Our Learning Space: 2014 - 2015



We're all set to begin this second grade journey.  I've finally finished our school area (which is obviously in our kitchen, since our house is less than 800 sq. ft.).  I believe we're finding our groove and discovering what works and what is superfluous as far as our school space.  I'm sure some things will be tweaked as we go, but I'm excited about it.



Robbie's main school work area. 

Robbie does his schoolwork at the kitchen table.  I'd love for him to have a properly-sized desk, but we have yet to find a spot for one.  I'm thinking of following some advice I saw on this blog about placing a stool at his feet so that they can rest comfortably, instead of dangling.  I'm not sure if it will work, though, since Robbie likes to sit on his feet and in other odd positions (like his mom)... but I'm willing to give it a try.

The corkboard holds his current work.  This makes it easy for RockerDad to see what Robbie has done.  You can also see his "Word Jail", his Greek alphabet cards he colored in first grade, his All About Spelling board and our simple calendar.  He starts cursive this year, so the strips below the corkboard have his D'Nealian cursive letters.


Our School Shelves

The tall shelf holds most everything we'll be using regularly.  Memory work box is on top (along with some sidewalk chalk and our Play-Doh bin... simply for lack of another place to put them).  There is also a shelf for science as well as one for history/geography.  The middle holds most other subjects and our file box (which holds our daily folders, printables, current reader, etc.).  The bottom shelves are for art things (most of our supplies are in my bedroom, just the basics are here) and basic supplies (on the very bottom).

The smaller shelf holds our math manipulatives and is in our little math corner (which I'm very proud to have been able to fit into this tiny space).

History and science readers, read-alouds and literature are kept on our main bookcases in the living room.  There simply isn't space in the school area.  These will be brought into the area as they are needed.


A place for Robbie to diplay his art projects

The previous owner of our home had an abundance of old clipboards, which we inherited upon moving in.  I decided to spray paint them white and use them to display Robbie's art projects throughout the year.  I used a tiny clipboard to create a sort of header for the area.  I did a (very quick) zen-doodle-esque drawing and placed it on that clipboard.  (My husband, a life-long Chicago Cubs fan.. as am I.. claims that I drew an Atlanta Braves "A" because I'm a closet fan.  I swear, it was totally accidental.)


Our Fridge Wall Space

I've turned the two exposed sides of our refrigerator into extra wall space.  The doors are technically for our earth science things, but conveniently double for a bit of geography.  The side of the fridge is part of our math area.  Both sections include a few magnetic clips to hold current materials or work of which Robbie may be particularly proud.

Well, that's a tour of our basic setup.  I always love seeing how other homeschoolers utilize their space.  Feel free to leave a link to your own schoolroom post in a comment below!


Linking Up At (when applicable)

  Not Back to School - School Room Week  Hip Homeschool Moms  Weekly Wrap-Up  Collage Friday



8 comments:

  1. I think it's perfect! I love the Star Student chair cover. Where did you get that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Cathy! I got that chair cover in the dollar section at Target two years ago, I think. He has fun choosing his name each year. He's been: "Legendary Trigger Happy" (K), "The Doctor" (1st), and now "Link" (2nd). I love that bit of whimsy! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. Oh your clipboards are SUPER cute. I love that you painted them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! They weren't in the best of shape. The metal was even a bit rusty, so a coat of paint made them look much better. Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Such a smart use of the space! I love the art display wall :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You did great with your space! And love the art clip board idea!

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave a comment or idea. I find most of the blogs that I follow through the comments on my own blog. No need to sign in, anonymous comments are welcome, too!! I would love to hear from you!

Don't forget to click the Notify Me box. I try to reply to all comments. Clicking this box will let you know when I do.