How To Set Up Your Homeschool Classroom

For aid with some of these decisions, read my most recent post virtually how to kickoff homeschooling correct here.

And go along on reading to find homeschool room ideas and advice that will make setting upward your homeschool classroom and then much easier!

It is well worth your time to create a homeschool classroom

While it is definitely non necessary to dedicate ane entire room of your house specifically to homeschool, it is hugely helpful to have one fundamental location in your domicile to do homeschool every day.

If you have a spare room, that's nifty.

If you don't, that's completely okay too.

You might consider converting the den, guest room, game or media room, dining room, music room, basement, loft, or actress living area into your homeschool classroom.

If you are thinking, "Media room? aye, correct!" please know that I've been in that location as well!

Six years ago my family of seven lived in a tiny house in Japan – and homeschooled at the kitchen table for the entire three and a half years we were there.

I'll exist directly upwards with yous: that wasn't my favorite thing ever.

But it was literally the only identify in the entire business firm nosotros could fit four kids and me around a tabular array to larn.

Now we live in a dwelling with a consummate schoolroom, so I'thousand telling you from my personal experience that if it'due south at all possible for you to create a homeschool classroom (or even a homeschool area!) in your home, information technology is WELL worth the effort.

Outer order leads to inner calm

I recently finished reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (highly recommend, by the way!), and she discusses in detail the fact that creating outer order leads to inner calm.

Several major psychology studies have found that creating an orderly, uncluttered environment tin contribute to increased dominion-following and generosity.

And believe me, every bit a new homeschool mom, you desire your homeschool classroom to accept lots of rule-following and generosity, am I right?!

So let's get started on creating a fun and functional homeschool classroom for your family!

Some of the links below are chapter links. This means that I may make a small commission if yous click through or purchase at no cost to you.

Homeschool desk

Ane of the most of import decisions to make almost your homeschool classroom will exist nigh the type of surface you will apply for your kids to write on.

Some of the most common options for homeschool desks are:

• a family unit table, such every bit a dining table
• a large group desk
• an individual desk for each child
• a modest table for i or two kids

I have always preferred having all of my kids at the same work station – either at the kitchen tabular array, around our quondam railroad train table when they were small, or now at our family homeschool desk.

Having anybody together in one location makes information technology very like shooting fish in a barrel to do group learning, such as read aloud time, morning devotionals, and group teaching for subjects like social studies or scientific discipline.

Besides, when kids need help with their schoolwork, I am right at that place when they need me! (To learn more than well-nigh how to homeschool multiple class levels, read this post!)

If you accept kids in middle schoolhouse or above, or have a large age gap, you may consider having an additional, individual space for your older kids to study and work as needed.

Family unit table

Homeschooling at the kitchen table IS definitely possible – especially if you plan for your homeschool day to stop at lunch time (which is ideal for elementary school!).

If you know your homeschool 24-hour interval will be longer, or you'd prefer to kickoff school later in the morning, information technology is likely that you'll also need to use your kitchen table to swallow lunch.

This leaves yous with a few options:

1. you can either pack up all of the school materials before eating
2. you can eat lunch with all the books and papers everywhere (hoping that no one will spill!)

Nosotros've done both. And like I mentioned before, it actually was less than ideal.

And then, if you are planning to homeschool your kids in one location AND for your day to extend over lunch time, I strongly suggest purchasing an inexpensive tabular array and chairs fix for your homeschool.

If your kids are small, this picayune kids' table and chairs set would be platonic with its neutral colors and incredibly affordable price point!

Also, if you are remotely fond of your kitchen or dining table and want to keep it looking pristine, don't concord homeschool on top of information technology.

Why?

The surface you choose for your homeschool classroom Volition become pencil, crayon, marker, and glue marks all over information technology!

Family homeschool desk

If homeschool seems like information technology may be a long term solution for your family, you may consider investing in a homeschool desk.

My amazingly handy husband built ours. Some of my favorite features are the individual cubbies and drawers for each child.

If you don't have the time or tools to build your own homeschool desk (most of us don't!), you might consider this awesome adjustable height desk for multiple students from Wayfair that can grow with your kids. I beloved the little cubbies for belongings school supplies besides!

Individual desks

If you really want to recreate the feel of a public school classroom (which actually isn't necessary – find out why right here!), you may consider purchasing a few simple individual desks for your kids.

There are more than options for individual homeschool desks available than y'all might remember!

This small tabular array and chair option here is exactly what many students detect in middle and loftier school classrooms. Because at that place isn't any storage, you volition want to exist sure y'all have a good sturdy bookshelf or cubbies for them too!

If you something more aesthetically highly-seasoned, you lot may opt for a pretty wooden desk with an open summit and matching chair for each of your kids. Having a desk with built-in storage is such a dandy help!!

A simple schoolhouse desk similar this offers both storage for books and papers and a classroom blazon of vibe that your kids might like.

Chairs

Information technology is actually easy to overlook the importance of the chairs our kids will be sitting in to practise their daily schoolwork. But their comfort level can have a big bear upon on how well they pay attention and focus on their work.

My recommendation is to go less expensive on the homeschool desk or table – since these volition get messy often – and spend a trivial more coin on quality chairs for your kids.

So what makes a skillful chair?

Your kids will virtually likely capeesh a chair with a piddling bit of padding. Most public school chairs are made of plastic and are very difficult to sit in all twenty-four hour period long. This pocket-size upgrade does wonders in helping them feel more than comfortable.

Also, make sure the chair legs are brusque enough so your kids' anxiety can reach the floor. It may sound odd, but having dangling anxiety all solar day can make trivial legs experience tired!

Information technology is also recommended to avoid whatever type of spinning chair equally this would be a major distraction during lesson fourth dimension!

These leather chairs with a congenital in foot rest are my favorites. They would expect stylish in near any homeschool classroom, are easy to clean, and are a swell inexpensive upgrade in comfort over any wooden or plastic chair.

Classroom Walls

While you may not want your abode to wait like a public school classroom, it is helpful to have a few things on the wall that can contribute to the homeschool learning experience.

Here are some things to consider for your homeschool classroom walls:

White board

For years I kept a white board and an easel in our homeschool room. This was non simply an incredible space waster, but a fantastic tripping hazard too.

Now nosotros have a large wall-mounted white board like this that I admittedly love and use every single day.

It is magnetic, so it is easy to display the kids artwork or switch out our quote of the calendar week.

A white board is and then much less messy than a chalkboard, which creates a ton of chalk dust.

Bulletin board

A simple cork board similar the ane we own is a neat homeschool room improver.

It is the perfect identify to display things that stay fairly constant, such equally your daily homeschool schedule or a small poster of the times tables.

Maps

A good world and land map is essential for whatsoever homeschool classroom.

This double-sided, laminated world and United states map is but the right size to display on the wall AND bring down to the desk for map work during the school day. (And information technology's big enough for a few kids to crowd effectually too!)

I accept joked with my homeschooling mom friends for a long fourth dimension that you tin can can always tell a homeschooling house if in that location'south at least one giant map on the wall!

Agenda

My kids and I all love our monthly pocket calendar like this so much!

It includes over 100 special solar day cards, cards that signify today, yesterday, and tomorrow, and more than.

We've had our pocket calendar for the entire 8 years nosotros've homeschooled and it is still in smashing shape. It is so easy and fun to switch to a new month and has a ton of storage for all the unused cards at one fourth dimension.

Clocks

Equally an avid clock-lover, I relish displaying iii different clocks in our homeschool classroom.

Because we've lived on iii continents during the class of my husband's military career, we set one clock on London time, another on local time, and some other on Tokyo time. (I did this first when nosotros lived in Japan, my husband was deployed to the Middle East, and our family was in the United States so we could easily see what time it was wherever our loved ones were around the world.)

There are also some excellent wall clocks for kids who are yet learning to tell time similar this. I dear that the minutes are well marked, as are the quarters of the hour.

Posters and pocket charts

When we get-go started homeschooling, I wanted our homeschool classroom to look like a public school classroom.

Looking dorsum, I tin run into how that wasn't necessary at all.

In fact, several recent studies take shown that many public school classrooms provide likewise much visual stimulation for kids.

With posters of the 8 parts of speech, the periodic tabular array, the solar organization, the times tables, fractions, historical timelines, and more than, information technology is easy to see how these tin can be a giant distraction from the actual lesson being taught!

So, don't feel a need to fill your homeschool classroom with posters and pocket charts, mama!

Instead, choose i or ii things to put up on your magnetic white board or pin to your cork lath and you'll be all set up. (And your kids won't be distracted either!)

ABCs

The only exception to the posters and pocket charts is if y'all have a new reader or author (or a child in 2nd grade or lower).

In this case, I would recommend displaying a uncomplicated alphabet line like this for her to reference when she'south trying to remember her letters. Put information technology up high near the ceiling and so she can meet it hands.

(And if your little i needs help with remembering numbers, have him look at your pocket calendar!)

Other homeschool classroom necessities

This is a relatively curt list, but both of these items are ones that we use almost every solar day for our homeschool!

Pencil sharpener

This might seem like a given, only permit me tell you what a wonderful thing it is to have a good pencil sharpener!

I can't recommend this verbal pencil sharpener enough – it is the best i we've always endemic! It is super like shooting fish in a barrel to employ, is a sure-fire to make clean and it works similar a charm.

World

My parents were so kind and gifted united states a fun interactive globe like this when we first began homeschooling. My kids have all actually enjoyed it over the years and take learned a lot from it.

For a more cheap option, this sturdy, simple 8-inch world would exist a great addition to your homeschool classroom.

Having a earth really helps kids understand so many things about our world – from scientific topics such equally the seasons, geography, and helps put a better perspective on history and politics as well.

Final thoughts on how to prepare your homeschool room

Setting upward your homeschool room or area in your home doesn't need to be a stressful experience!

A few essential items, such every bit a desk or table, comfy chairs, a couple of maps, a clock, a great pencil sharpener, a white board, a cork board and a globe will all contribute to your kids' learning experience.

And remember mama: you don't need to recreate the public school classroom!

Related articles about homeschooling

–Are Yous Wondering How to First Homeschooling?

–9 Homeschooling Tips Every New Homeschooler Needs to Know

Allow me know in the comments if y'all're considering homeschooling this yr or in the futurity!

Source: https://www.jenbradleymoms.com/homeschool-classroom/

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