[mommytoEli]

ok...so i'm currently homeschooling at my dining room table. not a great idea. lol. i'm going to be devoting an entire room to our homeschool efforts, and need some furniture tips. the problem is, the room is the FIRST room you see when you walk in the house, so i'm thinking traditonal wood veneered school furniture might not be the cutest idea for my front room. lol. i'd love some functional furniture- desk, bookshelf, storage, that would be functional, but maybe also a little easy on the eyes. i want people to see that room and think "omg...that is so cute, a schoolhouse." so, anyone have any ideas? i'm also down for making furniture (to an extent) or using furniture that would not normally be intended for that purpose. help!

[DPline]

Go to potterybarnkids.com and search desks. Lots of really nice options. Some are even on sale.

If that is not a budget consideration (it wouldn't be for me, but I dream!) have you checked at Target? They usually have lots of desks, shelving units, bookcases, etc. at reasonable prices that still look nice.

[mommytoEli]

omg...target never crossed my mind, i just popped over there...and they have some super cute desks! great idea!

[AdoptAmiga]

IKEA has some great low cost, functional items. You can look at their catalog on line and/or have one mailed to you. It's nice to have an idea what you're looking for before you venture into one of their stores.

[triciabn]

I think it really depends on WHAT kind of homeschooling you do?
classical?
charlotte mason?
waldorf?
unschool?
eclectic?

Those all really require a specific floorplan.

What about ages?
Tricia

[annaguat]

We have been doing home ed for too long and I have many a year to go but the good old kitchen table is the winner. We also have two book cases in the halway next to the kitchen that have a shelf for each child with their books and work on it. I also plopped a second small table in the kitchen for transfering stuff and students over to when we eat our meals on the big table. This way we keep everything picked up and out of the way. I find most home school rooms end up being a library room and are not used for actual schooling. Home school is more a a life style then a school at home for most of us. When my children get older and work more independently they find their own spot to work in. Couches are a popular place. You might get a small table with 2 to 4 chairs for children to sit and work on. This is also great for tea parties, puzzels and playing games. Also a computer "center" desk is nice as are many book cases with prefferably doors in front of the shelves. Have fun planning your room. I did not realize you had joined the ranks of home schoolers. Welcome! Anna

[lisam00]

I'm strongly leaning toward homeschooling. Our home office is very large so I've been thinking about adding some bookshelves and a small table and chairs to that area to allow for an organized space to store things. I really believe that most schooling will take place at our kitchen table but I cannot stand the idea of not having a place for everything. Yes, I am a little OCD about such things. I will likely head to IKEA soon to glance around for some ideas.

I'm doing research and learning all I can about homeschooling. I don't think I'm a fan of unschooling but I am going to an unschooling unconvention next week at an indoor waterpark. I figure that I might pick up some great tips and we'll have a blast at the waterpark!


Lisa

[mommytoEli]

Originally Posted by triciabn

I think it really depends on WHAT kind of homeschooling you do?
classical?
charlotte mason?
waldorf?
unschool?
eclectic?

Those all really require a specific floorplan.

What about ages?
Tricia

crap. i don't know...i was a traditional school teacher for many years, and now i am homeschooling my son (5) who was not doing well in traditional schooling. he has adhd. i'm going for a more relaxed setting, less stringent rules as far as sitting in a traditional desk for very long....more a little bit of learning, followed by a break or activity.....space to stand instead of sit....and a space for alternative seating. i want to have more experiences and more learning during natural teachable moments, and field trips- real and virtual. but i also think there is a time for a desk, for writing in a journal, and reading a leveled guided reader. i definitely want a reading corner with a bookshelf that displays the front of books rather than just the spine, with a kid sized chair/ottoman or bean bag. so i want my layout to have room for a reading corner, floor space, a desk with chair, storage for educational games and supplies, and a magnetic wall to hang things. it is a decent sized room....i believe it is 12 by 12. i've seen some bookshelves i LOVE on school supply websites....but again, not really digging the veneered fake wood look for what should be my formal living room. lol. i want the room to be calming and functional for my son, and adorable for me.

[mommytoEli]

Originally Posted by annaguat

We have been doing home ed for too long and I have many a year to go but the good old kitchen table is the winner. We also have two book cases in the halway next to the kitchen that have a shelf for each child with their books and work on it. I also plopped a second small table in the kitchen for transfering stuff and students over to when we eat our meals on the big table. This way we keep everything picked up and out of the way. I find most home school rooms end up being a library room and are not used for actual schooling. Home school is more a a life style then a school at home for most of us. When my children get older and work more independently they find their own spot to work in. Couches are a popular place. You might get a small table with 2 to 4 chairs for children to sit and work on. This is also great for tea parties, puzzels and playing games. Also a computer "center" desk is nice as are many book cases with prefferably doors in front of the shelves. Have fun planning your room. I did not realize you had joined the ranks of home schoolers. Welcome! Anna

yeah, ...i homeschooled 2 middle schoolers last year...at my kitchen table, but they are back in school this year and doing well. and i JUST pulled my 5 year old out of school last week....we have also been at the kitchen table...but it is our ONLY table. lol. we have posters and word walls and sentence strips all over the walls in that room...and i'd really like to reclaim my eating space for eating.....lol. i am determined for my homeschooling room to actually be the room we work in....especially bc my son does have such a hard time paying attention, i want to train his little brain- when you are in THIS room, we do school. we can have fun, but it is not time to be crazy when we come in here. i have 2 years before eli will join the ranks officially, before i have to worry about a space for him in there.

[triciabn]

Originally Posted by mommytoEli

crap. i don't know...i was a traditional school teacher for many years, and now i am homeschooling my son (5) who was not doing well in traditional schooling. he has adhd. i'm going for a more relaxed setting, less stringent rules as far as sitting in a traditional desk for very long....more a little bit of learning, followed by a break or activity.....space to stand instead of sit....and a space for alternative seating. i want to have more experiences and more learning during natural teachable moments, and field trips- real and virtual. but i also think there is a time for a desk, for writing in a journal, and reading a leveled guided reader. i definitely want a reading corner with a bookshelf that displays the front of books rather than just the spine, with a kid sized chair/ottoman or bean bag. so i want my layout to have room for a reading corner, floor space, a desk with chair, storage for educational games and supplies, and a magnetic wall to hang things. it is a decent sized room....i believe it is 12 by 12. i've seen some bookshelves i LOVE on school supply websites....but again, not really digging the veneered fake wood look for what should be my formal living room. lol. i want the room to be calming and functional for my son, and adorable for me.

Okay well...crap, lol..it totally seems like you have great ideas!
Okay.... we don't need a school room persay... we do however have an Arts Room... a place where my chalkboard is painted on the wall between two bookshelves (keeping it out of direct view to the passerby-er..but totally visable)...there is a piano and other musical instruments... a warm cozy sofa to for reading and knitting.... an easel for practicing letters, words and artistic endevors There are lapsize chalk board for copying chalk drawings... and a kid counter sized bench because in our type of homeschooling it is thought that kids retain certain things when standing and copying ....We homeschool all through the house and outside ... but I keep a lot of the stuff artisticly placed all around the Arts Room.
It really sounds like a Lounge room would work for you... a can of blackboard paint, a dry erase board, a cozy window seat, book shelves for you and him... baskets of countable objects like pinecones, seashells, balls of yarn...ya know things with different textures and shapes... but also stuff easily moved around and handled... a Learning Lounge....lol.
Tricia

[mommytoEli]

Originally Posted by triciabn

.
It really sounds like a Lounge room would work for you... a can of blackboard paint, a dry erase board, a cozy window seat, book shelves for you and him... baskets of countable objects like pinecones, seashells, balls of yarn...ya know things with different textures and shapes... but also stuff easily moved around and handled... a Learning Lounge....lol.
Tricia

well YES...that sounds perfect....a learning lounge sounds SO his speed, and mine. i think that is a perfect idea...which definitely helps me with my theme. \thank you SO much for the break thru! woo hoo! i'm off to look at lounge-type stuff!

[annaguat]

Yes, yes! LOL That sounds great. Can I come over too. LOL How about Montessori style? Anna

Originally Posted by triciabn

Okay well...crap, lol..it totally seems like you have great ideas!
Okay.... we don't need a school room persay... we do however have an Arts Room... a place where my chalkboard is painted on the wall between two bookshelves (keeping it out of direct view to the passerby-er..but totally visable)...there is a piano and other musical instruments... a warm cozy sofa to for reading and knitting.... an easel for practicing letters, words and artistic endevors There are lapsize chalk board for copying chalk drawings... and a kid counter sized bench because in our type of homeschooling it is thought that kids retain certain things when standing and copying ....We homeschool all through the house and outside ... but I keep a lot of the stuff artisticly placed all around the Arts Room.
It really sounds like a Lounge room would work for you... a can of blackboard paint, a dry erase board, a cozy window seat, book shelves for you and him... baskets of countable objects like pinecones, seashells, balls of yarn...ya know things with different textures and shapes... but also stuff easily moved around and handled... a Learning Lounge....lol.
Tricia

[triciabn]

Originally Posted by annaguat

Yes, yes! LOL That sounds great. Can I come over too. LOL How about Montessori style? Anna

Montessori is a bit neon bright for me.... I am more of a waldorf atmosphere myself, lol....less plasticy stuff...more pinecones and seashells

Tricia

[DeeVee]

No advice on the furniture. But, way to go Brook for pulling him out of that school. I know you weren't happy with it from the beginning. I've often thought that if we move again I may need to homeschool, but the prospect of it is daunting! And afer reading Tricia's post about all the different methods, I'm sure I'm completely unqualified.

I hope it goes well

[DPline]

Originally Posted by DeeVee

I've often thought that if we move again I may need to homeschool, but the prospect of it is daunting! And afer reading Tricia's post about all the different methods, I'm sure I'm completely unqualified.

Oh goodness! You and me both! I knew I wasn't qualified. I just don't have the patience. But I had no idea about different methods and furniture!