Our Minimalist Homeschool Room

Welcome to our homeschool room! Although books and activities are spread throughout the house on a typical day, this room is the heart of our homeschool.

I spend quite a bit of time in the “teacher’s chair,” a comfortable rolling chair that saves me many steps each day. Everything I need is stored within easy reach. (I learned during my first year of homeschooling that jumping up and down for books and materials all day is simply exhausting.)

The children take turns sitting around the school table for help with lessons, then often leave to study in their favorite spots around the house. I love that having everyone gathered around one table allows me to see each child’s work at a glance without disrupting study time.

Within easy reach from my spot at the table, the storage cabinet contains all the textbooks, teacher’s manuals, DVDs, and other materials that we use on a daily basis.

Each child’s books and binders are stored in a separate Sterlite tote turned on its side. (I discovered that these totes work much better than the magazine holders I had used previously; they hold about twice as many books and the solid sides allow books to slide in easily.)

The file cabinet beside the school table contains all my paperwork such as log sheets, assignment sheets, and other resources for homeschooling. The bottom drawer holds any PACEs being used during the current school year, filed by child and subject.

Across the room from the school table is our computer desk. Ironically, the laptop computer is rarely ever used at the desk; instead, the children take it to a comfortable seat in the living room to watch their Math-U-See lessons or use other learning DVDs.

The playpen is situated in the school room in hopes that a certain little lady will enjoy spending some time there each morning, playing with special “school time” toys. I have to say that I’m not getting my hopes too high for successful playpen time, though. 🙂

Bookshelves in the corner hold the current year’s literature books and readers, as well as resource books such as dictionaries and an atlas. A large laminated world map hangs above the shelves.

To the left of the school table, the white storage cabinet contains our math manipulatives and art supplies. The clear plastic bin on the top of the cabinet stores some basic chemistry lab supplies.

As you may have noticed, we don’t have a huge stash of art supplies, manipulatives, or homeschool extras. This conservative approach has enabled us to fit our larger-than-average family into our average-size minimalist homeschool room.

What about you? Where does your family spend time learning?