Ultimately I want my kids to be independent learners and for me to be a facilitator of their learning. At 8 and 6 years old the culmination of this is a few years off still. Right now I am very much in the middle of their learning with lots of reading textbooks, answering questions, helping them figure out the hows and whys of it.
That’s why I’m creating an independent learning homeschool room.
Think of it as a variation of some of the Montessori principles, setting it up so they are responsible for their activities, and putting away and finding things.
I am consolidating down to two main learning areas, our calendar/reading time area, and the room we do more formal schoolwork and crafts in.
First here’s our calendar/reading area:
I thought it could be helpful to see a video of our calendar/reading area. I just finished moving a few more things around so our reading is now done here as well, and they will be able to do independent work while I read with their brother or sister.
I go into excruciating detail of the area in my Organizing Calendar Time post.
Here is the area I changed since then:
I added a few things over here. On the second shelf I added in our reading curriculum, because I’ve consolidated down to using that area now. Up above I’ve added the Magic School Bus anatomy poster I mentioned yesterday. Oh, and you can’t see it, but there are now 3 dry erase boards with the clipboards for our grammar (saves paper). This has been working great for the past week, AND I’ve kept it clean. The kids have been able to get their stuff without my telling them where it is, or having to help them.
Our independent learning homeschool room
As you can see from the video, we are still working on cleaning this area. I’ve made significant progress, but it still needs work.
These are desks Jeff’s Dad built for him, his sister, and his Mom when Jeff was a kid. We have since inherited them. Right now the desks are a mess. This week, my goal is to get the desks completely cleaned out and only having what they need for school. Princess will also be allowed to store some art supplies.
This shelf, with the exception of where they can’t reach is designed for the kids to get into without needing permissions, provided they clean up after themselves. It houses most of the supplies they will need for their craft projects or models for school.
This is my bookshelf, it also has supplies they can use, but most they need to ask about, either for safety reasons (hot glue gun, paper cutter), or because they have not proven themselves ready to use them correctly (cardmaking supplies).
My goal: as they become more responsible, to move more of these supplies over to their bookshelf, and move more of my sewing stuff onto this bookshelf. Right now it’s an amalgam of several different purposes, much like this room.
This is the final HUGE project left in this room. The rest are mostly done, and I think the kids’ desks will be a 30 minute each day one. This remaining project is to organize the mess that is my sewing area, and that will take forever! My first big goal is to consolidate it all down to one bookshelf, which should be doable.
Your spaces look so inspiring. Lots of hands on supplies for creative endeavors. Great video, BTW.
Thanks! I was nervous about it because I’ve never really tried to do a video like that before.
I love how you have your own book shelf – I do too 🙂 We have the same body poster…in fact, over the summer we did the Magic School Bus experiments that go with it and placed the stickers…but I have no where left to hang it so it’s folded in a pile. Argh!
Oh that would be frustrating. I got lucky and found this on a clearance sale one day, and this is one of their better kits to my mind.
I LOVE having my own bookshelf. Some of the supplies currently on it, will be moved over to the “free reign” section later this year (beads, and maybe a few stamps, maybe).
Good luck! I’m always jealous of all the space you have in your house!
Down side of all this space is cleaning it, and there are so many places for clutter to creep in and hide. Right now we’re missing one of the boys’ anatomy notebooks somewhere……..
Oh, to have all the room that you have! I picked up another bookshelf today that will house all of my personal books. I need another bookshelf for the kids. It will have to wait though. 🙂 I love how you are making it to where the kids are able to get things without permission. I was trying to make it easier for my kids, but they still have to get a chair or ask me, because the stuff is just too high. Thanks for the inspiration!! 🙂
This is going to sound odd, but I was lucky enough to be pregnant with the twins when I moved into this house, so I was able to think through what and how I wanted the kids to be able to access. So all of the bottom cabinets have plastics and things like that they could get into without me worrying. That allowed them to help unload the dishwasher starting at age 2.
That bit of planning has seeped over into how many things are stored.
Doesn’t mean it’s always put away right though…… That part is a CONSTANT struggle.
Yes, putting away things in their proper places is always a struggle here. Sigh, oh well. Just something we will continue to work towards!
Love this!! You are inspiring me to work on some of my rat nests I have behind closed doors/cabinets!
Looks like a great learning space!
Thanks! I’m so glad my cleaning has inspired someone else. I am every so slowly getting the different areas I’m struggling with under control. There’s still so much to work on though.
Love this Ticia! My kids fell in love with anatomy using the Magic School Bus poster, I wished I still had it. I should of placed it on the wall too!! Thank you for sharing.
It is such a great poster and kit, my kids are so incredibly excited about it.
What a great space you have, and how lovely for your children to have desks linked to their own family history. Love it!
I do too. They’re great desks, and perfect for what we need.
Looks like you are all set! I so wish I had room for a strictly schooling room rather then my dining room. Maybe some day!
It took some finagling to get this all the way we wanted it. Originally this was the guest bedroom/sewing room, and that was not working.
Impressive! I am sure you are going to have a terrific homeschooling year!
Thanks! I’m hoping so, I’m slowly getting organized.
I love the videos. The tour of your space gives a real insight into how you homeschool. Looks very organised to me 🙂
Mwa ha ha ha, then I have given the appearance of it! Thanks, it’s been one of my big goals and projects this summer to get it all put together.