Whether your child is learning from home by your choice or they have been forced to embrace remote learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling provides benefits for kids and parents alike. If your child is trying to learn while cramped in a cluttered corner of your living room or at the dining room table in a busy household, they may struggle to successfully complete their studies. While it isn’t necessary to replicate a traditional classroom to ensure homeschool success, it is important to set aside a designated area for your child’s learning and create an inspiring homeschool environment.
Creating an inspiring homeschool environment that encourages creativity pays off in a big way in terms of ensuring your child’s success. And doing so is easier than you might think. From hanging inspirational diamond paintings in your child’s work area to making sure the area is kept at a comfortable temperature throughout the day, here are a few things you can do to create an amazing and inspiring homeschool environment for your kid.
Choose an Area with Sufficient Space
Trying to learn while crammed into a tiny space isn’t fun. If anything, it’s frustrating. No one likes feeling cramped or being unable to work efficiently because there is no space to do so. When setting up a homeschool space, choose an area where there is plenty of room for a large desk where your child can spread out their supplies and materials. Make sure there is storage space, too, and enough room to stand up, stretch and move around without bumping into things.
Ideally, your child’s homeschool area should not be in their bedroom or at the dining room table. Instead, it should be in an area that is dedicated entirely to schoolwork. A spare bedroom works well. If this isn’t an option, try to section off a corner of another room in a way that makes it at least feel like a separate space. Having a separate spacious area for schoolwork makes it easier for kids to separate their school day from their personal time.
Provide Adequate Lighting
In an office space, both natural and artificial light are important. Bright spaces with plenty of natural light from windows are best for learning. Being able to open a window is nice on pleasant days, too.
Even if your child’s homeschool area has windows and receives natural light throughout the day, though, you’ll still need to provide good artificial light. If your child is working in the evening, early morning or an overcast day, overhead lighting will be needed to ensure they can see what they are doing. Consider investing in full-spectrum lights that replicate natural sunlight, especially if the area doesn’t receive much natural light.
Put Up Inspiring Decorations
While you don’t need to head to a teacher supply store to pick up inspirational posters featuring puppies and kittens, it’s still a good idea to put up décor that will encourage your child. The options are limitless. You could decorate the space using colours that inspire creativity, like yellow and orange. Or if your child feels stressed during school hours, you could use soothing colours like blue and green.
Another option is doing artwork with your kids and hanging their creations in their homeschool environment. You could buy a diamond painting kit for your child, for example, and hang up the finished piece in their work area. Seeing the artwork every day will remind them of what they are capable of doing when they put their mind to it. This will, of course, encourage them to keep pushing through on their more challenging days. Once you learn how to frame a diamond painting, you can quickly and easily display your child’s one-of-a-kind creations throughout their work area.
Maintain a Comfortable Climate
Kids tend to have a hard time learning when they’re too hot or too cold. Likewise, learning can be difficult in spaces that are stuffy, drafty or damp. When setting up your child’s homeschool environment, be sure to choose an area where you can maintain a comfortable climate. If you’re setting up in a basement or attic, make sure that there is plenty of insulation and the ability to heat and cool the area, as needed.
If your child is complaining about the temperature in their school area, listen to them. Take their complaint seriously, and find a solution. Telling your kid to put on a sweatshirt because they are cold won’t solve a long-term issue like a drafty workspace.
Put Up Whiteboards
Using wall space for whiteboards is an easy and cost-effective way to give your child a space to take notes, work out problems and more. You can set up easels, in a pinch, but a whiteboard affixed to a wall is your best bet.
Your child can also use the whiteboard in their homeschool area as space to doodle when they are taking a break from their studies. This is a great way to express creativity, and for a lot of kids, just spending a few minutes drawing can unleash a great deal of creative energy.
Ask for Your Child’s Input
When you are trying to create an inspiring homeschool environment that is perfect for your child, it only makes sense to ask for their input. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get so caught up in the pursuit of creating a perfect space that you forget to ask the person who will be using the space what they like.
Even if you have a young child, ask for their input on what colours they would like to see, what supplies you should make sure are in the homeschool area at all times, etc. You may be surprised at what they tell you! Listening to your kids and working with them to create a space that’s perfect for them makes them feel validated. It also ensures that their ultimate homeschool space will be a place where they feel comfortable and enjoy being. With their input and the guidelines outlined above, you can create an inspiring homeschool environment that will inspire creativity and instill a love of learning.
Picture credit: Photo by Taylor Heery on Unsplash
