Our oldest son will be starting school August 27th. He will have his own computer (the virtual academy we are going through is supplying it), but a majority of the work will be done on paper. My husband and I are a bit at odds over where is schooling space should be, and we are getting down to the wire!!! Our home is very small (980 square feet), with a large living area and three small bedrooms. DH wants DS6's desk/computer to be in his bedroom, which he shares with DS3. I feel this would be too much of a distraction, partly because of the toys, but partly because I think it would be best to have sleep/school separated. The desk would not fit in the boys' room unless we put together the bunkbeds (DD has the top bed in her room), but I am not really comfortable with giving active, rowdy boys something to jump off of. DS6 is fairly cautious, but DS3 is NOT! I'd rather have the desk in our bedroom. This would require selling our furniture and buying a new set, which DH doesn't really want to do (I've always hated it). I feel this would be a better enviroment to "buckle down" and do the work, because our room has always been a "special" place where they are not permitted to play or hang out. My mom suggested putting the desk in the living room. It would fit, but I, again, think it would be too many distractions. She then suggested setting up the computer in the "nook" behind our bedroom door (there is already a small "computer area" built in, which only has enough room for the monitor/keyboard) and having him do his book work at the kitchen table. I am certainly open to him doing work at the kitchen table sometimes, but I don't think it would be good for an all-the-time sort of thing. I really want him to have his OWN space, a space where his siblings can't come, a space that is quiet, with good natural light. Are those things that I shouldn't be concerned with? Does he NOT need his own space? WOULD it work for him to be doing school work in his room or in the living room, where all of the activity is going on? I'm curious what has worked for all of you guys!
Well, we just moved to our current house this past May and our old house had a computer room that we also used for a learning room as well. We'll probably end up all over this house and on good weather days out on our huge back patio. I have 4 tables out there and still plenty of space. I have to agree about the bunk bed theory. It it were my ds he'd be flying off of them. Maybe you can get a few of those tri screens to set up in the kitchen while he's working so it's like he's in his own space?
Our home is very small. I think we have about the same square footage as you (although I believe this fall we will be buying my inlaws home and it's 4 times the size of ours!!!) First of all I must say I'm a book addict.. esp when it comes to books for the kids, whether they be fun books or school books.. we have well over 1,000 in our tiny home! For them I have housed them in bookshelves that run down our hall (we live in a 14x70 mobile). My oldest son has his own room, in there he has a desk with a computer on it, that computer is not hooked up to the internet and is also password protected so he has to have permission to be on it. The two kiddos that I call "the littles" share a room and have bunkbeds in there. Our room is filled with hubby and I and the baby. Our computer is in the living room. This is the one that is online... it's a desktop so not portable, in time I want to get a laptop and wireless internet so it can go with us where ever we are in the house because we do school where ever we feel like being at that time. Sometimes written work is done at the kitchen table, sometimes the coffee table, sometimes in the bedrooms on the floor... where ever we feel like doing something that is where we do it.
Another book addict here. We have a desk and two laptops in a room for the girls plus the big computer I use. There are bookcases in the dining room from floor to ceiling. We call the room with the desk the school room but they work all over the house and even outside when they want to. My girls are 16 and 11.
I am against internet connection in the bedroom, period. It's too easy to get on unsupervised. Having said that, most houses aren't designed to give the space you're looking for. No matter WHERE you put him, there will be SOME distraction. We keep ours in what is suppose to be the "formal dining room" area. The kids do their non-computer work wherever they wish. For my son, this is the kitchen table. For my middle child, this is usually on her bed. For my oldest, it is often on her bed but can be in the living room. Faythe is my distractable child. When she was younger, she worked at the kitchen table and I would have to either set the timer or "remind" her of what she was suppose to be doing. Occasionally, I would put a cardboard barrier around her (like one of those science fair tri-fold things). When she started requesting to work in her room, I was reluctant. I would let her, but I would check to make sure she was doing work and not just reading a book. Now I can trust her to go and do her work there (AND she does it more accurately when she's up there!), but she still has to have the door open. She can also listen to music while working without getting distracted, which she use not be able to do.
When I was in school, this is the description they gave us of the BEST study environment - Brightly-lit, completely quiet, no TV, no music, sitting up straight at a desk or table. They were WRONG! Everyone has different needs when it comes to their best learning environment. While the above described area does work for some, it won't work for others. In fact, that area would be more distracting to me than sitting in the middle of a night club at its busiest. Silence is more distracting to me than having the TV on while listening to music & having the kids running around screamming. So, figure out what works best for your son. I would set up the computer in the little computer nook you mentioned, then let him do his written work wherever he's most comfortable (couch, bed, floor, kitchen table, etc.). If the surrounding activity is distracting to him, get him a set of headphones to use while on the computer & a discman for while he's doing his written work. Then, try out some different music to see what he works best while listening to. Some work best with classical while others need the music they would listen to on a regular basis. You may find that he doesn't get distracted by the noise around him, as long as the younger kids are kept busy & aren't talking directly to him while he works. Try out a few things & figure out which works best for him. That's what I would do, anyway.
Currently we have a "schoolroom" in the basement which is very nice and meets all our needs. He does his computer work there and then lays on the couch for reading or movies. It is a pretty comfortable space. We have wireless intenet that goes through the house so all the computers have internet and technically he could work at any one of them. He too has been asking to do school in his room and he just got a really nice gaming computer so it would be no issue to just have him sit up there - but I like to listen to him as I work in my office - which is in the basement as well. (It is a huge walk-out basement - so not basementy at all) That way if he has a question he can just pop his head in and ask. So I guess I am the opposite - I like him to be close to everything. As far as distractions - he does school with a dog on his lap most of the time!
Have you asked your son which option he would prefer? My guess is he would be excited about the possibility of bunk beds and would choose that option. (Two of our boys - one rather adventurous - shared the bunk beds, and there was never an issue with jumping.) Each of our children chose to use their own bedroom as their workroom. Other rooms were available, but they preferred to be in their own space. Much of the time, they'd be sitting on their bed reading or completing worksheets. I don't ever remember them sitting at a table. Time spent in their own rooms was interspersed with time spent with my wife or me, which helped to break up their day. For a while, my older daughter came to work with me a few times a week. She worked at the table in my office.
My kids have a computer in their room but no internet connection. They only use for typing things up...playing games..whatever. I just don't have the space anywhere else and I will not allow internet connection in their bedroom. They are welcome to use my computer in the dining room. If we decide to get an internet connection for the kids' computer then I suppose I will have one strange dining room since it will be home to two computers. lol. My kids do their work all over the house but mostly at the dining room table. During the school year our dining room looks like a classroom. Can't say I am thrilled about it but such is the life of a homeschooler without an extra room. lol.
I wouldn't get too attached to "where he will do his work". like boxed curriculum it tends to morph into something you don't recognize. Ds did someof his work in the office (old laundry room with the computer in it.) and some at his desk in his bedroom...and most at the kitchen table, quite a bit laying on his bed. Sometimes we went outside.
My kids have computers in their rooms. They know that they can only access the net if they have my permission. We have a wireless system that requires the little usb thing (can't think of what it is formally called) that has to be plugged in. It can be removed and no conection can be made. So the Internet thing can be taken care of. I say put the desk where you think would best work and if it doesn't then try somewhere else. I had a small house like that before we moved here with tons of books and bookshelves. I know it feels like you run into someone or something everytime you turn around. In that small of a house with that many people there will not be a totally quiet uninterupted place to work. I wish you the best.
Is this your 6 year old? If so, he won't be needing lots of alone time to get his work done. At six he is going to need mostly mom assisted time no matter what curriculum you are using. So make sure that where ever he is, there is enough room for both of you to be comfortable. ( and probably room for the littles to be within easy reach also) :love:
I lived in 700 square foot house with my dh and 2 dd's.....a long time ago. We had the computer set up in the "extra" space next to the kitchen, probably a little bit like your "extra" space by your master bedroom door. I would set the computer up there and have him do book work at the kitchen table. It will be a lot easier in the long run. If the computer were in his room the little one will want to be in there , take a nap or need to be sent to his room for whatever reasons ( like wanting to play). It will just end in headaches ( been there , done that). Have your ds6 put up cool school posters or even a dry erase board/chalk board by the space, anything to make it feel like his.
Thank you all for the comments, opinions, great ideas. I am such a "structure" person. I like everything to be organized, cleaned, put away, have its own space; I don't like chaos and clutter. (This is probably the product of being Type A and living in a small house. LOL.) I don't LIKE the idea of DS working "wherever" (sometimes here, sometimes there), so I hadn't even considered the fact that he might do WELL with having some (or a lot) of variety in where pencil-and-paper work is done. I know that with our first year of homeschooling, there is bound to be A LOT of trial and error. After reading all of your posts, I think we'll set up his computer on the built-in area behind the door (which has no room for book work) and let him choose where the rest of the work is completed. We can just see how this works and modify as we go along. That's what homeschooling is all about, right? I'm learning.
I plan on using our Dining room table. I have 3 daughters who are 10, 8 and 5. My dd10 has a computer in her room (with not int. connection, but she can type and play games) with a desk. I figure she may want to go off where it's quiet (she needs quiet for certain things like reading) Sometimes she can work with the littler ones making noise but other times she gets upset that she cannot concentrate. So her room is all set for her to be when she needs peace and quiet. My 8 yr old has developmental delays, so her and my 5 yr old will mainly be at the dining room table for my help. Of course I'm not opposed to them working wherever though. If they feel like sitting on the porch or the couch or the kitchen table that is all fine with me too. I wish I could have done my school work on my front porch. I'm actually going to work on setting it up a little more for school out there too. It is enclosed so we could be out there until it gets too cold( It's not heated) But when the suns out, even in the winter the porch is very toasty during the day. I think when they're all over the place it won't be the same routine every day and it will make learning at home that much more interesting. So I think if I were you I would go with putting the desk in the secluded space for him in case he needs the peace but then have him do the rest of his work wherever he wants to plop down and do it. I think i'm going to have more concentration on the front porch than I will with them sitting around the dining room table. We'll see!!
My oldest does most of her work on the formal living room couch which is near the dining room where her siblings do their seatwork (her choice...she can't seem to get the same work done at the table with her sibs). The kids all read on one of the couches, or comfy chairs or on their beds. Computer work is done in the office. We basically use the whole house depending on the day. They all have desks in their rooms but rarely use them for daily work.
Do not have your child doing his school work in his bedroom!!! It will disturb his own sleep. His bedroom needs to be a happy place, not a place where he feels stress or such. Your dh is wrong, you are right. Stand your ground on this one. Google "sleep hygiene" and he will see what a huge mistake it would be to do what he is suggesting.
How about putting your two younger children in one room, and letting your older son have his own room with room for his computer?
I think your mom has the best idea but even it's operating on a premise that may turn out to be faulty. As young as your son is I really, really don't think a quiet place to work should be the priority. At 6 there's just not a lot of independent work. Instead you'll probably find you need a place to help him that's central. Where he's got you close at hand but where you can also look after the other kids, wash dishes, etc. It's not by chance that there's the cliche of homeschoolers working at the kitchen table! I recently moved from a 780 sq foot house where we worked mainly at the sofa and table to a 2800 sq ft house with many rooms where we still work at the sofa or table. What I'd reccomend instead is a lapdesk that your son can carry to where ever he might go. For at least the first year you should keep homeschooling as cheap and as flexible as possible because I guarantee that as you guys learn you'll make changes, sometimes extreme ones, before you find what works for you. I've been homeschooling mine for about 6 years now and we are STILL making changes and still running into new problems .
