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Creating a Learning Environment at Home

It’s looking like many kids across America will be starting the school season at home. For parents, this can be overwhelming. Chances are you were like most parents and winged it for the last few months of the school season. If you’ve never homeschooled your kids, this was lifechanging for the entire family. This time let’s work a little harder to make sure we know what we’re doing. Let’s take a closer look at creating a learning environment at home.

Choose an Area Free of Distractions

You want to setup your learning space in an area of the home that is free of distractions. For example, the living room would be a bad spot because kids have access to the TV. If you have a spare room that isn’t being used, this would be the best spot. If you need to clean out a room, do it. It’s not like you’re going to be having guests any time soon, right?

Make Sure You Have Internet Access in the Chosen Area

An important part of your learning environment will be internet access. Virtual learning will require you to have internet access. If your wireless modem doesn’t reach into the room you’ve chosen, you’ll need to upgrade your equipment or purchase additional equipment to make sure there is internet in the space. There are also Wi-Fi extenders that can be plugged into the room you are using and it will sync with your modem to give you a boost in Wi-Fi range. You may also want to refrain other children and people in the house from playing games or using Wi-Fi during school hours.

Have a Workspace and Quiet Reading Area

Your learning environment should have a workspace that has room for writing and room for a computer. The area should be well lit so that your kids can see well. The quiet reading area can be a beanbag or oversized chair with a lamp and bookshelf. You just want a space where your kids can do the reading portion of their assignments while being cozy and allowing for a change of scenery.

Fill the Space with Books and Learning Materials

Books and learning materials should fill the space. Motivational posters, a world map, a dry erase board, etc. are wonderful for decorating the wall space. Add a few bookshelves and leave space to grow. Look for these items at traditional office supply stores or look on marketplace for books or other educational materials.

Hit the Dollar Tree

Last, but not least, you can find so many wonderful learning materials at your local Dollar Tree. There is a section devoted to teachers. You’ll find flashcards, activity books, and a variety of supplies for the classroom. I love that I was able to score a few cute wall “art” pieces that has grade appropriate information. I got my 5th graders a quick reference poster for multiplication and sentence structures. I was able to color coordinate my kids spirals, folders and notebooks to try and keep our work area as organized as possible.

Is this our new normal? Teaching our kids from home? Who knows? However, it pays to be prepared and set up a space where your children will be able to succeed. If you need more inspiration of items you need for your homeschool learning areas, including some “mom must have items” Check out this post on What you need in your home school home office.