Help
With Your Rule
Space for Homeschooling
Dear Holly,
I am starting to homeschool this fall my 5yr. old. Since this is new to me I'm not sure where the best place in the house to "school" is. The only extra room we have is a playroom and I'm afraid he would get too distracted, especially with my 2 yr. old playing there. I could use the kitchen table, but I don't have any sort area for a chalkboard/dry erase board to write on. Do you think that's a problem? Any suggestions for me?
Labels: Homeschooling
posted by Holly at 10:31 AM
3 Comments:
No, I don't think homeschooling in the kitchen is a problem - it provides a nice table for any seatwork.
As far as chalkboards or whiteboards go, my husband cut a large board down for us, and mounted it to the back of the kitchen door , out of sight - then when I needed it, I just closed the door and voila! There it was! However, we seldom use it for 'school' - the little ones just tend to draw on it!
Another idea would be to turn your playroom into a classroom, if you really felt you needed it, and take all your toys and put them in bins - a different bin can be brought up from the basement every day (which keeps the toys fresh) - but it eliminates the need of a separate playroom. We bring our toys to the living room every day, and then the bin is right there for easy clean up.
While we have a classroom, it also doubles as an office, computer room, and work space for arts, sewing and other activities. And yet, some of my kids still gravitate toward the kitchen table! In fact, the more we homeschool, the more the whole house tends to get used.
At the same time, if you are just beginning homeschooling and have another little one, you won't want to exclude your younger child, but let your littlest one join in - they can both do cut& pastes with magazine pictures; both help color a stop sign; both play with Math manipulatives... You will have a smoother time if you include both children together.
At this age, so much of your curriculum can be done in a 'natural' fashion -in my opinion, there isn't any real need for a classroom at all. What you most need is to have all your supplies in a single spot, where you have easy access to them - conveniently. Like a large bookshelf in wasted hall space, or a special cupboard set aside just for school materials/art stuff/ table toys like playdough.
I also believe that homeschooling doesn't need to be taught in so formal a setting, especially if you have so few children. I homeschooled my 5-year-old and included my 3-year-old right along in there, and a year later we're still all doing quite well. We use the kitchen table, their little work table in their room, and the patio table when the weather's nice.
As far as including the younger siblings, my little one loves doing his "schoolwork" along side his big brother. Access any homeschooling site and there are sure to be "free" materials for any age group. I print mazes, color-by-numbers, and connect-the-dot pictures that are appropriate for toddlers; and he can always color pictures and learn his shapes. My biggest challenge this year will be to somehow incorporate our new 4-month-old into the picture!
I actually prefer using different settings, and sometimes put classical music softly in the background. This way I feel the child can adapt to concentrating and learning amidst a variety of elements, which I believe can only help them when it comes to dealing with crazy college dorm rooms or changing workplaces. Teaching in different areas also opens the child up to observing their surroundings and learning from them. Of course their schoolbooks and materials all get put away in a dedicated bookshelf and bins, but they know that learning is all around them, every minute of the day.
Good luck with all!
Dealing with a baby? I always had a play pen with toys, and as they grew, they sat with us at the kitchen table intheir high chairs, and I had a box of little nesting toys/ beads on strings/ whatever- to keep putting in front of them when the last toy got boring - even measuring spoons and old margerine containers! I could keep a young child interested for a very long time - right there with us at the table!
I also have used quiet classical music in the background for quiet seat work or even as they worked actively on projects or art lessons- I find it has a calming influence - and I used it as a teacher in the classroom too - it cuts back on room noise and helps a child to focus. I've like using some of John Michael Talbots instrumentals too!
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