All About Our New Homeschool Space ~ *Plus my Top 15 Classroom Product Picks

THEN...Last year we had our school space upstairs and built some great routines, but it became very overwhelming for me to be constantly living in a school room. On the days we did not manage to do school, it was always in my view and on my mind. It took some time for me to find a good time to move it all back downstairs because this didn't mean changing only one room, it really was a whole house switch up.I wanted each room of the house to have a purpose and feel like a sanctuary for that activity and as we moved the school supplies downstairs, out of the dining room and family room, we wanted to take the computers with it all as they were upstairs too, but I wanted the computers to be away from the school space this time. So we created an office downstairs, in what was an old bedroom.We were in need of an office for a few reasons:

1. I was in need of a space for all my curriculum prep work and extra school storage
2. A place to keep all the printers in one spot
3. A place for the kids' computers to be as well
4. My daughter had a goal to create her own YouTube Channel and needed equipment for that
5. Keeping the computers away from the school space

We created a playroom & school room in the basement living space. I realized that having a space for each activity such as play, school, and computers in their own rooms was literally the best thing I ever did. I am not sure why it took me this long to figure it out. They seem to be more focused when we do sit down and do school work, which is what we wanted and the mess is out of our living space.Our Goals for the Play Room & School Room:

1. Create a space that is fun, easy to clean and has a purpose
2. Have designated art/school zones and playing/games zones
3. Declutter, declutter, and declutter again!
4. Have things easy to find for independent learners
5. Have a place for Mommy Teacher's teaching materials & the kid's supplies

*Keep reading, My Top 15 Classroom Product Picks are at the bottom of this post*Once the switch had been made and the rooms were in working order, things really began to take on a great feel and then we started summer holidays and I was not 'stressing' over doing school work at all. After the switch and the break, it has been really great coming back to school work again, knowing things have a place, and knowing I have a plan that works for when we sit down for school. I have a space to do my unit prep work, and the kids have their space as well to just go and play. NOW...

What Our School Day Looks Like

We start with Circle Time.

This has been a really fun time for my kids, it gets us together, interacting, taking turns and talking about things we like, as well as reading books together. Circle Time is about 15 minutes long, and we start by grabbing our name tags from the wall and sitting down at the rug. We begin with our Calendar Time, where we take turns putting up the day's date. I use names on clothes pins for us to keep track of whose turn it is. You can see, the clip on the Top of the Month is the one who is next. After calendar time we do Show & Tell, and this really has been the one thing that motivates my kids to start the day! They want to show off what toys or books and things they love, and it has been great for communicating and explaining what they are thinking. We finish with Storytime, and this is where I use my Reading List for the Year to my advantage!If you are interested you can subscribe to my mailing and it comes FREE in your inbox, It also comes as a BONUS when you buy {Our Homeschooling Organizer} which is another awesome resource that I have made, that will save you time!

Next, is Table Time.

We head over to the table and check what is on their subject lists, and dive right in!  The subjects here at the table include; Jolly Phonics (also done in the computer room), Whole Group Math, Writers Workshop (which has a mini lesson at the Carpet Time area), Guided Reading, Small Group Math, Reading Comprehension Notebook, Tricky Words & Super Sentences.I have activities planned as well for my pre-schooler, which are at arms reach on the shelves, or in his backpack on his chair,  so while I am leading a lesson with the two older kids, he can be a part of our time at the table, working on his fine motor skills and listening. He can always walk off and play quietly, while I keep going on for the older kids.I am building up my older two children's ability to work at more than one subject in a day, and they are very creative and love to add their own ideas to the lessons, so some days it takes on a life its own, but I love that. We really do mix and mingle from the table, play room, and carpet time area throughout the day, but always start with circle time, as it really helps them feel like they have stepped into 'school time' or 'learning time' versus just 'being at home all day'.Once all the subjects have been checked off, or all the subjects I feel they can handle that day, the kids can go and have their free time, playing in the play room, computer room, or their bed rooms, while I go throw in a load of laundry, work on a blog post, and get dinner started.This is all in an ideal world :) And let's be real, this doesn't happen every day, but we are working on it. Having a plan and a home for what we want to teach them and do with them has been the biggest stress reliever. When they are done school, we leave this space, and it's like, 'going home'. I still include the take home forms from the teacher's lesson plans, that I have become so thrilled with, it allows them to show their work off to daddy, and be proud of the work they are doing.I want to show you one more view of our School Room, showing the whole room, and it really is a combination of Art Room and Small Group Center, where I have taken the concept of 'school at the dining table' and moved it into more of a classroom space. Since beginning more teacher training online from the teacher's who make the curriculum I now follow, I have become a more confident teacher for my children, and it's really an exciting day when it all just works!  I have been trying very hard to keep only what we need to be stocked here in this room for both arts and crafts, and school subjects and it is not perfect but any means, and it can become a huge mess quickly, but for the most part, everything has a home to go back to. So that's my tour for you guys, It has been so fun writing this post for you, and sharing with you our home, and school. It is a fun place and a lot of the magic of home education happens here but it is not limited to this space alone, as all homeschool parents will attest too, that learning happens anywhere, and always.  

My Top 15 Classroom Product Picks

 I want to share with you the products that we use every day in our homeschool and that we could not live without! Now that we have made this new transition, things are going well and our days are filled with more organization and a bit more sanity! :)I hope this has given you some inspiration for your homeschool!