Whether it’s because COVID has made it much more convenient, because there are lessons not taught in school that you wish to, or simply because you think it suits your child better, homeschooling has become a much more popular option amongst many families. However, the best environment for home life and the best environment for school life are not the same things. Here are a few ways you can make sure that you’re providing your child with the perfect homeschooling environment.
Find or create a space free of distraction
There needs to be some school/home separation, or else your child may find it difficult to focus on their work. The best way to achieve this is with a home office or study that has an area set specifically for their education. However, with the help of room partitions, you can create this space in already existing rooms if you don’t have the spare space for an office.
Choose appropriate furniture
Doing their schoolwork at the dinner table or on the floor is not the appropriate way to have your child learn. Their seating situation, their workspace, and their place within the room should be appropriate to the purpose. To that end, there’s nothing wrong with emulating the school experience by using primary classroom furniture. You don’t have to copy everything that schools do, but you can use what works, such as furniture designed to help students focus.
Ensure it’s fully kitted out
Aside from a suitable chair, desk, and so on, you should make sure that you have all of the learning materials organised and nearby so you can keep lessons going smoothly without too much in the way of unplanned downtime. Organisational tools like work planners, desk tidies, and things like corkboards can make it easy to find the room you need for all the documents you might need to keep.
A decent presentation space
You’re going to need the space to demonstrate and present parts of the lesson that you’re trying to teach, as well. The classic whiteboard is likely to be a good fit for many needs. However, if you’re doing a lot of work with digital technology, you might want to consider using a projector or even using screen-sharing technology to share what you’re doing on your screen with your child.
Do your learning in different environments
While you want a good space for structured learning indoors, you shouldn’t forget that homeschooling affords you the opportunity to take the lessons out into the wide world. A change of environment can do a lot of good, and you can take it out to the patio or garden table. Just make sure that you keep all of the above principles in mind, ensuring their comfort and ability to focus.
Of course, there is room for experimentation and deviation from the above, but you should try to find a working environment for your child to learn in as soon as possible. The tips featured here can help you get started.