How to Set Up a Homeschool Classroom

I’ve shared intimate particulars of my delivery tales, revealed the darkish facet of running a blog, and uncovered the extent of my crunchiness writing about menstrual cups…

I haven’t written a lot about homeschooling, regardless that it’s a massive a part of my household’s life, as a result of I didn’t assume it might curiosity most of you.

When an image of our homeschool room grew to become the hottest image I’ve shared on Instagram, lots of you requested particulars about particular elements of the image, so I made a decision to write down about our homeschool classroom.

Don’t Homeschool?

I hope that among the suggestions on this submit might be useful to you, even when your children are usually not taught at house.

I’ve two youngsters who’re technically underneath “school-age,” and most of the issues I’ve in our classroom are there to interact their creativity and preserve them busy whereas the older children be taught. These actions can be useful for kids who aren’t of college age but, however nonetheless wish to be concerned within the studying course of.

My Homeschool Classroom Philosophy

One of the numerous causes we determined to homeschool our kids is that we felt we might give them a extra detailed and various schooling than they may get in a typical college system.

In brief, my philosophy is that studying occurs 24/7 with youngsters, and that whereas we’d deal with particular subjects throughout sure elements of the day, we educate them on a regular basis.

We tie in elements of the Montessori educating methodology, together with a few conventional studying curriculums (this one and this one are the 2 we’re presently utilizing) and plenty of hands-on actions and discipline journeys. While I like the Montessori philosophy, we spend quite a lot of time outdoors within the treehouse, going for walks, and taking part in than sitting within the classroom each time we will. We additionally attempt to permit the kids to have some autonomy in selecting the precise actions that they do and the topics they be taught first every day.

We additionally incorporate journey into our studying each time doable, as youngsters be taught far more from visiting a spot or tradition than they may from merely studying about it.

So whereas I like our little classroom, I additionally actually love the time we spend studying outdoors of it.

Setting Up Our Homeschool Classroom

As we put together to start college this 12 months and I arrange the classroom, I’m sharing my private homeschool concepts, so I hope you’ll share yours within the feedback so we will all be taught from one another.

Our homeschool room displays the range of studying strategies we use and the range of ages we educate. My youngsters are all presently underneath 10 years of age, so clearly, a a lot completely different surroundings can be wanted for older youngsters.

I adopted the concept of “Workstations” that’s in style in Montessori colleges in establishing our classroom. My aim was to have completely different stations that my youngsters might rotate to and every have their very own area for unbiased studying.

These are the “Stations” we’ve and the way we use them:

1. Jumping station: I’ve discovered that particularly for lively boys, motion truly improves studying, relatively than stifling it. In reality, sitting for too lengthy in a single place rapidly makes them bored and inattentive, whereas having the ability to transfer  helps them focus. I’ve used rebounding for well being for years, and I like that youngsters can use it as an indoor train whereas studying (and this builds on the Montessori concept that motion enhances cognition). We primarily use the mini-trampoline (or rebounder) to allow them to leap whereas we learn, educate a lesson, or whereas quizzing them on spelling, multiplication tables, and so forth. It can be a terrific place for them to maneuver round throughout breaks, particularly when it’s raining outdoors.
2. Reading Station: Pictured above within the high picture on this submit, the studying station is a bit of space with three beanbags for sitting on to learn. This is used for unbiased studying or learning and is an effective break from sitting in chairs.
3. The Little Kids Station: The favourite spot of the underneath 5 crowd, this mini-table is a refurbished previous espresso desk that misplaced a leg and that we rescued and refurbished. The high has a ledge so small items gained’t fall off, and the floor is roofed in chalkboard contact paper in order that they’ll observe writing on the desk itself. This is considered one of two stations particularly for the little children and the chairs are mini-sized as effectively. See extra element under for the precise actions we’ve at this desk.
4. School Cabinet and Teacher Station: We discovered that having the college books in an open area the place the children might entry them always led to little children attempting to be taught like the large children by turning into interested by books. Our resolution was an previous cupboard (technically a kitchen island) that we discovered at a salvage retailer. We put in little one locks on the doorways and now every little one has a cubby inside the cupboard for books. We open it throughout college and return the books after college time. This additionally minimizes the mess. The high of the station is house to instructor provides, our college plant and a few flash playing cards. See extra element under.
5. The Workbook Station: The older youngsters take turns working at this desk with considered one of us at a time, and whereas we strive to not sit for very lengthy, a desk is a good place for the required ebook work or check.
6. Artwork Display: A buddy made these lovely art work show boards they usually assist preserve a deal with on the quantity of treasured art work on the partitions at any given time. Each little one has one “clip” and may show a bit of art work or one thing they’ve labored on at school that week. It is only a board with some heavy metallic clips that say “Look What I Did..”
7. Learning Station Storage: I listing a few of our particular studying stations under, however these bins comprise units of flash playing cards, beading actions for little ones, lacing playing cards, artwork provides, and Montessori studying stations. We additionally preserve the few toys that we’ve in these bins (legos, blocks, and so forth).
8. Little Kid Play Station: A play space for the little ones. A kitchen set with wood toys, an artwork easel for portray, drawing with chalk, whiteboard writing and different actions. More under.
9. Acrobatic Station: (Not Pictured) Hanging within the door of our classroom is a Gorilla Gym (the very best Christmas current we’ve ever gotten for our youngsters). This indoor playground is basically a brilliant sturdy pull-up bar with 5 attachments for play and train. The pull up bar is powerful sufficient for adults to make use of, however a swing, a climbing rope, rings, a trapeze and a ladder could be added for the kids to play. This is a good station for them to get their vitality out or swing whereas listening to a lesson or a language CD.
10. Book Station: (not pictured)- A easy bookcase of books that the kids can entry any time.

More element on the varied stations….

The Little Kid Learning Stations

Many of our little child actions are saved within the bins on the opposite facet of the classroom and never pictured, however a few of their favourite actions are:

• Sorting Beads: I’ve a couple of dozen wood beads that I’ve painted in varied colours. The little ones can type these into little wood bowls which are painted the identical coloration.
• Threading Beads: I take advantage of extra of those painted wood beads in a station the place little ones can thread beads. They use shoelaces to string the beads in varied patterns.
• Sandpaper Letters:  They have lowercase letters and uppercase letters on playing cards made out of sandpaper. This provides them a tactile expertise of studying the letters they usually actually get pleasure from it. I do know many mothers who make these letters out of index playing cards and sandpaper, however that is one exercise I selected to purchase to save lots of time preparing for college.
• Lacing Cards: Another favourite exercise for little ones… you would completely make these out of cardboard and shoelaces, however our youngsters received this set as a present and it has been nice for college.
• Counting Stations: For studying numbers, we’ve a number of actions: A magnetic studying maze (nice for motor abilities and counting), A rely and kind, the abacus, and quantity rods.
• Blocks:  They get pleasure from these blocks full of coloured sand so as to add one other sensory component.
• Shapes and Fractions: We have playing cards and drawing modules for this, but additionally this Fraction Action Board, which we additionally use to show the older ones fractions.
• Puzzle Stations: We have a field stuffed with age-appropriate puzzles for little ones. They particularly like this skeleton flooring puzzle for studying the bones of the physique.
• Arts and Crafts: When I’m feeling particularly courageous/loopy, we’ve portray, coloring, modeling clay and chopping stations for them to make use of. These are usually a particular deal with since they require extra cleanup, however we attempt to do these a pair instances per week.
• Wooden Animals: I received an enormous set of these non-toxic wood Animals toys as a child reward and they’re one of the vital performed with actions for teenagers. They draw photos of surroundings to play with the animals on, make child garments to decorate them up in, and match them to their zoo animal playing cards. These are additionally nice to place within the diaper bag for church and different quiet instances.
• Reading Station: Another favourite is a bin of board books and sensory books particularly for little ones. They like having their very own books and “reading” them. They even have their private books that I make for them annually with photos and recollections from the final 12 months they usually love wanting again over these recollections and asking about them.
• Music Station: Various wood musical devices for music time. We even have opera and classical music CDs for studying about music all through historical past. Opera is the little child favourite at our home.

We attempt to encourage the children to solely use one station at a time and clear it up earlier than transferring on to a different. I’m not a Montessori perfectionist, and at instances, a number of stations will find yourself out at one time, however usually, the concept of stations cuts down on mess. The remainder of the little child station features a kitchen set with wood meals (one other Christmas reward) and an artwork easel (additionally a Christmas reward)…

Big Kid Learning Stations

As I discussed, we attempt to facilitate as a lot studying as doable outdoors, whereas touring or whereas transferring, however we do comply with a hands-on curriculum for the older children. I’ve arrange studying stations for them as effectively, they usually rotate in order that we will educate all of them simply.

The stations for the older children embody:

• School books: Kept in out college cupboard, these college books and workbooks are the core of the curriculum we use.
• Geography Station: The globe and massive maps are used when educating about geography and we even have puzzles, colorable maps, and matching video games for this.
• Language Stations: This 12 months, we’re educating the kids Italian since it’s a part of their heritage. We have Little Pim Language Set for the littles and Rosetta Stone for the older ones. My husband teaches this topic since he speaks some Italian.
• Phonics and Reading Stations: I take an uncommon strategy to language and phonics. While educating the fundamentals of phonics and studying, I additionally use flash playing cards that I’ve manufactured from the 100 most used phrases within the English language and flash playing cards of English From the Roots Up- Greek and Latin Roots (which I realized at school myself and which I credit score partially with my excessive rating on the SAT). The greek and latin roots assist them perceive language as they be taught extra advanced phrases and make it simpler to determine what longer phrases imply.
• Lego Boxes and Hundreds Boards: Basic lego blocks are nice for educating counting, fractions, stacking and different quantity associated actions. We additionally will incorporate these into topics like historical past (letting them construct fashions of historical buildings) or science.
• Horticulture Station: We haven’t planted our crops for the 12 months but, however we’ve indoor crops, herbs and greens that the kids have a tendency throughout college every day. We additionally do experiments with sprouting seeds and planting for the backyard to assist them find out about this.
• Art Stations: Natural paints, coloring, clays, glue and scissors that we use for varied actions.
• Science Experiments: We have varied fingers on experiments and stations for studying chemistry, biology, physics, and so forth. and the supplies for these are saved within the packing containers as effectively. Some favorites are the anatomy fashions we use for educating biology, and the physics experiments.

Homeschool Classroom Decoration

The decorations in our classroom are quite simple. I’ve some homeschooling associates whose school rooms are awe-inspiring, however I didn’t have the time/vitality to create all the pieces from scratch and opted for some fundamentals from the native instructor provide retailer.

We have a easy alphabet poster across the high of the room and varied studying posters that I alter out all year long.

Once we start college, most decorations are art work or college work the children have accomplished and it modifications continuously.

Real Life Learning:

As essential as structured studying is, my favourite factor to show (and possibly their favourite factor to be taught) is what I name “Real Life Learning,” or classes that assist present actual life abilities.

This could also be something from coming to the shop and farmers market with me and serving to decide which meals are the very best deal (per ounce), making tinctures or salves with me, happening a nature hike and studying about wildcrafting or some type of health.

I attempt to contain my children in actions like cooking dinner, doing laundry, stitching on buttons, and even balancing the checkbook (for the older ones) as these are sensible abilities that they may completely want someday, it doesn’t matter what profession or additional schooling they select.

In reality, many of the recipes on this weblog are ones that my youngsters helped me with ultimately.

Important Note

I’m sharing our classroom for informational functions. I’m not an professional by any means and am studying as I’m going. Also, lest anybody assume that our house and classroom at all times seems to be this neat, the lecture room is organized proper now as a result of we haven’t begun our 12 months college but.

While we purpose to maintain issues this clear and arranged, it doesn’t at all times occur throughout college. I additionally try and be affected person each single day throughout college and that doesn’t normally occur both.

The system, stations and notes above are optimum for our college system, however certainly not do all elements of this occur completely every single day. Like parenthood, homeschooling is a transferring goal that appears to be continuously adapting and altering. There is not any one-size-fits-all strategy. Keep experimenting till you discover the very best homeschool schedule and set-up for you!

I hope that a few of my suggestions might be useful to you, and I’d love to listen to a few of your high suggestions for homeschooling or educating your youngsters as effectively.

Do you homeschool? What does your homeschool classroom appear like? Have you discovered any suggestions, methods, or hacks that make the educational course of simpler?