Lifestyle, food and drink, and our family life and travel adventures.
More people than ever are choosing to homeschool their kids, whether because they are struggling with the school environment due to an illness or disability or because they feel like they can give their kids a more well-rounded educational experience.
Although there are many positives to homeschooling, one issue that often arises is that of space. There is often not enough adequate or effective room space to homeschool one’s child effectively. The good news about that is, there are lots of things you can do to design an effective space for schooling your child on your property as you will see below…
1. Identify the best space
The first step to designing an effective homeschooling space is to identify the perfect space for the job. While some may prefer a separate room dedicated solely to education, others may opt to convert a portion of an existing room, like the living room or the dining room, and any preference is valid as long as it will be comfortable and spacious enough for you to teach your child. Just make sure that your chosen area is quiet, well-lit, and away from the main traffic areas of the house to minimize distractions because function is as important as space.
If you do not have enough space in your home that fits the bill, then building a garden room or even investing in one of these fun inflatable dome rooms for the yard could be a good alternative as it will give you a quiet, roomy space that is dedicated to schooling, which will really help your child get into the right mind frame when you need them to.
2. Organise your materials
Once you’ve identified your ideal homeschooling space, you’re going to want to get to work on organizing your materials too. Shelving units, storage boxes, and desk organizers can all help to keep books, stationery, and other materials tidy and easily accessible for you and your child. Colour-coding or labelling systems can also make it easier for children to find and put away their resources which will save you time so you can focus on the thing that matters most – your child’s education.
3. Think about ergonomics
It’s essential to take into account the physical comfort of your children when setting up the homeschooling space if you want them to be able to focus on what you are teaching them, instead of fidgeting around all day long, anyway. So, you need to make sure the furniture you choose is appropriately sized for your child and that the lighting is sufficient to avoid strain. An adjustable chair and desk can be useful, especially for growing children, too, so look into ergonomic furniture if you want to make life easier for yourself.
4. Create an inspirational atmosphere
Creating an environment that promotes creativity and focus can greatly enhance the learning experience for any child. To make the atmosphere in your education space more inspirational, you can do a number of things from putting up educational posters and motivational quotes to hanging art prints or even displaying your child’s own art. In fact, including elements that reflect your child’s interests can make the space more inviting, and can foster a sense of ownership and responsibility.
5. Incorporate some tech
Today’s educational landscape incorporates a great deal of technology, making it a must-have in your homeschooling space. Ensure you have a reliable internet connection, and access to a computer or tablet. You may also want to consider headphones to help your child concentrate during online lessons, especially if they are easily distracted.
6. Flexibility is so important
One of the biggest and best advantages of homeschooling is flexibility. So, you should definitely keep this in mind when designing your homeschooling space. For example, consider furniture on wheels, which can be moved around to change the layout for different activities, and your life will be infinitely easier. Similarly, your outdoor room, if you have one, should have lightweight, movable furniture to cater to different lessons and weather conditions.
As you can see, a thoughtfully designed homeschooling space can be a powerful tool in your child’s education. So, you need to remember that the perfect homeschooling space is one that works best for your family’s unique needs and circumstances. Whether it’s indoors or an extra outdoor room, a well-organized, comfortable, and inspiring environment can significantly enhance your child’s homeschooling experience. So, what are you waiting for? Time to organize your homeschooling space and start supercharging the experience for you and your child too!
Welcome to Birds and Lilies! I'm Lou: mother, blogger and freelance writer. This is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about motherhood, infertility and IVF, beauty, my love for food and wine, as well as my thoughts about stuff, and our real-life and travel adventures.
Contact: [email protected]
