Back to School: How to Get Your Child's Room Ready

When the kids are heading back to school, make sure their rooms are prepared for a year of book reports and science projects. From the dorm room to the bedroom, organized study spaces help all students do their best.

Create an Efficient Study Space:

1. Put a desk in your child's bedroom. Having a desk available in a student's room provides a comfortable, quiet environment for work to get done. Luckily, kids' furnishings is a growing segment of the furniture market, so you'll find plenty of desks in various designs for elementary-age children. If space is limited, use it efficiently by getting a bunk bed that has a desk attached; many have the desk set below the upper bunk. A teenager often needs the extra space -- for computer work and book work -- that a home office desk can provide.

2. Keep storage options readily available. Set aside a space just for school supplies that is separate from storage for clothes and toys. This helps kids get into the habit of keeping life organized, and a tidy workspace offers fewer distractions. Storage options include small bookcases, baskets, cubbies and even benches sized to be easily accessible to kids.

3. Give kids a place to relax. No matter their age, kids still want to have fun and visit with friends. Place a bean bag in the room so your son or daughter will have a comfortable place to sit while completing a long reading assignment. Or put a pair of nice chairs in the room to accommodate friends and study partners.

4. Update their computers as the kids get older. Although use of a parent's computer may be sufficient for younger children, older students definitely benefit from having a personal computer for research and quick access to notes and assignments. Since many schools require pupils to find class material online, teenagers prefer laptops or tablets they can carry to school, the library or a friends' house for a study session. Have your child set aside a desk drawer or shelf for his computer accessories, too, so he'll have quick access to them.