Like MANY other things, the start of school looks a little different this year.
The McCurry family has four young D181/86 learners at home – so, I can assure you, we are all in this together.
Faced with the prospect of transforming the bonus room in our home into “Learning-Central”, we took a look at how other families are transforming their homes to accommodate remote learning.
Here are some tips we’ve found most useful in our own planning:
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Plan for form and function – style is secondary. We all want a beautiful home. But a word to the wise: when your home is doing double-duty as a school, there are going to be corners of the house that aren’t Pinterest-worthy. And that’s OK! As parents, our mission is to create a space that will serve our children as they embark on their next learning adventure…even if it doesn’t match the beautifully-designed living room décor.
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Declutter the space – our brains are hardwired to be distracted by clutter. Remove the clutter in the room, and you remove clutter in the brain, too.
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Make sure it’s well-lit. Have lots of natural light? Great! Keep those curtains open and let the sunshine in. Limited natural light? That’s no problem either. Strategically place lights throughout the space to ensure plenty of light to encourage concentration and decrease the impact of eye strain.
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Have a space for learning…and space for breaks. Children often have different learning styles. By learning at home, they actually have a unique opportunity to move about their day and their studies in a way that’s customized to them. For instance, have a learner who becomes restless sitting in a classroom all day? Consider a separate area of the room, not designated for learning and schoolwork, but instead designed to allow for physical movement your child enjoys. Jump rope, exercise ball, yoga mat, mini-golf set-up, free weights…something that your child can utilize during breaks from schoolwork to reset.
Tell us: how are you creating at-home learning spaces for your children who are starting this school year remotely? Share your photos and tips with us on social by using the hashtag #LearnWhereYouLive