Homework

As a student I loathed it.

As a teacher I gave it out in bucket loads.

Now as a parent I’m the supervisor of making sure it all gets done.

But as a Chiropractor I’m very interested in how it gets done and where.

I’ve seen homework done on the floor in front of the TV. On their lap (again in front of the TV), sitting on their bed, on the school bus and even on the way to school in the car. None of which are any good as far as posture is concerned.

Any chance of concentrating at the task at hand is severely diminished if the body has to do two things at once. Concentrating on the homework is best achieved if you’re sitting at your desk or a similar table – like the kitchen table. Much like the recommendations for office ergonomics, the students work environment should have the basics.

The desk or table for them to study at that has enough space for the student to write on and have a few books open. Writing space must be directly in front of the student. If the space is also shared with a computer, then the keyboard should be able to be moved from its central position to be then out of the way. Thus making sure the student has enough space directly in front of them when writing.

A students chair should have the ability to change the overall height of the chair, the base to be tilted and the back rest to be moved up or down. This allows the students posture to be maintained per the individuals needs. One size does NOT fit all. When seated the students should sit into the back of the chair. There should be a gap between the base of the chair and their calf. The base should allow for the hip and knee to be level or even the knee lower than the hip (this promotes a more upright posture). The back of the chair should extend up to the shoulder blades.

Some students may also require a foot rest. Especially for upper school students who spend long hours at their desk, the use of the foot rest helps to remove the stress/ fatigue from their legs and enables them to keep their correct posture for longer.

If a computer is used (more often than not these days they are.) I do recommend the use of a desk top variety. That way the correct seated posture can be easily maintained. If a laptop is used at home, using a separate keyboard and mouse makes the students work environment ergonomically sound. Then they are able to raise the laptop screen to a higher level and use the attached keyboard lower down.

A document holder placed on either side of the screen at the same level of the screen is a great idea. That way notes can be transcribed easily looking either left or right of the screen instead of looking down at the desk.

And last but not least, making sure that they take regular breaks. This helps the brain and the body from becoming fatigued.