Smarter Study Space, Smarter Students (NAPSA)—Manyof the coun- try’s top educators, progressive learning specialists, feng shui experts and storage/organization 3 manufacturers are discovering something that every parent should know: Smarter study space may make for smarter students. When you clear the clutter, you clear the mind. Rethink desk and organization design, add the right components and the right process to watch students’ self-esteem soar along with their grades. “Organization is the basis of effective studying. Students typi- cally spend 40 minutes a night digging out their assignments and wandering around finding supplies,” says Patricia Larsen, Executive Director of The Larsen Center in Sarasota, Florida, a burgeoning test prep and teaching facility addressing PSAT, SAT, early prep, Spanish, study skills and test-taking anxiety (www.thelarsencenter.com). “We've designed a student study space that helps kids get right to work.” To clear clutter from the desk- top, Larsen suggests using closets for easy-to-reach supplies. A reach- in closet can be outfitted and “grows” with the student using ClosetMaid’s ShelfTrack system. According to Susan Follick of ClosetMaid, “The ShelfTrack sys- tem is easy to install and makes a great do-it-herself project for a mom trying to solve her family’s storage needs. You hang the track and the rest of the components attach and snap into place. It then becomes easy to rearrange the closet as your children grow and their needs change.” Accessories such as drawer kits, hanging baskets androlling carts complement closet systems and are designed to create a sense of order. Many people choose the To clear clutter from the desktop, learning innovator Patricia Larsen suggests using closet systems to store easy-to-reach supplies. ClosetMaid 4-tier rolling cart because it rolls out for instant access to school supplies androlls away when homeworkis done. Fol- lick suggests using an online tool like the Visual Storage Planner on ClosetMaid.com to help plan the closet organization system. Whensetting up your student’s workspace, Larsen advocates get- ting the kids involved. “Kids have definite ideas about what they like and what they thinkis cool. Talk it over with them, value their opinions, and determine what the priorities are: large text- books, a laptop computer, space for sprawling art projects? Is your child left- or right-handed? That can also impact the desk’s layout. Let your students help pick the desk and color scheme. Encourage them and makeit fun! They will respond.” Ultimately, smarter studying requires an efficient, well-organized workspace. “Organizing your workspace may seem a bit daunting at first, but it saves so much time and energy when it’s done, you'll wonder how you ever functioned without doingit.” For more information, go to www.closetmaid.com/studyspace or call 1-800-874-0008.
