Do you home school? Or know someone who does?
I need some help.
We've made the decision to start home schooling next year {for our first grader and pre-k-er}. I'm excited for many reasons {the schedule, the choice of curriculum, time with my boys, etc.} but I have to admit that setting up a classroom is right there at the top of the list.
I’ve heard someone say that a home school classroom is a waste of space since most of the work migrates to the kitchen table where family activity is anyway. Is this true? I could see how it may be easier to multitask in the main living area {boys working on class work, me doing little housework tasks in between questions}.
On the other hand, maybe we’d be more on task if we had a delegated space that we could work in.
With all the appropriate supplies within reach.
And in a bright, cheery, classroomy atmosphere.
Any thoughts?
I'm toying with the idea of homeschooling next year myself. Tacoma district only offers all day Kindergarten so I was looking into the K12 curriculum (which I have heard great things about) http://www.k12.com/wava/. The best part is that it's FREE and has great support! As for the school set up, I love love love all of the above choices...just wish we had room for it!
ReplyDeleteI homeschool my 3 girls (ages 8,6, and 5) and I have had both a schoolroom/office and worked at the kitchen table. Our schoolroom, when we had one, was in a 'loft' above our dining room and ended up being inconvenient (and super dark since it had the old dark paneling! you can see it here: http://beckmotherof3.blogspot.com/2009/12/some-befores.html). For Christmas we ended up converting our schoolroom into a play room and are now doing school at the table. I like that much better, since it's easier to make lunch and supervise schoolwork. I do dream of having a dedicated school area, but for now I am content as long as I have a BIG bookcase! :) I would recommend that you read the book 'The Well Trained Mind: A guide to Classical Education at Home' by Susan Bauer Wise and Jessie Wise. I have just found this book and wish it had been available when I was looking into homeschool. There are some great homeschool blogs out there. Homeschool Creations (http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/) and 1+1+1=1 (http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/) have great resources for pre-k and up. I personally love their school calendars. :) Hope this helps! If you have any questions, you can email me at rebeccahalverson80@hotmail.com.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you will love it. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but by far my favorite thing. We have a schoolroom and do work in it and it is nice to be able to leave a mess and walk away, too often projects are not finish at the end of the day. B-U-T we do a whole lot of day to day stuff at the table so I can fold laundry, cook, clean ect.... So I think if you have the room go ahead and set up for it, but don't feel bad when you are a the table. If you have any question, or just want to talk about homeschooling I have been doing it for 4 year and have done a few differnt things and would be willing to share any info. I have.
ReplyDeleteCha Cha
jjones523@gmail.com
My kids are 12 (seventh grade girl) and 10 (third grade boy). So far, I have taught every grade K-7 except fourth. We have a school room...it has become the "catch all" for EVERYTHING...a total waste of space. A homeschool hutch placed in the family room or the dining room is so much better. That way, you can put everything away and close the doors.
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned k-12. I used it for nine weeks with my seventh grader. It is much more work for me than I wanted to take. We just hated it. She worked diligently everyday and at the end of the nine weeks she was still behind. We switched over to ABeka and we are much happier. Only my seventh grader is using ABeka. We use the DVDs and she does it, on her own, in her room. She loves it. With my son, I have used ambelsideonline.com. It is free and it can be whatever YOU want it to be. My best advice would be to take a deep breath and don't let yourself get overwhelmed.
Wishing you so much luck!!!
Renee Ford
dtexford@yahoo.com
I love your blog & have never left a comment, but want to encourage you with the homeschooling. My children are 6 1/2, almost 5 & 2. We home school & like the previous comments state, it is so rewarding! We do have a room for it, but I find we end up at the kitchen table most of the time. I think a well organized closet or shelving unit out of the way would work just as well (our first year I just used a big clear rubbermaid & hauled it out at school time). I found Cathy Duffy's quiz from her 100 Top Picks book helpful... it has you answer questions about your teaching style & your child's learning style. The results tell you which type of curriculum would best suit your needs & then you can google the results & find tons of great curriculum sets that will be right up your alley. We use My Father's World and LOVE it!
ReplyDeleteif you do end up decorating a little school room {and my guess is that you will} then i think we will be coming to your house for home school! as a side note, so far we've spent half of our time in the kitchen and half of our time in my office. not that one week is long enough to know how it will all work out but so far so good!
ReplyDeletexo
hi :) i just saw this post...we homeschool and have had things set up many different ways. currently we have an area specifically set up in our basement.
ReplyDeletei really like having everything to do with school all in the same place. we are building a home and designed a specific room to be a schoolroom. i get that kids may migrate but i love knowing that everything 'school' related will be in that room, easy to find etc. i have links under "homeschool" on my blog! :)
Hi, I just started hm schooling this year. I have it set up in my basement, but as you mentioned, most the time we migrate to the kitchen. I'm hoping to somehow draw everyone to the basement next year, since all the supplies are down there and I'm tired of the books piled on my kitchen table. However, I think I could clear out a couple kitchen cabinets for books and it would work to have them in there. You'll be suprised to find how little space the stuff you need daily really takes :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I was scrolling through your blog and stumbled on this post. I have homeschooled for 5 official year ( and preK before that) with my oldest going into 5th grade. Charlotte Mason is a great place to start early and then gradually move into a more classical method as they grow. A must have for me has been Educating the Whole Hearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkston. It focuses on the real reason I think most of us choose to do such insurmountable task- for their hearts. On the classroom note, we have always had one and I love it! All of our stuff is there with a comfy reading nook, rocker, table and chairs, piano, and several bookshelves filled with REAL books. Mine is my front living room which means I am always close but everything is contained in one spot. Invaluable! Hope this helps and I pray blessings on your journey. Stacey (our account is under my husband's name so he didn't say this :-) ).
ReplyDelete