Homeschool Study Areas

Posted by Shawnee | 0 comments

Where do your homeschoolers like to study? Do you ever take “school” outdoors? Leave us a comment and tell us your thoughts. Reply to other comments directly. Join the fun!

While it’s true that bookwork is certainly not the only important aspect of homeschooling, even those who freestyle school or choose unschooling as an option may at some point refer to books, instructions, directions, reading material, etc. At any given time, a parent can encounter resistance to even the best of students when faced with bookwork. When this resistance rears its ugly head, it’s time to shake up the routine a little. This can be as simple as choosing a place of study that will encourage your child to feel motivated by the difference in the environment.

Study areas incite creative thinking. Your homeschool student will work best when the mind is inspired. The mind gets inspired by what the eyes see, what the ears hear, and what the nose smells. Put that mind in nature and you will surely reap the benefits of your efforts.

A bench outside makes a great study area. Other areas that offer interesting alternatives to the boring inside classroom can be found on the trampoline, in the bench swing, at a table and chair placed on the carport, in a playhouse, or even in a tent made by sheets and chairs that you set up in the living room of your home. You can include your child’s suggestions for study areas, mix it up, make a game of it, and receive less resistance to that book work that must be done. You can even allow your child to take the school desk to different areas of the house for spontaneous study fun.

Sometimes the smallest change of scenery or atmosphere can make a difference. Studying at the local library may be one of your options. Take a trip to the local park. Set up a date with a study-buddy. Just remember, the idea is to motivate and encourage. Engaging your child in the decision-making process encourages participation, thinking skills, reasoning skills, planning, and imagination.

You can create a wonderful study area outside by allowing your child to help choose plants, flowers, seating arrangements, and location. One year I found a bench at a garage sale that made a perfect outside study bench. My daughter and I carried rocks to make a circle, placed them under shade trees by the bench, and made a flower garden inside the circle. When spring came, the warmer weather and sprouting blooms in the garden made beautiful accompaniments to study time. She could enjoy the daylight, hear the birds sing, listen to the breezes, hear the windchimes from our porch, and smell the fresh air as she relaxed and focused on her books. The atmosphere calmed her, which made her more receptive to learning.

*photo courtesy Jamie

So, put your head together with your child and shake up your routine. Design a few study areas for your child and welcome success into your homeschool.

Shawnee Bowlin is a homeschool mom of a 10th grade daughter, also an aspiring writer and artist. She works as a veterinary technician and has been writing for the public since 2006. She lives in Northeast Texas and enjoys animals, nature, reading, writing, and riding motorcycles. You can visit her blog at Shawnee Paints