Design new school room

[Flowergirl159]

We have been blessed with a school room that will be separated from our home. I'd like some tips in organising this space. Our home is only small (8m X 9m) and our homeschool supplies have taken over. I'm planning on moving all school related items to our new school room. This includes the student desks and several bookshelves/cupboards. I'm excited at the prospect of having an area for experiments, art in progress, perhaps a nature display, and maps on the walls, all without the concern of having no beech or table space left on the kitchen. I'm wondering if it's best to have a seperate area for each of these. I thought we could have bookshelves all at one end with desks at the other, but now I'm wondering if the girls would work better if their desks were separated by a bookshelf. Perhaps the girls items could be stored in the bookshelf closest to them. My other question is how read alouds will work. I currently work with each child for about an hour each day which includes me reading aloud to them, I often take the RA into the bedroom for a little privacy but I'm not sure how this going to work in our new school room. The cabin will be 10ft X 21ft, so not huge but big enough to meet our homeschool needs. I'll also like a dining table with four chairs for us to work on together. I'd really appreciate any ideas or suggestions. Thanks so much 😃

[Ausmumof3]

We are setting up a schoolroom this year too. I'm excited. We had one during my couple of homeschooling years but I didn't use it much because it felt cold and shut off from everything. I suspect we will still work on the main part of the house often but I'm trying to make it cozy and nice so we want to be there. Plus just having all the stuff in one room will help keep things tidier I think.

[kiwik]

I think just be prepared to move stuff frequently.

[ondreeuh]

Your cabin is big, but it will be easy to fill it up with furniture! I would definitely have a small-ish table w/ four chairs, where the kids can sit while you do group lessons, games, art, etc. If your kids all do independent work and are easily distracted, then I would either give them each a workstation. You could squeeze in separate desks, or just set up cardboard barriers on the table - we have used those trifold display boards that are used for presentations. You could do individual lessons at the couch with lap desks, and do your read alouds there. Set up a barrier (screen, bookshelf, etc.) to block the noise & visual distraction from bothering the kids at their desks. I keep art supplies in a rolling cart and just bring it over to the table when needed.

 

I would keep decor simple - lots of posters just become invisible over time. I would definitely have a big whiteboard on the wall and a good speaker for audiobooks, music, etc.

 

 

[PeterPan]

With the ages of your kids, they're about to change how they work. Do they *want* to work in your new school room? What you might like to do is have the school room as your resource room where they work together, then let them go elsewhere) especially the 11 and for briefer periods the 9 yo) to work independently. That will solve your read aloud problem, because you can read aloud in the school room. 

 

I like to keep our arrangements flexible, because I like to rearrange each year. One year I put two folding tables together to make an island, and we could do large projects on the island. Since you have so many girls, do you have a sewing area? For us, sewing became a huge part of our schooling. Are you going to have a computer for each dc or a computer work station? 

 

classroom  I think this is the classroom layout software I usually use. It's free online. You can make custom furniture or use theirs, and it has rugs, bookshelves, everything. I like to think in terms of zones and function. I like to have cozy areas, independent work areas, a computer station, a together work station, storage. Yes, definitely consider using your furniture to define spaces! 

 

Have fun! It's fun to rearrange and dream. :)

[Seeking Squirrels]

I just posted pics of our school room on my blog. We do a lot of work outside on a blanket when it's nice, though. And we generally go upstairs to the couch for read alouds and up to the dining area for science and art. So we're really only in the school room for math and LA. I'd love to have a small couch or comfy reading nook in our school room so we could do read-alouds there comfortably. In the past our school area has often been where the stuff is stored and never where we actually do any school. It's kind of nice having one this year that is nice enough to really spend time in, but we would all get cooped up if we were in it all day. 

[CatholicMom]

I'm picturing the bookshelves on one end that is more "cozy" with a soft rug in front of the bookshelves, maybe a few flat pillows to sit/lay on. In one of the corners on the "bookshelf side" of the room, you could keep a futon or loveseat to fit you and the child who needs 1 on 1 time. Lapdesks or a tv dinner table to work at under a tall reading lamp.

On the other end, the desks lining the walls, and in the middle (if there's space) the table & chairs. 

 

On desks, I would keep all the essential books they each individually & currently need. I use craftsman toolboxes for this purpose and they keep them right on their desks. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=35554526&KPID=18611069&cid=CAPLA:G:Shopping_-_Craftsman_-_Brand_-_DT&pla=pla_18611069&k_clickid=b8c28c5c-2357-4e11-949f-f54c3aa1fa2e&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkMCcht2j1gIVBoZpCh1WAwKVEAQYAyABEgLiI_D_BwE

 

Between the tool totes & the drawers, they should have plenty of space for their personal school stuff.