Our assignment this week for the Not Back to School Blog Hop is to share our learning spaces. When Kylie designated Week Three to be Learning Spaces I knew the moment of truth would arrive eventually. We don’t live in an ordinary home, we are slowly building our home, and parts are not pretty, in fact the most unfinished part is the area in which the bulk of our learning occurs. The advantage of designing and building your own home is, after over a decade of home educating and previously extending two homes before we know how we use our home differently and utilised that knowledge when planning. We have some areas we are pretty excited about and others that show great potential. One day it will all look pretty:)
Our study is our boys’ favourite room, with a number of computers. Not only room for computers but a quiet area for our high schoolers to work in. My favourite feature is, doors which can be closed for quiet and locked when needed;)
Adjacent to the study is the living room, where we gather a few times daily for read alouds.
The cork board was a school sale find, one day I have plans for pretty but for now it is practical.
Our main learning area, adjacent to the living room where we congregate for joint lessons and where I work with our younger children. Stationery and daily use books are stored here. Eventually this will be our new kitchen and the learning room will move to the current living room.
Viewing this area from the other end, the table in the foreground designates our dining room. Having a second table means books do not have to be packed up for every meal, a definite advantage. The cupboards and blackboard we found at the Convent school sale.
In the corner is a book display. Living books for current topics and titles for strewing.
Running along the front wall of the house we have three cupboards.
The one in the lounge room houses craft and sewing supplies, supplies that the children are encouraged to access freely.
Sometimes I strew quality art supplies on the cupboard in the pool room and encourage freedom of expression.
Our three older boys all have desks in their rooms. By highschool we have discovered a need for quiet, individual space to study at times.
My favourite room in our home, the library. A haven of calm, a dream come true!
Learning happens in many other ways, academically with science in the kitchen (alas couldn’t locate the photo file) or non-traditionally with; pool in the games room.
Co-operative play in the ‘playground‘.
Learning how to build a home
Experiencing a rural lifestyle.
Our children are blessed with many learning spaces, we give thanks for our blessings.