Our School Room

In most home schools, the learning takes place in the living room or at the kitchen table. I remember as a child doing my school work in a large walk-in closet!

When we first moved into this house, I was so excited to see the extra room. It was immediately designated as “the school room” even before we had a school. It’s been so much fun putting it together. Take a tour!

First, our chickaboom tree, taking the idea from our favorite book and my favorite blog. I made it out of construction paper. As we learn our letters, we’ve been adding them to our tree.

Next, our workboxes or workstations as we call it. Love this idea! I googled “workbox” to get the grid and the numbers that we use for ours. The numbers attach to the folders and to the grid with velcro dots. I have a timer that I set for 10 minute increments; the kids know to move on to the next folder when the timer goes off. I even have the basic times written in a dry erase on the vinyl of each pocket–to keep me on track! At the end of the day, I fill each pocket with everything they’ll need for the activity–worksheet, crayons, scissors, markers, etc. It has worked very well for us.

I love shopping at Staples because all of the free products I get just by returning my empty ink cartridges. One of those treasures was my cork board squares, a new addition for the 2011/2012 school year.

I also had fun making our calendar. Lots more velcro dots, some googled weather graphics, and filled text boxes in a word document. I also used a few modified features from–once again–the Confessions of a Homeschooler calendar printables.

Our Poster Center is where I lead the learning with some review songs, flashcards, and games. It’s actually a felt board, and my wonderful mom, grandma, and a friend of their’s actually made my felt letters and numbers from card stock letters and adhesive felt. We love them. On different days, I’ll have the kids play make-a-blend and make-a-word. I’ll have my preschooler select a consonant and a vowel while telling me their names; then, my kindergartener comes up and reads the blend or word. They’ve also been a fun tool for teaching spelling and going over special blends and sounds.

Another favorite is our “Cozy Corner” where more independent study takes place. When either of the kids finishes an activity early, they can go play in the cozy corner. I have library books, flashcards, lapbooks, and a few toys stashed in the corner. It makes reviewing flashcards and other learning material a real treat for them. And…it keeps my littlest one occupied while I am teaching.

A few other features this year are a result of our geography study that we are doing. The first is our wall map that came with the Geography Songs that I purchased for our study. And the other poster is another home-made feature that allows me to display the geography card of the country we are learning, as well as the prayer cards of the unreached people groups from that country.

On a Mission: around the world—Psalm 96:3

Now, I’d love to take a tour of your school room/living room/kitchen table/walk-in-closet. In the comments section, leave me a link or just tell me about. And happy learning!