MAKING YOUR HOME A PLACE FOR LEARNING

To focus on a project, your child must feel “safe” to dig into materials and really explore with his work. It is not necessary to make major changes in your household to make it a place where meaningful learning experiences can occur for your child, but there are questions for you to consider.

1. How can I provide an environment for learning?
Where is there enough space in my home for my child and me to work together? Will I be comfortable working on a 12-inch wooden chair alongside my child? Where will my child have a surface to write, draw, paint, and use materials like clay?

2. Where will I get materials for my child to use?
Will buying supplies for project work be expensive? What kinds of things do I need to collect? Will I need to go somewhere special to get the materials we will use?

3. How can I store materials for projects and other forms of meaningful learning?
Where will I keep paper, clay, and books about project topics? Where can ongoing work be stored so that it is safe from siblings, vacuum cleaners, or the dog? Where can materials be stored neatly and safely, but so that they are still accessible to my child?


4. How I can I help my child gain literacy skills in project work?
Are there things I can do to encourage my child to use books more? What kinds of books would be appropriate for project work? How can I best organize literacy materials?

5. How can I provide the time for projects and other forms of meaningful learning?
When can we block off time so we can concentrate on our project work? Can we fit clay work in between a soccer game and girl scouts?

Creating an Environment for Meaningful Learning
As an adult you have learned that you need space to do quality work, whether it is your kitchen, your office, or a workshop. Children also need space to do quality work. With patience, determination, and a little creativity, most living areas can accommodate project work. If you think in advance about issues such as table space or access to water, you can help prevent many problems that may come up once your child is busy with his project. For example, your child will not have to stop work early so you can clean off the table for dinner. For some parents, creating an environment for meaningful learning can be a challenge because it requires them to leave their comfort zone. In our role as teachers and parent educators, we have come across parents who say, “Give my 3-year-old scissors? Is that safe?” “Bring paint into my immaculate kitchen? Do you know what we spent on that floor?” “I can’t let my child use these things when I have a toddler in the house too!” Issues of stains, safety, and appropriateness all emerge. One advantage of doing project work with young children is that it encourages you as a parent to think about the organization of your home. Does your home foster meaningful learning for your children? If you work out how to create spaces for meaningful learning in project work, you can use these for years to come as children work on school projects and other learning activities.

While creating a space may seem difficult on a tight budget or in a small home, just the willingness to create a space and provide materials will benefit your child. Neither a fancy art studio nor 100 different types of collage materials are necessary for a child to be able to do project work. If money or space is an issue
for you, think creatively of how you can assemble an inexpensive art kit of basic supplies (scissors, glue, crayons, paper), which will be enough to get your child started. Using found materials such as shoe boxes, wrapping paper, and buttons can also be a way for children to develop their creativity. Keep in mind that many great project activities have occurred using just a few materials on the kitchen floor or at the dining room table covered with newspaper.

When looking at your environment for a space where you and your child will want to work together on projects, you will need to consider the room, its location in the home, and the furnishings within that room.

FINDING A LOCATION IN YOUR HOME
Survey your home. Is there a playroom, a kitchen breakfast bar, or a dining room table that may be a good place to work? The room where you work should be a place where you will be able to access materials easily. Good work spaces for children are not necessarily fancy. A heated garage room or a finished (or even unfinished) basement room may be perfect, as long as it is comfortable for you and your child when you work on larger projects. A quieter, less busy place without a television playing allows for more communication and concentration during activities. The room where you and your child work should be free from a constant stream of traffic and allow a child to feel that her work is safe, especially if there are other children in the family. Toddlers and friendly dogs can be especially dangerous around art supplies, so a less-visited room may be helpful. Since one of the goals of doing projects with children is to provide meaningful time together, this time with your child is precious. The environment must support your focusing on your child and the interaction between you and your child.

SELECTING A WORK SURFACE
While a small table and chairs in your child’s room may be perfect for a tea party, a 6-foot, 220-pound father will not be comfortable in this pint-sized area! Likewise, a 3-year-old seated on an adult folding chair at a table that is chin high for the child will not help the creative process. An appropriate sized table—large enough for lots of materials and chairs—is important. Kitchen counters are great if there are stools and there is space. However, a dining room table or kitchen table may work better.

The table or counter area needs to be washable and able to handle markers, clay, and paint. Using a vinyl tablecloth may help make a dining room table or a counter area appropriate for projects. Having a washable floor underneath is also helpful. Kitchen linoleum is fairly durable and washable, but if the most comfortable
area to work side by side is carpeted, old blankets, sheets, newspapers, or drop cloths can be placed under the work table for protection.

In small apartments or in homes where there is limited space, it will probably work better to have work surfaces and materials that can be put away when not being used. For example, a large piece of cardboard can be used as a place to work and can be slid under a bed when not in use. Some families have set aside
one corner of a room as the children’s work area and put materials in this area.

CONSIDER ACCESS TO WATER
Project work can also occur in several different places. At some times, access to water is crucial, such as during art and construction work. Activities such as painting or clay work require water. It may be possible to carry water to the work area, but for cleaning up accessible running water is important. Imagine your child finishing a big painting project—do you want to have him walk through the house with hands dripping with paint? Of course, paper towels and baby wipes can provide a quick fix, but access to a sink is preferable.





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