Making the best of Remote Learning from Home
Let me start off by saying I am not a teacher, nor am I trying to be one. Teachers are angels sent straight from heaven and I’m just trying my best to set the girls and I up for success during this remote learning at home. The amount of work teachers put in to educating our children is insane and I’m so lucky to have wonderful teachers for my girls that made this switch to learning at home bearable for all of us. I’m a very organized person and I function best with a system and a plan in place. Here is how my Homeschool Set Up for Kids for successful learning.
Don’t have an entire room or large space to designate to a Homeschool Set Up? Check out my post for How I Set Up a Homeschool Station in our Living Room.
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Where to Set Up your Classroom
The first step I had to do was figure out where we would be going over lesson plans. We didn’t have an ideal place for all of us to sit together. The kitchen table had too many distractions and wasn’t great for when Duncan was awake and playing. We needed a place we could all go and be comfortable and a spot that would keep my kids engaged for the hour or two of learning we needed to do each day. The basement happened to be the best place for our Homeschool Set Up for Kids, but it needed to be cleaned, organized and WHIMed for this to be a success.
I went down and set up a classroom for us. I did this for 2 reasons. One being it was a designated spot for learning with specific spots for all our classroom items. The second reason being I wanted to make this switch to be fun and exciting for the girls. I knew that if I decorated an area just for them and their school they would be excited to go down and learn. Evie was so excited for school at home to start and I believe a lot of her excitement was because of the space I set up for her.
Classroom Set Up
Each girl has their own table and chairs. This allows them plenty of space to work, color, and craft. Getting a kid size table and chairs was important to me so they would be comfortable sitting and working on their schoolwork.
I’m big on visual aids, especially to keep Tessa’s attention. Entertaining little ones can get tricky. We got specific work books and flash cards set aside just for Tessa and created some busy work for her too. I also set up a wall that I could easily reference to if the girls had questions. We hung a laminated United States Map Poster and a Kids ABC’s Poster on the wall and brought the girls globe down too.
Teaching Tools for Mom
A large magnetic chalkboard is a great addition to your classroom. The chalkboard was for writing out specials things we will work on for the day, like writing our numbers and specific site words. Small chalkboards can be helpful for practicing names and dates.
I hung a bulletin board to pin on a list of site words and math problems for Evie to work on. This is great for Tessa too because she can see what Evie is working on and hear us explain what they are. I can also use the bulletin board for displaying artwork they make.
When it comes to our favorite school supplies, I always go with Crayola. I’ve shared multiple times that we are huge fans of their twistable crayons. You don’t have to mess with broken crayons and they are much easier for my girls tiny hands to write with. We also love Crayola’s erasable colored pencils.
Lastly, I grabbed an American flag out of my 4th of July bin so we could say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning before we start. This was such a success and I know why schools do this every morning now. It really grabbed their attention, calmed them down and got them focused for starting the day.
Staying Organized with Your Homeschool Set Up for Kids
I set up this 3 tiered utility cart to keep things organized for me and so I could easily grab things for the girls. The top of the cart has all of Evie’s work pages and flash card. The middle of the crate has preschool workbooks for Tessa. The bottom of the crate was filled with color books, construction paper and sticker books for play time.
One of my favorite ways to organize the kids school supplies is to use these portable storage caddys. Add pencils, markers and crayons to different sections to stay organized. Anything they might need to write or create with. It helps keep everything organized and I love how I can quickly clear their table by picking it up by the handle. This is a MUST for homeschooling!
I also love this rolling storage cart with different compartments. This is great for holding different types of papers and supplies. I love that the top can be used as a table to hold things as well….great for Mom’s coffee cup!
These colorful plastic book bins are great for separating out each child’s school work, especially if you are juggling multiple kids.
Lastly, this Cascading Wall Organizer is fantastic if you want to utilize wall space to store papers. I love how you can label each section.
Don’t forget to reward
Kids love stickers, they will do anything for a sticker. I found some reward stickers that I use for putting on their work pages or handing out when they work through something difficult. They really loved the validation of receiving a sticker when they did well or worked hard at something. Click HERE for these cute reward stickers.
Kids Table and Chairs | Reward Stickers | ABC Trace and Flip Book (great for preschoolers) | Preschool Work Book |Large Magnetic Chalkboard | Art Supply Caddy | 3 Tiered Metal Storage Crate | Miniature American Flag with Stand | iPad Case for Kids | Smart Learning Globe | The 50 States Book | MathLink Cubes | Dry Erase Weekly Planner | Flashcard Site Words | Kids Modern Table and Chairs | Large Bulletin Board | Modern Storage Caddy | Kids Alphabet Poster | Telling Time Teaching Clock | Rolling Storage Cart | Plastic Book Bins | Cascading Wall Organizer
All in all, it was a pretty good first week of remote learning. I felt organized and prepared which make the switch to learning at home for the girls easier. Now I just need to set up a teachers lounge for my coffee and snack breaks. 🙂
If you love this Homeschool Set up for Kids, check out my post on our Corner Homework Station for Small Spaces, Organization Tips for Kids Post and How I Organize my Kids Schoolwork.
Celebrate the First Day of School with a big Back to School Breakfast. And if you are looking for a fun snack to make, check out my post for Ladybug Appetizers. The kids will go crazy for them!
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