FAQs about Homeschool Classroom Setup
Do I need a homeschool classroom? How can I set it up and stay organized? Answers to your FAQs about homeschool classroom setup.
1. Do I need a homeschool classroom?
- It helps create a division between school time and home time. School time happens when you in the school room. When school time is done for the day you can leave the room and shut the door and go back to home time.
- It helps keep supplies organized and prevents them from getting lost. Even if you don’t have a dedicated homeschool room you will need a dedicated space to store books and supplies, preferably out of reach of younger siblings.
- Some homeschool philosophies, particularly Montessori, require a dedicated space to create a prepared environment.
IF YOU DON’T:
- You can homeschool anywhere that you are comfortable- at the dining room table, on the couch, even in the car!
- School becomes another natural part of your family's day. It's more informal.
- This is a great solution for families with smaller homes that don't want to dedicate a whole room to a homeschool classroom setup.
2. Do I need special furniture?
One important consideration no matter where you homeschool is the size of your furniture. You will need to consider having seating that is an appropriate size for your child. In particular, when your child is sitting at a table it is important that their feet can touch flat on the floor and that the table should be level with the bottom of their ribcage, about the same height as their elbow. This will allow them to sit comfortably and to pay attention better when they are working, especially when writing.
3. How do I stay organized?
There is nothing more distracting than sitting down with your child to start a homeschool lesson, and then realizing that you are missing something you need. You have to stop what you are doing to search for the missing item, which can completely kill the momentum of the lesson. It’s worth it to make sure you have all your supplies gathered before you start! It is very helpful to have some dedicated supplies for homeschool, and to have a special place where they are stored. You might have a pencil caddy near the table that you use for homeschool that has scissors, glue sticks, markers, and other supplies ready to use. We have a set of organizing drawers that we use for our curriculum books. Each subject has its own drawer, and we store the books and papers that we are using for that subject inside. When I’m ready to do lesson planning I can open the drawers one at a time and load them with whatever we will need to do the lesson, and when we’re ready for our homeschool day we can open the drawers one at a time and pull out everything we need.
4. What about younger siblings?
If your homeschooled child has a younger sibling, it is especially important to think about your homeschool classroom setup. Where is the younger child going to be during homeschool time, and what will they be doing? Is there a safe childproof space available to them close by where you will be doing your homeschool lessons? Are there special toys or supplies available for them to use during homeschool time? A little bit of planning in this area can prevent a LOT of distractions from occurring during your lessons!
