Our Home School Classroom

I like the idea of having one room that is a dedicated space as a school room, but let's face it when you homeschool everything you do is a learning experience.  Last year was our first year homeschooling our younger children (ages 10, 8, 7, and 3).  Due to the nature of our children's special needs, we really have to be creative in how we teach them.  We use a lot of hands-on material.  You can read here how I have adapted some of our curriculum for our children.

After school began last year, we ended up listing our house for short sale as well as moving into a rental house.  We never really organized the school area when we moved, so we were basically in survival mode just trying to complete the school year.

Well...we are organized (for now anyways).  And here is a peek.      

All table work is done at our kitchen table.  That's just where it is convenient.  I prepare the week's worth of lessons/activities and store them in the cart next to the table.  Since we take more of a group approach to learning, this works well for us.  The kids sit on the benches (in their assigned seats).  My husband sits at one end of the table and I at the other so we can assist as needed.  

This should be our dining room, but it is where our computer sits.  This is where I research and prepare our lessons.  See the boxes under the table?

We use our family room for the daily group time (including calendar and All About Reading lesson).  When we read aloud to the kids, everyone is able to spread out in this room.  We also have a group quiet time in the afternoon so I can have a few minutes off my feet.

The following pictures are also in the family room (continuing clockwise).

This is our media and storage area.  We love to watch educational movies, documentaries, nature shows, and other novel-based movies.  These cabinets house most of our games, as well as a charging station for our iPads.  Last year we invested in 3 iPads to be used for homeschooling and it was the best purchase we made!  See how one of our sons uses his iPad as a communication device. 

These are the posters from our All About Reading program from last year (Level Pre-1), as well as the magnetic white board with our letter tiles that we are currently using with Level 1.  I sit on the couch to instruct during circle time and the kids sit in their own chairs in a semi-circle in front of me.

I found these monster manners posters at the Dollar Tree.  (I always love a great bargain!)  After we complete our daily reading lesson the kids get to pick a sticker for their Progress Chart.  

These book cubes hold lots of educational activities, games, books, and equipment.  Since I've made time to organize it, the kids are finally using the items more.

We also use our kitchen often, whether we are cooking or performing a science experiment.  In this picture we were making observations of a coconut since we were doing a unit study on Treasure Island.  Daddy was in the process of cutting it open so we could taste it.    

Our backyard...I think these pictures explain it all and one major reason we fell in love with this house.

This has been a link up with iHomeschoolNetwork.

~Nicole~