There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to homeschooling space. You either have and use a dedicated space or you don’t. The thing is, not a lot of people who want to homeschool can set up that dedicated space. And a lot of the time the spaces portrayed across the blog-o-sphere is a staged sterile space that probably never looks like that when school is actually in session.
When it comes to finding what works for your family you may want to consider not having a dedicated space. One of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is the way that it allows children (and you) to adapt to learning. Within the science of learning it is known that people learn best through play and action, not worksheets and recitation. Most school settings are designed around worksheets, so why imitate that setting in your home?
Kids can be just as great at learning at your kitchen table surrounded by family and fun as they would be in a segregated room filled with everything they’re supposed to know. Recent studies show that spaces enriched with plants and artwork cause people to be 17% more productive, and this simple idea should spread across your whole home. And your kids should have diversity in their learning program.
For example. When spending time in your kitchen during a science lesson to learn the properties of chemical reactions and the forces they can create you can both do the kitchen science experiment and complete any informational worksheets in the same space. Another example would be simply keeping your bookshelf full of school related – or fun to read – books available as needed in your living room. By connecting the living space and the learning space together you are telling your child that they can and will learn everywhere.
If you have a dedicated homeschool space, great! Because its hard to create such a space in most homes, props to you. You may find that you don’t really need to use only that space. As with everything, make sure you are flexible to your child’s needs. There are certainly plenty of arguments that could be made for separating your home life and school life. A lot of it depends on your school method and what you want your children to get out of it.
The key to a great homeschooling space, whether it is your whole home or a dedicated room, is to keep the environment bright and inviting. To utilize artwork and create an aesthetically dynamic space that encourages learning. That doesn’t mean you have to have the alphabet hanging in your living room somewhere, but it does mean that art can open the mind no matter what age.
