Creating a homeschool environment that everyone loves

The homeschool year is just beginning for many of us, which means planning, scheduling, and organizing your life to prepare for a great year. Maybe you’re a seasoned homeschooler, or maybe you’re just starting out.

Regardless, if you’re like me, you get the itch to create a unique, purposeful, and organized homeschool space. But with differing ages and personalities, it can seem nearly impossible to create a homeschool environment everyone will enjoy.

The great news is it can be done!

By keeping in mind learning styles, involving your kids, and giving everyone a unique space, you’ll design a homeschool room that everyone wants to learn and grow within!

Designing Homeschool Rooms for Learning Style

When considering how to orient and decorate a homeschool space, I like to start by considering how my kiddos learn (If you don’t know your child’s learning style, visit this site). Of course, the space will need to have the materials and elements that I need to use during the school day, but I’m not just talking about what goes on the bookshelves and in the supply closet! Think walls, technology, light, etc.

It’s essential when creating a homeschool space that you consider how your students learn, and organize, decorate, and stock accordingly. Visual learners can be overwhelmed with too many visual inputs while auditory learners will need a special tech to get their needs met. While working with this many variables can seem overwhelming, it’s actually not that hard. I start with the walls and then move to the furniture and supplies, giving each child’s learning style its own shelf to hold learning style-specific materials.

Don’t have a homeschool room? That’s OK, most of these elements fit onto a bookshelf or a rolling cart that can roll wherever you do school.

For Kinesthetic, hands-on learners

I like to have an exercise ball for sitting (and bouncing), a small chalkboard for working out problems on the wall, a sensory box that I can fill and change to go with the seasons or concepts I’m teaching (think burying sight words in pom-poms), and a box of math manipulatives. I often create a “hands-on center” using a shelf to hold all of these sensory-based goodies.

For Visual Learners

Think walls, walls, walls! Use a chalkboard for timelines, put up maps and reminders of grammar rules, and create a visual schedule for each day. I also love to have a chalkboard square on the wall for each of my learners, especially visual learners who will need to draw things out.

Finally, consider using corkboard flash cards, sight words, and anything else your visual learner needs to chart, draw, or visualize. Because visual learners can be distracted by too much color, I paint my homeschool space neutral colors and keep the wall that child faces when sitting in his desk mostly clear. He’s also never near the window to keep from cloud gazing!

For Auditory learners

These kiddos are probably the easiest to plan for. You’ll need a few extra supplies and tech items to make sure their learning space is unique for their needs. Your auditory learning shelf should include noise-canceling headphones for testing and loud siblings, an iPod and headphones for audiobooks, a voice recorder so your auditory learner can record and playback notes, definitions, etc., and a small costume kit with glasses, hats, gloves, etc., that makes for instant acting during literature and history lessons.

Essentials for Every Homeschool

What Every Homeschool Room Needs Regardless of Learning Style

There are a few items every homeschool space (dedicated room or kid’s room) should have no matter what learning styles you have under your roof. Here’s your must-have homeschool supply list for all learning styles and homeschool rooms.

• Dedicated Reading Area – Beanbags, hanging chairs, or a couch all work well!
• Literature Library – Books you’re reading this year, a dictionary and thesaurus, etc.
• School Supplies – I love using jars filled with pencils, glue, scissors, etc. out in the open.
• Fidgets – squeeze balls, hand fidgets, gum, etc.
• Art Area – an easel and box of paints, brushes, smocks, etc.
• Computer Desk – as technology plays more of a role in learning these days, a desk is essential.
• Mom’s Command Center – an area just for your lesson plans, coffee mugs, etc.

Creating a homeschool space that everyone will look forward to isn’t as hard as it may seem. Just keep in mind your children’s learning styles, your personal style, and your plans for this year, and you’ll design a homeschool area that best fits your family and school year needs.

With a little bit of effort, some planning, and a lot of organization, you’ll create a welcoming space that not only has all you need but says, “Let’s do this!” to everyone in your homeschool classroom!