Next week Heart of the Matter is hosting the Not Back to School Link Up for homeschool rooms. As I was thinking about all the homes we’ve lived in and all the spaces we’ve homeschooled in, I had to chuckle because NEVER has it looked the same way twice!
I wish I had pictures of all our homeschool spaces to share with you, but I don’t, so I will share in words for the early ones and pictures {and words–because I’m a word kind of girl!} for the latter ones.
2002-2004
We lived in a home I will never forget in a town I will never forget. My heart smiles when I remember those early years of homeschooling in that old house with the plaster walls and huge bay windows. My little son and I would sit at an old blonde-wood table with the wind lapping at the white shears behind us. I had a small stacking shelf that held every homeschool thing I owned beside that table. But, we probably spent more time out-of-doors than indoors with science projects and nature notebooks and trips next door to Mr. Yale’s, the only true Renaissance Man I’ve ever known. It was a tiny town with dirt streets and no strangers. I will always equate the perfect homeschool space with the space that was that little town in the middle of nowhere.
2005- Summer 2007
We moved to a small ranch-style home in another small town several hours away from our comfort zone. There, our homeschool set up shop in the only carpeted room that sat at one end of the house. This room was a homeschool room, a sewing room, a TV room, and Daddy’s office! Talk about multi-tasking! Again, it was our blond table and to it we added a blond-haired little girl named Megan. No longer could I confine my homeschool curriculum to a couple of stackers; it now resided in a tall, cheap cabinet that had to be nailed to the wall and shimmed on the bottom because the manufacturer was too cheap to actually put the same size boards on each side. Those years were spent more indoors than before because Mommy was pregnant…a lot. But, we did spend a lot of time in neighboring towns with homeschool friends who have become some of our closest, dearest comrades.
2007-2010
We moved to a real, live city! I will tell you right now, we are NOT city people, but we adapted the best we could. This home is where many of you met me. and when you first met me, I homeschooled in the basement:
It was a new table. Well, new to our family, but not new to me. I grew up with this table. We purchased it at my parent’s estate sale and it took the place of “old blondie.” While we homeschooled in the basement, this table moved around quite a bit. The focal point of the room was our rather enormous collection of books.
However, homeschooling in the basement, that basement at least, wasn’t for me. The carpet was yucky, the walls were cheap paneling that had been glued {sort of} to the cement walls, and it was dank and dark and depressing.
So, we moved the show upstairs…
We schooled somewhere between the dining room table and the couch. And now, my homeschool things took up several bookshelves, the rickety old cabinet, a milk crate and oh my! Is that the old stacker?
Why yes, it is! Only in this house, it sat behind my chair in the living room where I could work and read from my beloved garage-sale-next-door chair.
2011
Here we are in a new home.
There was a huge cement room in the basement..the walk-out basement…making it a much cheerier, albeit rather chilly in the winter, atmosphere. That room is where half of our school day is spent.
Disclosure: What you see here is the real deal. It’s not perfect. In fact, most of the time it isn’t even this clean. Slowly I’m working my way through it to make it more user-friendly, but the main thing is IT WORKS!
You’ll notice the old cabinet still in use and yes, still shimmed at the bottom. Loads of books, art supplies, and our crates that used to be workboxes, but are now just used to hold books and supplies. You’ll also see our homemade markable assignment cards hanging from one of the crates. I was in the middle of working on the next week’s assignments when I took these photos.
This area is for working individually with a child. I have my dry erase board there and an old school desk given to us by friends where the child who needs help can sit and work away from the rest of the crowd. This has been a really great addition to our homeschool room!
This is the main school table where most of the “book work” is done during the morning hours (with the guinea pigs looking on and occasionally putting in their $.02!)
And this, my friends, is the proof that I have a book addiction. Moving boxes that have become bookshelves! ACK! No cutesy schoolroom here!
During the afternoon hours, we move back upstairs. This is where the history, economics, and Bible lessons occur. The younger children listen in from the dining room table where they are crafting or they go to a nearby bedroom and play. I don’t expect them to sit during these school hours because this time is more focused and geared toward the older children. However, there are some books and projects we do together as a family during this time. {Visit The Homeschooling Mother section to see our curriculum lists for the year}
There is one bookshelf upstairs (well, one bookshelf that actually looks like a bookshelf, that is). It stands in the corner of the living room and is primarily used to house our afternoon homeschooling selections; although, it does have several books that aren’t specifically homeschooling books. As you will see, I just continue to crowd more books in this bookshelf and next to it!
I’ve always loved posts about homeschool rooms. I romanticize that world where homeschool looks a lot like regular school, but I’ve never been able to accomplish it. I doubt ABC curtains and neatly ordered color-coded activity boxes will ever be a part of my life. If you want to come over and beautify my homeschool spaces you are more than welcome to, but I will probably just end up dumping out your organizers and filling them with books!
As I’ve looked back over this post, I realize something. Homeschooling is not so much about where it takes place, but the essence of what it creates. It all comes back to my homeschooling manifesto…
light fires
light fires
light fires
and with all these books around, the fire ought to burn well…
Alana says
This is so encouraging, and well-written. And, very timely. Thank you for being so open and transparent. 🙂
My husband and I were looking at a house the other day, and found that it had a little room that just screamed “homeschool in me!”We don’t have any children (yet), nor do we live in anything but a Shoebox apartment, but we’re already discussing what “homeschool” will look like for our Yankee-Aussie hybrid family.
Amy says
Awwww…I wish I had had your foresight. 🙂
Clara says
Our homeschool space has changed little over time, but where we actually DO the work seems to change regularly! Sometimes they sit at their individual desks, sometimes we cosy up on the lounge, sometimes we spread out on the dining table, and sometimes we take our work outside with little portable table and chairs (when the weather is just too good to stay indoors).
One thing I have trouble with – which I was hoping you might have some wise advice about – is how you go about teaching different levels of children and getting them to actually focus on their own work instead of constantly gravitating over to listen to the other lesson I’m helping with?? I’m doing CLE, which involves quite a bit of teacher interaction/teaching, if that helps you know how to answer!
Amy says
That’s a tough one because that type of interaction is actually very helpful (one-room schoolhouse-ish 😉 ). I do separate some children in different rooms as need be. Perhaps this would work for you. You could focus on one child, then move to the other while the first child works independently in their own space. In many ways, Clara, this is a nice problem to have because it shows your children really do have a passion for learning so much so that they want to learn what their siblings are learning too!
Clara says
Thanks for the reply, Amy! 🙂
I don’t really have space in different rooms to send them too, sadly… It’s a good idea to try to find independent work to be done by one while I work with the other…
Yes, I realise their passion/curiosity is a blessing – I only worry that the youngest will hear everything when I do the work with the older, and then be bored when it’s his turn to do the same work because he’s already heard it all! 🙁
Amy says
What’s the age difference? (forgive my memory!)
Clara says
No worries! 15 months 3 days – oldest just turned 7 at the end of July. 🙂 They are only one “grade” apart in homeschooling levels…
Amy says
I thought they were very close in age! And they are not able to be in the same grade or is proper grade levels a requirement there? Or does CLE not allow that…I’m not very familiar with the way CLE is set up. With them being that close together I do see your dilemma.
Clara says
(sorry, for some reason it won’t allow me to reply below your last comment, so I’ll just do it here).
They aren’t doing the same work because my son (younger) is just enough behind my daughter to where he would hold her back or get frustrated at not being able to keep up. I originally thought I would do them together, but my daughter has shot ahead. 😛
Proper grade levels aren’t necessary here – my daughter is straddling two grades (being more ahead in some subjects than others)… My homeschooling is totally tailored to their needs – I just have trouble getting them to do their OWN work, which is why I asked if you had ideas 🙂
Amy says
LOL – sorry for all the questions! I think I’m understanding a little better now. One thing we have done for our child with sensory issues is to give her headphones to help drown out any noise around her. I know in small private schools they will sometimes put those trifold cardboards up around each child to help them stay focused, but I don’t think that would help with wanting to hear what the other child is doing. 😉 I’d also brainstorm some fun independent things your son could be doing while you work with your daughter and vice-versa so that they aren’t even doing the same subject. Almost as if your son has free time while you school your daughter and the converse for your daughter. The more engaging those independent projects are the better so that what they are doing holds their attention so well, they don’t care to listen in. Perhaps explore some delight-directed studies for each child that could be done during the more teacher-intensive time. Hope that makes some sense and helps, even just a little!
Clara says
Those are good ideas – thank you, Amy! I really appreciate you working through this with me!! 🙂 You’ve given me some great ideas to try out!!
Jamerrill @ Holy Spirit-led Homeschooling says
Yup, I knew I loved ya’ before…now I have seen your book obsession…I {{{heart}}} fellow homeschool moms.
I never thought of using moving boxes for book shelves either 🙂 We’ve had seasons where we’ve had a schoolroom and seasons where we have not. I still find whether we’re at the kitchen table, 9 ft long school table {oh, yeah…love it as much as I do books now} or snuggled on the couch lost in read alouds, it really doesn’t matter *where* we are learning. Love all your spaces!
Amy says
Thanks, Jamerrill! 🙂
Rebecca says
Thanks for showing us your spaces!
We’ve used boxes for bookshelves for many years too. When I am able to get another bookshelf, it is quickly full and we’re back in the boxes again : ).
I’ve found paper boxes to be the best for shelves, esp if you put the top onto the bottom first. They are much more sturdy that regular boxes.
We’re moving to a new state soon and I’m really hoping to have a room for a library. We’ll see.
Teresa says
You have about as many books as us. We have a 10X10 room for schooling all 5 kids. We have my and husbands desk, one long 8 ft desk with two computers, one regular type school desk, and one 3 foot desk. The rest of the floor space has a pack-in-play, three file cabinets, one book case, and one 5 foot activity shelving. The rest of the books are above the desks on shelves. So every inch of wall and 80% of the floor is covered.
This year we have a wireless router so the oldest can do some of the computer work at the dining room table.
I love to see others school rooms. Lets me know we are not alone and that others have survived with less. With 4 boys in one bedroom they have no room to do work there and my daughters room is tiny.
Suzanne Gose says
We have always homeschooled at the kitchen table. Never had the space for an extra room, though we talk about walling in the garage…. It’s worked great for us – but maybe one day we’ll have a dedicated room. We keep books in the lower cabinets, and art supplies in the sideboard from Great Grandma’s House. I think she’d be pleased. : ) We have a string across one window to hang art work (it’s retractable – designed for over tubs to hang laundry or swimsuits or whatever.) No basements here in Texas… so the garage may be my next accomplishment! Thanks for the insight!! LOVE your blog!
Suzanne Gose
Bilingual homeschooling mother of Five, Teacher, Author of Flip Flop Spanish and the Key to Learning Anything
Amy says
In the house where the homeschool room was also dad’s office, we put our bookshelves in the garage…it makes for a great storage area if you don’t mind not putting a car in there! lol Thanks for your sweet comment, Suzanne! 🙂
Dawn says
I LOVE your school room! It looks so… organic! We school at the dining table, but occasionally move things over to the couch or the living room floor. We don’t have much (or much space to boot), so it’s always nice to see that my girls aren’t missing out on anything because our learning space doesn’t look like it was decorated by someone on hgtv.
Amy says
“organic”….that’s a good word! 🙂
Tracy @ Hall of Fame Moms says
I love to look inside at how other mom’s are organizing their homeschool rooms thanks for sharing!
Jamie @ See Jamie blog says
I love how your space has transformed over the years. We’ve lived in this same house the whole time we’ve homeschooled, so our little corner has just morphed a bit. 🙂
Rhoda says
We have moved numerous times so our “school room” looks very different too. The house we are now in is the first time that we have a room designated for school (a priority when house hunting). Granted it also triples as dad’s office, guest room, and play room, but to finally have all our school stuffs in one room feels great. The $64,000 question for us will be–will we stay in there or wander all over the house like we’ve had to in the past. I have a feeling that now that wandering is in the blood, we will. (0: Thank you for sharing your house. Love all the books. Several of our bookshelves broke in this last move (must be related to your cabinet!) so I’ve wondered how to get all our books out. I better start hanging on to boxes. Looks like that works well.
Anna says
I like that you are able to adapt and teach where ever you are. We have moved a lot, and probably will have more move in our future, so this is encouraging.
Lorna says
It is always interesting to see how other people organise their space. We use the dining table as our central point of learning especially for the younger children, but our oldest 2 like to do their “bookwork” and reading on their beds or on the sofa where it is often quieter. The other day I found my 11yr old son doing his language arts on top of the shed roof (it has a flat roof) in order to make the most of the winter sun!! lol! We currently live in a small house so I have a large book shelf in our dining room, a dresser in the living room and a huge industrial shelf in the master bedroom with all our books and games and resources! No mistaking that we are living in our learning space 24/7! As it should be 🙂
~Lorna (in NZ)
Mrs. Mary Joy Pershing @Learning to Live a Surrendered Life says
I love it! Amy, I really enjoyed the walk through your homeschooling spaces from when you stated to where you are now. And I also love your passion for books! We are passionate about books too. LOL Just last night, as I was finishing up the set up of our homeschooling spaces, my husband just bought me a 6 ft table to use as a desk Woo Hoo, I had to move “stackable bookshelves” from wall to wall from corner to corner trying to find space for all of them! (in our dining room!) Its good to know that we are in good company when it comes to finding space to learn together.
I am sharing my post sharing our “homeschool rooms” on Monday. I can’t wait to see everyone’s rooms!!! Being so new at this, its so great to get ideas!
Blessings on your year!
Ginger says
Very interesting! I actually read the title twice b/c I couldn’t figure out what it meant. But as I read, I realized: we don’t have a specific homeschool space. Certain subjects are done around the dining room table, and most everything else is done all over the house. Kids reading in their rooms, doing math in my room (the quietest room) or on the couch. We do school wherever is most convenient at the time.
I could see a book addiction beginning when I started homeschooling, so I immediately decided to only purchase books I couldn’t get at the library or that we would use over and over again. That was a HUGE help! Since we are Charlotte Mason schoolers, most all our school books come from the library. I buy math books, poetry books, our foreign language curriculum,a and whatever Vision Forum media I can’t find at my beloved church library (which isn’t even our church).
Amy says
We have typically lived in areas that do not have good libraries and Inter-library loan is incredible slow…not helpful when you need a book at a certain time, thus my love for books became “necessary”…or at least that’s what I tell myself and my husband has a love for books as well, so we get along great. 😉
Ginger says
Oh man, I can’t imagine! I totally depend on my libraries and ILL. In your situation, I’d definitely fill my shelves with good books. 😀
Sam @ The Kelley Eight says
I love seeing your journey 🙂 I shared mine in December http://www.thekelleyeight.com/2010/12/place-for-everything.html, but then just posted pics with our current changes (very few) for our blog hop post: http://www.thekelleyeight.com/2011/08/our-classroom.html
Your book addiction looks like my hubby’s. He now has stacks all around his office, the life a preacher I suppose.
April@M3RH says
I liked that circular table and love that you are using boxes as bookshelves. It’s real, it’s home. I do stuff like that. And I am going to have to quote you on those last lines. Books sure do make those fires burn!
Amy says
That table came out of a grade school. And thanks for appreciate my “real home.” 🙂
Denise says
What a great space! Have a wonderful year together!
Michelle says
We don’t do packaged curriculums, so in my head books are homeschooling. Some days I really wish we had a basement to store all of ours, because I keep having to pack the books for later in boxes and shove them in closets. Then I remember that we live two blocks from a river and we’ve already flooded once, so . . . basement=bad here. 🙂
Amy says
Hmmm….closet turned bookshelf, perhaps? 😉
Laura says
Thank you, Amy, for being so open and encouraging! I love reading your blog! You always inspire and encourage me! Blessings to you and your precious family! I pray that you have a wonderful school year!
Amy @ simply necessary says
LOVE the cardboard boxes! I use Aldi’s boxes and they are GREAT for organizing books. Hmmm…maybe I should do a post on that!
Robin says
I’ll be honest, the moving boxes made into book shelves gave me a good laugh! One day I hope to have a library as big as yours….even if my shelves are moving boxes 😛