Homeschooling, distance learning, virtual learning… They’re all the rage this year! Parents’ ideas are changing at a remarkable speed about how and where they educate their children.
This is my family’s third year as a homeschool family. I am a former distance learning teacher, and I also taught in the classroom a couple years before becoming a mama. After two miscarriages, I decided to continue building my piano and voice studio as a stay-at-home mom, and I knew that one day I would be a homeschool mom.
Over the last six years I have been blessed with two children who keep me on my toes! I had another miscarriage this past fall, so I have three babies in Heaven who are watching over the rest of us. I can’t imagine the chaos of homeschooling five children, and my hat is off to all the moms who homeschool many!
As of this past Monday, I now have two homeschool students, and we are off to a running start with our daily schedule! The first year that I homeschooled, we did not have a separate homeschool space.
As the year progressed I realized an organized space for homeschooling is absolutely critical to daily homeschool success.
The set-up, tear-down, set-up method was not working. I don’t like cluttered rooms or interruptions to family meals, so the living room and kitchen were not ideal!
Hence, I removed everything from the guest bedroom and created our sweet little homeschool space. We used that room for the rest of K4 and all of K5.
Organizing a homeschool space is more about having a space that works for your family than having a cutesy space. You can have the most adorable space on the Internet, but if it’s not functional, it’s not going to meet the needs of your family. Here are a couple tips to help you get started in organizing a real- life homeschool space.
Real-Life Tips for Organizing Your Best Homeschool Space:
Real-Life Homeschool Tip 1… Designate a Homeschool Space.
Create a designated homeschool space—either an entire room or multiple homeschool stations. This year I was presented with the challenge of having two students who need separate spaces due to their learning styles and the method of instruction. As a result, we now have what I like to call homeschool stations.
My daughter has a homeschool station set up in her bedroom because her room is large enough to host both. My son’s homeschool station shares a space in the guest room.
This setup is working beautifully because, even though our house is small, the rooms are far enough apart that the children can listen to their distance learning lessons without interference from each other. We use a mix of parent-led and distance learning instruction because I believe variety is the spice of life.
Real-Life Homeschool Tip 2… Shelves, Shelves, and More Shelves
Make room for curriculum and supplies by cleaning out a closet and adding shelves and/or purchasing bookshelves.
Along with our homeschool stations, we have two closets that are homeschool closets. This allows most all the books and supplies to have a hidden away space. The first closet holds all the craft supplies, past-year curriculum, and games, plus all my many music books.
The second closet is accessed numerous times on a daily basis because all the current curriculum is organized in it. These closets did not originally have all the shelving, but after a couple trips to the home improvement stores, they are pretty much my dream homeschool closets. Shelf space is everything!
Real-Life Homeschool Tip 3… Organize with Baskets and Bins
Purchase plenty of baskets and bins to organize books and supplies. You will need to use these at your students’ tables and in the closets. You will have more books, manipulatives, craft supplies, stickers, pencils, and markers than you ever dreamed possible! Everything needs a space, especially all the little things. Baskets, bins, and storage bags—small and large—you can never have too many!
Real-Life Homeschool Tip 4… Buy kid-friendly furniture.
My family uses these Lifetime tables for our homeschool stations. They are reasonable and adjustable, so they grow with your child. They are also easy to clean, and that’s a huge plus for kids with crayons and markers! I purchased our school chairs from Amazon, and they are available in different sizes and colors for all ages.
Real-Life Homeschool Tip 5… Decorate the Space
Use colorful learning posters such as maps and a calendar station to make your space pretty, but be sure to leave some free space and don’t clutter the walls. A neutral paint color goes a long way towards creating a feeling of calm, and an area rug makes everything cozier. Don’t forget to open the blinds and let the sun shine in! Light creates positive emotions and boosts our moods!
If you are new to homeschooling, get organized, don’t stress, and just enjoy the ride. The days will pass quickly, and you will be amazed at all you and your child will learn as the year progresses.
If you are a seasoned homeschool parent, what are your best real-life organization tips for your homeschool space?
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