Set Up A Homeschool Dining Room

Dining rooms provide an ideal location for homeschool studies.

Setting up a homeschool dining room involves a combination of organized school materials and the necessary amount of space in which students can complete their studies. Having learning materials readily available in one location keeps the homeschool dining room clutter-free and ready for conversion back into a dining area when needed. Involving the homeschool students in preparing the room for school can take a load off the teacher and help them remember where everything goes so they can put their studies away without assistance.

Instructions

1. Provide seating and table space for each student. If the dining room table does not have enough chairs or table space for all students to work together, consider setting up a folding table and chairs to accommodate extra students.

2. Setting aside bumpy objects that ordinarily adorn the table, such as tablecloths, centerpieces or place mats. Students must be able to write on sheets of paper on the tabletop without other objects inhibiting their writing.

3. Supply a bookcase or bookcases large enough to accommodate all books, school supplies, references and teacher's manuals.

4. Classify which study materials apply to all students' studies and which are student-specific. Keep all-purpose reference materials, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, on a shelf where everyone can access them.

5. Organize student-specific study guides and notebooks in buckets or containers that fit on the bookshelf and can slide in and out. Label each child's container with a sticky note or masking tape, and keep it within that child's reach on the shelf.

6. Dedicate a container or drawers to school supplies. Arrange supplies such as scissors, tape, glue, pencils, crayons, markers and calculators in the container for everyone to access as needed.

7. Determine whether the teacher will need a chalkboard or dry erase board to write on. If needed, hang a chalkboard or dry-erase board on the wall across from the table where students can all view it. Alternately, if the home owner does not want to install a semi-permanent board, situate a free-standing board on the floor where students can see it. The home owner can move the board out of the room for dining or entertaining purposes.

8. Devote a container in which students can place submitted schoolwork for grading. Calvert School recommends stacking trays or crates with hanging files.

Tags: dining room, everyone access, home owner, homeschool dining, homeschool dining room, school supplies