All Our Days

Intentional Family Life

RSS
Subscribe
Etsy
Amazon
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
  • Home
  • This Is Us
  • Faith & Family
  • Homeschool
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Books & Games
  • RV Life
  • Contact

6 Tips for Homeschooling Without a School Room

05/4/2015

no school room

If you homeschool your kids or have considered homeschooling, I’d bet you’ve seen the beautifully decorated and organized school rooms some homeschool families have. If not, do a quick search on Pinterest and you’ll see there are some beautiful ones out there.

But what about all the families, like mine, who don’t have an extra room to dedicate specifically to homeschooling?

Well, I have good news for you! While some homeschoolers have separate school rooms and love them, I can safely say that you can homeschool no matter what your home setup and no matter how little dedicated space you have for school. In fact, while some extra storage would be nice, I actually prefer not having a homeschool room.

[clickToTweet tweet=”You can homeschool no matter how small your space is. Trust me! Homeschool without a school room.” quote=”You can homeschool no matter how small your space is. Trust me!” theme=”style7″]

If you’ve been following our story, you know my husband and I recently moved our family of 8 into an RV full time. Not just any RV, but a 31 foot travel trailer…definitely not a large RV by any stretch of the imagination.

Yet, I’m still homeschooling my three older children as well as providing learning opportunities for my preschooler while my toddler and baby play or nap nearby.

And that homeschool storage space, well, it’s pretty nonexistent.

While I’ve never had a specific homeschool room, I can definitely say that this is the most limited space I’ve had since starting our homeschool journey a few years ago.

Here are 6 tips for homeschooling when you don’t have a school room.

1. Stay positive about your setup.

While this isn’t a tangible tip, I don’t think any amount of organization can make up for a bad attitude. Your space may not be ideal, but if you look for things to be thankful for instead of grumbling about what you can’t change your space will be able to be a place of learning and growth for both you and your children.

For me, I’m thankful I’m close enough to wash dishes while listening to someone read aloud and that there isn’t a lot of clean up involved when we put away the school books for the day.

2. Think outside the box when it comes to storage.

Who says homeschool books and workbooks need to be kept on a bookshelf. Maybe you homeschool in the dining room and could find some extra space in the bottom of your china cabinet or buffet. Maybe there is a closet or pantry nearby that could hold bins or bags of homeschool materials. Each child could also have their own backpack filled with their books, workbooks, and supplies that could be tucked away behind a chair or in the mudroom.

Our family has very limited storage space. The items we don’t use everyday are put away under one of the dinette benches. We store those materials in two under the bed storage bins stacked one on top of the other.

no school room storage

The workbooks and supplies we use each day are kept in an upright bag under the table so the kids can get their own materials out each morning.

org no room

3. Don’t feel confined to one space. Move around.

One thing I like about not having a homeschool room is the freedom to do school anywhere in the home (or even outside). In fact, I think I’d still do this even if I did have a homeschool room.

Our table technically seats four, but when all the kids have workbooks out it is pretty crowded.

no homeschool room 600

Thankfully, the kids can spread out around the living area and still be close enough for me to help and monitor. Typically, two kids end up sitting on the couch or on the floor. When the kids play learning apps on our iPads they move to the master bed and the lower bunk bed to help keep the noise from disturbing those still completing their written work.

As the weather get warmer, I’m hoping to make good use of our outdoor picnic table as well.

4. Don’t buy or collect materials too far ahead.

If your space is limited, you’ll need to be careful of collecting resources you won’t need for the near future. You’ll need to determine how much you can save after evaluating your space and situation. If it can be replaced in ten minutes or less for ten dollars or less it might not be worth saving for more than a year.

For our family, we decided to purge anything we wouldn’t use in the next year. We also passed on or sold materials that covered concepts we already had resources for. We’re trusting God will provide the materials or money needed to purchase materials as we need them. One item we did save for the future was our full set of Explode the Code workbooks and our sets of Bob Books, but since our children are so close and we’ll start at the beginning with Eliya when she finishes her preschool workbook this month and then again with Amelia next year we felt that was a wise choice.

5. Only keep what you love.

Homeschool books, workbooks, supplies, and manipulatives can really add up (both in price and physical number). Often the really good books and resources are crowded out and not used as often as they could be when there is a lot of subpar materials taking up space in your home and mind. There is no reason to own dozens of alphabet books when a few will do. In the same way, why have 4 addition workbooks for one child?

When we purged, we passed on a lot of homeschool items. Some we had rarely used, some we had outgrown, and some were simply extra. Right now, we don’t have much that we don’t (or won’t shortly) use on a regular basis. The books were one of the hardest things to purge, but surprisingly, the kids haven’t said a work about our much more limited reading selection.

6. Borrow instead of buying.

The public library is a great resource for all homeschool families, but perhaps even more so when you’re dealing with limited space. Simply set aside a bin or basket for borrowed materials and switch it out every week or two to add variety and learning resources to your homeschool curriculum. By borrowing from the library you can still read dozens of books on a single subject or entire series of books without having to store them long term 🙂

In the past, we’ve also borrowed books and curriculum from other homeschool families. If you have a good network of homeschoolers in your area this could definitely be an option for you.

Do you have a dedicated homeschool space? Why or why not? If you don’t, do you have any other tips to help other homeschool without a school room? If you’ve been frustrated with your lack of homeschool space, which tip above can you begin implementing to make your space work for you and your family?

 

 

 

«
»

Filed Under: Faith & Family 7 Comments

Comments

  1. Ashley Wright says

    at

    I love this article. We are using a separate school room because my son thinks he wants to but personally I’d prefer to do most of our work in the kitchen, living room and outside. I love seeing all the hands-on learning in your photos, it looks like a great learning environment! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. Michelle says

    at

    So inspiring. I have two kids I want to homeschool and we are in a to bedroom, two bathroom apartment. We couldn’t do a school room or clear enough living room space to have a whole school area. We never get a Christmas tree because it cramps everything up too much for me. Everyone I see has these school rooms or at least school areas and it got me all worried. So far we are homeschooling preschool all over the house and outside of it. He does his crafts and worksheets on the kitchen table or his little kiddie table. We already utilize the library and digital media and of course mother nature. Now I wonder if it might be a GOOD thing, to show the children that learning is not confined to this room or area, that they can learn everywhere. We used to do homework wherever as kids, so mine can do schoolwork wherever.

    Reply
  3. Cookie says

    at

    You are doing such a great job! Thanks for all the wonderful tips 🙂 This is our first year homeschooling, so the Pinterest school rooms you mentioned were certainly intimidating. We ended up just setting up a mini bookcase in the kitchen and installing a white board above it. Anything we don’t use regularly are binned in our garage. I like it because I can chase my little one and take care of kitchen duties while my son works on school. The baby does distract him sometimes, but since I’m right there I can help get him back on track 🙂 Thanks so much for this post, I was starting to wonder if I’m the only one who didn’t have the full set up!

    Reply
  4. Melissa says

    at

    We homeschooled this past year and we lived in an apartment, so we did not have a dedicated space. We stored her curriculum in a drawer and she just pulled it out and did school wherever!

    Reply
  5. Anita Ojeda says

    at

    Oh, boy! It looks like you’re doing a great job at keeping things simple yet making sure your kids are learning. Kudos! I think I’m a little too addicted to my ‘stuff’ and could do some purging around the house.

    Reply
  6. Wendy says

    at

    YES! While I have more space than you do right now, I agree with all of these things. I am especially challenged to do some purging! And an added benefit of purging is all the other local homeschool families that get our gently used hand me downs! Thanks for the encouragement.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Road Schooling Your kids – Living the full time Life | RVs and Towables says:
    at

    […] 6 Tips for Homeschooling Without a School Room […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

A great way to prepare for Christmas!

Truth in the Tinsel

Expand your world and experience new countries without leaving home

Fun classical music education for the whole family

Popular Series & Posts

Teaching Kids to Work
Lowercase Color by Number Printables
DIY Family Prayer Pail

allourdays

Allyson @AllOurDays
Cousins, and aunts, and uncles, oh, my! • Our ki Cousins, and aunts, and uncles, oh, my!
•
Our kids are having so much fun visiting with their cousins and Tim and I are enjoying our time being a nearby aunt and uncle instead of far away ones!
•
I think to helped that we've been using the Marco Polo app to connect with a couple of the younger cousins. It was great that they knew us right away.
•
Now the goal is to get the rest of our siblings on the app so we can stay connected.
•
How do you connect with far away family? We'd love to know all your tips!
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. • What a Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs.
•
What a wonderful wedding weekend with family back in Maryland!
•
We're so thankful for our time together!
•
Do you live far from family? How often are you able to visit them?
She's barely five and can only read her name and s She's barely five and can only read her name and simple CVC words, but she's already a writer! (Swipe to see her work.)
•
She picked this book up from our library bin this morning and decided to copy the words from every page. "I love this book, and I want to write books just like it so everybody can read them!"
•
What is something your child has wanted to practice or learn about recently? How did/can you partner with them to make it a reality?
Today is a great day for an adventure! Get outside Today is a great day for an adventure! Get outside with your kids. Explore. Discover...and build great memories and relationships along the way!
.
Yesterday the kids and I picked up a friend and walked a local nature loop. The almost 2 1/2 miles sped by with finding awesome sticks, climbing nursery stumps, scrambling into branches, and searching for the perfect beach stones.
.
Have you enjoyed being outside with your kids recently? Where did you go 🌲🏖 or what did you do 🏕🚵‍♀️🤸‍♂️💐?
Our snack today is inspired by the audio book the Our snack today is inspired by the audio book the kids and I have been listening to in the van. Ninga Detectives has been playing as we go back and forth to town to do laundry, buy groceries, and run other errands. Then a few days ago, the characters were eating a fancy dinner at a Russian tearoom in New York City and caviar was mentioned.
.
I remembered I saw some at Grocery Outlet a few weeks ago, so I ran in and picked some up. Add in some simple crackers and cream cheese and this is our morning snack.
.
It was really easy but my kids are so excited about it. Just a reminder to myself that adding enchantment doesn't need to be meticulously planned or require copious amount of extra work. Oh, and that snacks make all learning better!
.
How do you add excitement and connection with the books you're reading or listening to? Let me know in the comments! (Also, watch our stories today for more about our caviar snack connection.)
The blinds may be permanently crooked, the window The blinds may be permanently crooked, the window smudged, and the view not particularly epic, but this gift of another day, breathing, filled with purpose, and surrounded by my little people is more than enough to find joy in!
•
Joy isn't an illusive feeling only reserved for those whose lives are glamorous and easy. Instead of being controlled by outward circumstances, joy is a deep contentment of knowing we are radically loved by God and entrusted with the great honor of working alongside him for his good purpose!
•
Happy Monday, friends!
•
Praying your heart is filled with joy and your day filled with reminders of God's deep love for you!
•
How can you claim joy today?
Great things never come from comfort zones. This i Great things never come from comfort zones. This is true for our kids and for us as parents watching them explore and trying to still breathe. This first shot definitely got me out of my comfort zone!
.
We had an amazing scramble through a local river bed last week. (Scroll for more photos and a video of the amazing rock formations.) There were many reminders to "watch your step" and a few times I simply had to look away. As difficult as it is for me to watch them do risky things I know they will never learn how to do new things if they never take risks. We can help them think through problems and plan their steps but in the end they have to risk failing and try.
.
How do you feel when your kids do risky things? How do you encourage them to try new things? How have you stepped out of your comfort zone recently?
We’ve been singing this hymn together for the mo We’ve been singing this hymn together for the month of September with @happyhymnody and I just love the deep theological truths that are being planted in our hearts as we sing.
.
While we may not agree completely with the doctrine of the writer, we know for certain that it is only by God’s grace and work through Jesus that we can be washed clean and have hope for eternity.
.
“Helpless, look to Thee for grace”
.
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”
.
Do you like this hymn? Have you found God to be a rock for you during difficult times? Tell me about it in the comments.
"Play is the highest form of research." -Albert Ei "Play is the highest form of research." -Albert Einstein
.
Last week we visited the Imagine Children's museum in Everett, WA. We all had a wonderful time. From a theater and dance screen to a water room and giant foam building blocks there is definitely something for everyone. Children's museums are such amazing places for kids to explore and problem solve through play.
.
Do you agree with the quote above? Tell me something your kids love to play.
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

What We’re Pinning

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Adorn theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Adorn Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in