How to Set up a Homeschool Space
Many parents choose an at-home education for their little ones. However, teaching your kids also comes with the challenge of establishing a productive environment amid all the comforts of home.
Creating an academic setting in a place typically associated with rest and leisure time can be a daunting task. Parents-turned-teachers must combine these different atmospheres to create an environment that allows learners to relax and focus at the same time. Keep reading to learn more about homeschool room ideas to help you get started.
Create the Main Homeschooling Area
Begin by creating a designated education space. Your homeschool room should be free from distractions, encourage your child’s learning style and support your own teaching strategies. With the following tips and a bit of creativity, you can design the perfect layout for an effective class space.
Every child is unique, and learning spaces in the home should be, too. When deciding how to set up a homeschool classroom, consider your students’ goals as well as your requirements as an educator. Parents who teach are fortunate enough to have a close relationship with their students and are quite aware of their children’s learning needs.
Deciding on a Room
Dedicated Room
Some people dedicate an entire room for schoolwork, whereas others prefer a shared, multi-purpose space. For the latter, add a small homeschool desk to a section of your office. You can also include expandable storage in the kitchen for class materials, and let your child work at the counter on a comfortable counter height stool.
Basem*nt or Guest-room
Basem*nts and guest rooms are perfect for classes. With a dedicated space to arrange furniture such as desks, tables and shelves, it’s easier for kids to keep their supplies and books at hand.
Dining Room
Another popular homeschool room idea is to use a formal dining area. Since these are usually large, open spaces, you can bring in bigger items, like a dry erase board or an easel.
Provide a Workstation
Whether you are tutoring a single student or siblings, the right workstation is crucial for a functional homeschool experience. Desks and tables give your learners room to take notes and complete projects. Consider the advantages of different workstations to choose the best option for your child:
Desks
Mimic a traditional classroom environment with kid’s desks. Look for models with drawers, shelves or cubbies to keep study materials close at hand. Also, take advantage of the homeschool approach and let your children express themselves and personalize their workstations with decals, photos or collectibles. Some parents let students pick out their workspace, which helps connect them to the classroom. A homeschool desk with a bright, cheerful tone helps make learning fun.
Tables
Using a dining table as a workstation gives kids plenty of room to study with multiple textbooks, notes and other essentials. This informal setup creates a communal atmosphere for siblings, encourages discussion about class topics and enables students to assist each other with difficult assignments. If your child will be working in a dining room or kitchen, tables can double as workspaces. Adding a smaller surface to a homeschool classroom provides a wonderful place for arts and crafts.
Provide Good Lighting
It is important to provide learners with good lighting in their homeschool room. Appropriate student lighting includes:
- Natural Light: Sunlight can boost the mood of your learners.
- Table Lamps: Task lighting from desk and table lamps brings the glow closer to the page or screen while reading and writing.
- Overhead Lights: Floor lamps and chandeliers shine down on your students and brighten workstations. Search for models with dimmer switches to adjust lighting for different tasks.
- Kids Lamps: Decorative kids lamps are a fun and stylish way to add lighting to a bedroom study corner or reading nook.
Choose Comfortable Seating
The seating in your learning space can make or break your kid’s homeschooling experience. Chairs should be comfortable for long class sessions yet firm enough to keep them alert and productive. Research different styles and materials to find a kid’s chair that is just right for your students. It can be another great opportunity to let the student have fun in the decision-making process. Many colorful, comfortable desk chair and flexible seating options are available in designs to fit your children’s needs.
- Classic wood chairs are a solid choice for a traditional classroom vibe.
- A gaming desk chair keeps kids comfy while sitting through long lectures or films.
- For a light-weight breathable option, try an adjustable mesh chair that lets students control their own comfort level.
Don’t forget to look for cozy adult-sized seats for homeschool educators. Similar to kids’ chairs, ergonomic seats offer support during lessons and keep you energized as you answer questions and instruct your learners. Think about features like rolling castors, lumbar support, armless designs and adjustable tilt and height before purchasing your own comfortable office chair.
Organize School Supplies and Materials
Organizers
Prevent students from scrambling and searching for their school supplies by outfitting your space with homeschool storage. These organizers keep class materials tidy and ensure your learners always know where to find their books, notepads and other essentials.
Shelves
Look for bookshelves to hold textbooks and work folders for your students. Each child can have a designated shelf or cubby to store completed projects or put dioramas and artwork on display. Parents can also keep worksheets and assignments divided into convenient file cabinets for easy access.
Learning in Color
Color-coded supplies and workstations are also smart homeschool room ideas. Multi-colored storage boxes and cabinets can designate resources for various subjects. Use colorful tables, easels, or rugs to make distinct locations for playtime, math, reading, art and more. It’s also a fantastic way to teach younger kids about colors.
Classroom Decor
While homeschool classrooms are ultimately for work, many parents prefer a more relaxed vibe than a traditional school. Sofas or bean bag chairs, with spacious area rugs to sit on, make relaxing storytime nooks.
Wall decor is an awesome way to keep your child engaged, too. Educational or motivational posters will encourage them. You could put up picture frames to display their own original artwork and inspire creativity or add bulletin boards to help students track projects and meet goals.
Use the Outside as a Classroom
Think outside the box, or rather, outside the house. The great outdoors offers your students a breath of fresh air and a burst of energy to get them through the day. Holding lessons outside also allows you to add hands-on outdoor activities to your curriculum while you make learning fun.
Equip your outdoor area with furniture such as comfy sofas for literature or history discussions and chaise lounges for cloud watching and stargazing. A wide picnic table is ideal for lunches as well as a place to identify leaves and rocks the kids bring back from their nature walks. To avoid messes in the house, set up a dining set on the deck for art and chemistry projects.
Create Activity Stations
In addition to your other homeschool organization ideas, you might consider dividing your children’s learning space into different activity stations.
Set up a reading station with bookcases, plush chairs and small tables so kids can finish writing and vocabulary assignments comfortably. To create a science area, consider spacious work surfaces for beakers, microscopes and Bunsen burners. Add a few easels and craft tables for art classes as well as desks with USB ports for laptops and printers.
Ask Your Students
Your kids know what works best for them so get their input on your classroom design. Ask about their favorite subjects, preferred study and notetaking methods and their needs for stress-free focus during lessons. With the tips listed above and some help from your star pupils, you can create the perfect class setting for your child, so they reap all the benefits of a homeschool education.
