The best way 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, despite the fact that it’s a huge a part of my household’s life, as a result of I didn’t suppose it could 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 components of the image, so I made a decision to write down about our homeschool classroom.

Don’t Homeschool?

I hope that a number of the ideas on this submit shall be useful to you, even when your youngsters should not taught at house.

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

My Homeschool Classroom Philosophy

One of many many causes we determined to homeschool our kids is that we felt we may give them a extra detailed and various training than they may get in a typical faculty system.

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

We tie in points of the Montessori educating methodology, together with a few conventional studying curriculums (this one and this one are the 2 we’re at the moment utilizing) and lots of hands-on actions and discipline journeys. Whereas I really like the Montessori philosophy, we spend quite a lot of time outdoors within the treehouse, going for walks, and enjoying than sitting within the classroom at any time when we are able to. We additionally attempt to permit the youngsters to have some autonomy in selecting the particular actions that they do and the topics they study first every day.

We additionally incorporate journey into our studying at any time when attainable, as youngsters study far more from visiting a spot or tradition than they may from merely studying about it.

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

Setting Up Our Homeschool Classroom

As we put together to start faculty this yr and I arrange the classroom, I’m sharing my private homeschool concepts, so I hope you’ll share yours within the feedback so we are able to all study from one another.

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

I adopted the thought of “Workstations” that’s common in Montessori faculties in establishing our classroom. My objective was to have completely different stations that my youngsters may rotate to and every have their very own area for unbiased studying.

These are the “Stations” we now have and the way we use them:

1. Leaping station: I’ve discovered that particularly for energetic boys, motion truly improves studying, relatively than stifling it. The truth is, sitting for too lengthy in a single place shortly 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 really like that children 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 many others. Additionally it is a terrific place for them to maneuver round throughout breaks, particularly when it’s raining outdoors.
2. Studying Station: Pictured above within the high picture on this submit, the studying station is somewhat space with three beanbags for sitting on to learn. That is used for unbiased studying or finding out and is an efficient break from sitting in chairs.
3. The Little Youngsters 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 highest has a ledge so small items gained’t fall off, and the floor is roofed in chalkboard contact paper in order that they will apply writing on the desk itself. That is one in all two stations particularly for the little youngsters and the chairs are mini-sized as nicely. See extra element under for the particular actions we now have at this desk.
4. Faculty Cupboard and Instructor Station: We discovered that having the varsity books in an open area the place the youngsters may entry them always led to little youngsters making an attempt to study like the massive youngsters by turning into all for books. Our answer 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 faculty and return the books after faculty time. This additionally minimizes the mess. The highest of the station is house to trainer provides, our faculty 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 one in all us at a time, and whereas we attempt to not sit for very lengthy, a desk is a superb place for the required e book work or take a look at.
6. Paintings Show: A good friend made these lovable art work show boards and so they assist hold a deal with on the quantity of treasured art work on the partitions at any given time. Every little one has one “clip” and may show a chunk of art work or one thing they’ve labored on in class that week. It’s only a board with some heavy metallic clips that say “Look What I Did..”
7. Studying Station Storage: I record a few of our particular studying stations under, however these bins include units of flash playing cards, beading actions for little ones, lacing playing cards, artwork provides, and Montessori studying stations. We additionally hold the few toys that we now have in these bins (legos, blocks, and many others).
8. Little Child Play Station: A play space for the little ones. A kitchen set with picket toys, an artwork easel for portray, drawing with chalk, whiteboard writing and different actions. Extra under.
9. Acrobatic Station: (Not Pictured) Hanging within the door of our lecture room is a Gorilla Gymnasium (one of the best Christmas current we’ve ever gotten for our children). This indoor playground is actually 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 will be added for the youngsters to play. It is a nice station for them to get their power out or swing whereas listening to a lesson or a language CD.
10. Ebook Station: (not pictured)- A easy bookcase of books that the youngsters can entry any time.

Extra element on the assorted stations….

The Little Child Studying Stations

Lots 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 picket beads that I’ve painted in numerous colours. The little ones can kind these into little picket bowls which might be painted the identical shade.
• Threading Beads: I take advantage of extra of those painted picket beads in a station the place little ones can thread beads. They use shoelaces to string the beads in numerous patterns.
• Sandpaper Letters:  They’ve lowercase letters and uppercase letters on playing cards made out of sandpaper. This provides them a tactile expertise of studying the letters and so they actually take pleasure in 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 varsity.
• Lacing Playing cards: One other favourite exercise for little ones… you may completely make these out of cardboard and shoelaces, however our children obtained this set as a present and it has been nice for varsity.
• Counting Stations: For studying numbers, we now have a number of actions: A magnetic studying maze (nice for motor abilities and counting), A depend and kind, the abacus, and quantity rods.
• Blocks:  They take pleasure in these blocks crammed with coloured sand so as to add one other sensory component.
• Shapes and Fractions: We’ve got playing cards and drawing modules for this, but additionally this Fraction Motion Board, which we additionally use to show the older ones fractions.
• Puzzle Stations: We’ve got 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: After I’m feeling particularly courageous/loopy, we now have portray, coloring, modeling clay and slicing 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 occasions per week.
• Picket Animals: I obtained an enormous set of these non-toxic picket Animals toys as a child present and they’re one of the crucial performed with actions for teenagers. They draw footage 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 occasions.
• Studying Station: One other favourite is a bin of board books and sensory books particularly for little ones. They like having their very own books and “studying” them. In addition they have their private books that I make for them annually with footage and reminiscences from the final yr and so they love wanting again over these reminiscences and asking about them.
• Music Station: Varied picket 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 youngsters to solely use one station at a time and clear it up earlier than shifting on to a different. I’m not a Montessori perfectionist, and at occasions, a number of stations will find yourself out at one time, however basically, the thought of stations cuts down on mess. The remainder of the little child station features a kitchen set with picket meals (one other Christmas present) and an artwork easel (additionally a Christmas present)…

Large Child Studying Stations

As I discussed, we attempt to facilitate as a lot studying as attainable outdoors, whereas touring or whereas shifting, however we do comply with a hands-on curriculum for the older youngsters. I’ve arrange studying stations for them as nicely, and so they rotate in order that we are able to educate all of them simply.

The stations for the older youngsters embrace:

• Faculty books: Saved in out faculty cupboard, these faculty 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 yr, we’re educating the youngsters Italian since it’s a part of their heritage. We’ve got 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 Studying Stations: I take an uncommon method to language and phonics. Whereas educating the fundamentals of phonics and studying, I additionally use flash playing cards that I’ve made 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 discovered in class 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 study extra advanced phrases and make it simpler to determine what longer phrases imply.
• Lego Containers and Lots of Boards: Primary 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 historic buildings) or science.
• Horticulture Station: We haven’t planted our vegetation for the yr but, however we now have indoor vegetation, herbs and greens that the youngsters have a tendency throughout faculty every day. We additionally do experiments with sprouting seeds and planting for the backyard to assist them find out about this.
• Artwork Stations: Pure paints, coloring, clays, glue and scissors that we use for numerous actions.
• Science Experiments: We’ve got numerous arms on experiments and stations for studying chemistry, biology, physics, and many others. and the supplies for these are saved within the bins as nicely. Some favorites are the anatomy fashions we use for educating biology, and the physics experiments.

Homeschool Classroom Ornament

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

We’ve got a easy alphabet poster across the high of the room and numerous studying posters that I alter out all year long.

As soon as we start faculty, most decorations are art work or faculty work the youngsters have accomplished and it modifications continually.

Actual Life Studying:

As necessary as structured studying is, my favourite factor to show (and doubtless their favourite factor to study) is what I name “Actual Life Studying,” or classes that assist present actual life abilities.

This can be something from coming to the shop and farmers market with me and serving to decide which meals are one of the 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 youngsters 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 are going to completely want at some point, it doesn’t matter what profession or additional training they select.

The truth is, many of the recipes on this weblog are ones that my youngsters helped me with not directly.

Necessary Word

I’m sharing our lecture room for informational functions. I’m not an knowledgeable by any means and am studying as I am going. Additionally, lest anybody suppose that our house and lecture room at all times appears this neat, the lecture room is organized proper now as a result of we haven’t begun our yr faculty but. 🙂

Whereas we intention to maintain issues this clear and arranged, it doesn’t at all times occur throughout faculty. I additionally try and be affected person each single day throughout faculty and that doesn’t often occur both. 🙂

The system, stations and notes above are optimum for our faculty system, however on no account do all points of this occur completely each day. Like parenthood, homeschooling is a shifting goal that appears to be continually adapting and altering. There isn’t any one-size-fits-all method. Maintain experimenting till you discover one of the best homeschool schedule and set-up for you!

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

Do you homeschool? What does your homeschool classroom appear like? Have you ever discovered any ideas, tips, or hacks that make the training course of simpler?