Neat idea...

I think this is the neatest idea! Monkey would like this since she doesn't have her own desk yet, and being a big first grader now, she will have some homework. Oddly enough she is very excited about this. We got midget man into the gifted and talented or advanced now, he's in middle school. I am hoping this will help with the whole boredom thing. Surely they won't pound so much on this taks test, if they are in the program they are making all a's and have scored high on placement test. So this would mean, i am assuming, that they all pass the taks test with no problems. Of course one can't assume anything :) He's actually excited to go and see what it's all about. Seeing as last year, he never had homework, and never studied i am hoping to see a book opened. I feel like last year he could have stayed home every day and it not mattered. All of that, and he still got all a's, and one 89. Poor kid, hopefully this will be a little more of a fulfilling year. Middle school, lockers, electives. wow.

Homework Central

by Debra Immergut

A fold-up workstation transforms the kitchen table into a kid-friendly study hall

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The challenge: getting kids to settle down to homework in the midst of the evening hubbub.

An ingenious solution: turn display boards (available at office supply stores) into study carrels that can be set up in a flash, with all the necessary supplies close at hand. Easily stowed in a corner or a closet, these customizable stations keep kids focused on learning by providing a fun home base for tackling their assignments. And a single display board makes two carrels, so each sibling can have his own.

MAKE THE ULTIMATE HOMEWORK STATION

Create the station:
You will need:

Tri-fold display board (48 by 36 inches; makes two stations)

Yardstick and pencil

Craft knife

Con-Tact paper or paint (optional)

1. Cut the board in half horizontally. Set one half aside if you plan to make just one carrel. Lay the other half facedown. To make the carrel easy to fold even when stocked with hanging supplies, pencil a vertical line parallel to each existing fold, 2 inches closer to the center. Using the yardstick as a guide, score the lines, cutting through only the top layer of the cardboard.

2. Fold along the scored lines. Cover the carrel's back with Con-Tact paper or paint, if desired.

Add the supplies:
Use glue dots to affix clothespins to one side for holding important papers and notes.

Adhere magnets with hot glue to scissors, the back of a stapler, and other frequently used supplies. Line them up along a ruler/magnet strip, with more magnets and a magnetic clip.

Use adhesive-backed Velcro dots to attach supplies that need to be easily removed: the ruler/magnet strip, a clock, a calculator, a sticky-note dispenser, and a pencil box.

Hang a zip-close binder pouch from an adhesive hook to hold small supplies.

Affix a small cork square for displaying photos or notes, using hot glue or the adhesive supplied with the square.