is no direct light outside projected onto device monitor.

☐ Ensure that the desk/table and chair are suitable for your child:

o Elbows, hips, knees and ankles at a 90 degree

angle.

o Feet flat on the floor (if feet do not touch the floor you may try a stool under the feet for support).

o Back is supported by chair back rest (you may need a pillow or cushion behind placed behind your child’s back if they cannot reach the back of the chair).

o Suitable desk height- elbows at 90 degree angle and forearms are able to rest on the table comfortably. A cushion may be needed under bottom to allow forearms and elbows to rest on table.

☐ Device/laptop/desktop monitor a comfortable distance 50cm away from your eyes- about an arm’s distance.

Adjust the height of the monitor so that the top is in line or slightly below eye level.

☐ Make sure distractions are removed from your child’s learning space if possible.

2. Set up school day routine

☐ Display your child’s timetable where it is visible from their workstation e.g. on the wall, fridge or side of a bookshelf.

☐ Schedule frequent breaks, approximately every 20 minutes.

This time may vary from child to child, some may require breaks more often.

Breaks can be as simple as having a stretch or a quick 3-5 minute brain break or choosing one quick sensory regulation activity from a previous OT lesson plans.

If you feel that your child needs a longer break they can have a snack, go for a walk, use exercise DVDs/online videos or apps, exercises or dancing.