Creating a homeschool space isn’t hard.  Quite honestly, all you need is a place to write and a place to keep the books.  That said, I’ve learned how to create a great homeschooling space the hard way- through trial and error.  Learn from my mistakes and create an inspired learning space right from the start.

Mistake 1: Not making it livable.  When we first started homeschooling, I decided to use the small home office in our house as a school room.  It was an 8×10′ room off a hallway, and it turned out to be a bad idea.  The room was much too small to fit several desks, and we felt cramped and closed in.  The only window faced southwest, and I live in the deep south. We sweated our way through every afternoon.  Eventually, I moved our workspace out into the open family room and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

Fix it: Make your space functional and comfortable.  Make sure there’s space to walk between the desks, and that the room doesn’t get too hot or too cold.  Basements and garages can be great learning spaces- if they’re insulated correctly.  No one is going to learn anything if their teeth are chattering!  Try to choose an area with wall space, so you can hang posters or the children’s projects.  Creating a comfortable, livable homeschooling space might mean using the family room, or giving up the formal dining room.  While it’s nice to be able to pack it all away or close a door on “school”, if you live in a small space you may have to embrace your homeschooling lifestyle, and learn to live with maps and timelines as living room decor.

Mistake 2: Making do with old furniture, instead of making desks a priority.  When we began homeschooling, I thought I’d simply use the kitchen table.  However, as homeschoolers we were eating three meals a day at home- on the kitchen table.  It quickly became an annoying burden to pack up our lessons every time we got hungry.  My kindergartner also couldn’t work comfortably at the big table, and I would often find him standing on his chair in order to reach his paper or desperately trying to reach supplies in the middle of the table from his booster chair.  No wonder he struggled with learning to form his letters!

Fix it: Your students will need a flat surface and a chair, preferably one that fits them comfortably so their feet rest on the floor.  Invest in desks, tables, or build in the workspace they’ll need from the beginning.  Don’t forget to include adequate lighting and make sure the desk is large enough to hold an open textbook or binder and a notebook.  Adjustable chairs, such as office chairs, are a good pick because they’ll grow with your child.  Small children may need child sized tables and chairs, or even a coffee table will suffice.