Homeschool Help

Do I Need a Separate Schoolroom to Homeschool My Children?

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The question we're looking at in this homeschool help article is, "Do I need a separate schoolroom to homeschool my children?"

The quick answer is "No."

The much longer answer is, "that all depends on you and your family."

Let me explain. Probably the most wonderful thing about homeschooling is that you can do what you want and what is best for your family. There are no set rules. You are the parent and you know what is best for your children.

Of course, you already knew that.

So lets look at the pros and cons of having a separate schoolroom.

Separate Schoolroom Pros

• School books and school paraphernalia stays in the schoolroom.
• You have room for everything in one room.
• You can decorate and set the room up to look like a schoolroom.
• You have room for a desk for each child.

Separate Schoolroom Cons

• You are separated from the rest of your house during school hours. This means you can't multi-task and start dinner or fold laundry etc.
• You're isolated with the kids in one room.
• Schoolwork has a way of oozing out of the schoolroom so it doesn't stay as neat as planned.
• If the room is small, you may feel very cramped and the room gets cluttered.
• Many people don't want to "play" school at home. They want a different experience for than children than what they had at school.

To decide if a separate schoolroom is right for your children, you need to think about these pros and cons and think about how it will work out for your family. If you feel like you must have a separate schoolroom and just don't have room for one, don't despair.

As you know, I have homeschooled for 16 years with four children and we've never had a separate schoolroom. We have a small home and the living room, dining room and kitchen, is one big "L-shape." My children have always done all of their schoolwork at the kitchen table. This way, I help them start their lessons and then when they are finish up, I can be in the kitchen, cleaning or getting the next meal ready.

Another good point about having your children in the main part of your home doing schoolwork is that you can keep an eye on them. This cuts down on misbehaving with siblings, and daydreaming. You're also right there getting your work done and you're just a "Mom!!!" away when they need help.

My children do their "book" work at the table. Things like their math lesson or answering science questions or doing worksheets. For Bible, reading, history etc. we snuggle up on the couch.

My kids refer to their school as "couch stuff." When they are ready for "couch stuff" it means teaching the grammar lesson,Latin, history, and whatever read-aloud book we are doing at the time. I love it and I think it's something my kids will always remember.

We have all of our schoolbooks in a small closet in the dining room that is designated for the current school year's books (the rest of our school books are in a walk-in closet in the basement). At the beginning of the day, my kids get their books out, put them on the table and we get started. At the end of the day, we put them back - no mess.

Now, we don't have room to display schoolwork or set up discovery centers. I have secretly always wanted to do this, but I have the feeling it would have been one of those things that I would have put a lot of work into; the kids would have looked at it one time and that's it. So, so much for my dream. :)

One homeschool family that I know had a separate desk for their daughter in the corner of the living room. This was her "school" space. Nobody messed with it and it's where she got all her work done. It didn't bother anyone being there and since they weren't worried about being prepared for the next "Southern Living" photo shoot, they didn't care.

Now, this set up may not sound too good to you. If it doesn't, you may be a candidate for a separate room and that's fine. This article is just to get you thinking, give you some ideas, and put things into perspective.

At the end of the day, always do what's best for your children.

I hope this homeschool help article was helpful to you. Remember, just ask about any questions or concerns you have and I'll be happy to answer you.