Homeschooling Tips

Homeschooling Tips: How to re-organize your child’s virtual learning space

Connections Academy share 4 tips and tricks on how to create an organized Home classroom in limited space 

With COVID forcing thousands of schools to close, many parents are having to adjust back to virtual learning. Creating a dedicated classroom area in your home may seem like a daunting task especially if you’re new to online schooling. It can be even more of a challenge if you don’t have a lot of space to dedicate as your student’s homeschooling area.

Even with the smallest of spaces, virtual learning experts Connections Academy are here to help you create an organized and inspiring classroom to help ease the transition to online learning:

You might need less space than you think

Be creative and think outside of the box when looking for learning spaces inside your home. Your child’s learning space does not need to be restricted to one area of your home. Consider spreading out into smaller areas in a few different rooms around your home. You can set up a computer in one area and a desk in another. This helps minimize the space you need to dedicate in any one room and the change of scenery will help refresh your student during long periods of study.

Be innovative as you build and organize your child’s learning space

Why not try your hand at some DIY by building your own desk to fit any space? Two filing cabinets with any strong, flat surface across the top creates a simple, cheap desk solution. The filing cabinet also provides storage for files, papers, books, and supplies. By adding more shelving to the desk you can ensure textbooks and other learning materials are within immediate reach. You can encourage your child to decorate the space with educational posters or inspirational quotes they like to help keep them motivated during their virtual classes.

A hall closet can be a great space to hide away supplies that aren’t being used all day.  By installing inexpensive wire shelving from top to bottom in the closet, you’ll be able to neatly organize school supplies and put away learning materials your child doesn’t use every school day.

Utilize any free cupboard space in other rooms. For example, an empty cabinet in your kitchen that isn’t used often can easily store those extra school supplies. For more even organization, pick up plastic storage bins, fill them neatly with supplies, label them, and store them in the cabinet.

Try your best to keep things tidy and organized

Seeing a giant stack of workbooks, textbooks, and papers could intimidate you and your child for the next day’s task.

Try using the backs of doors to create educational tools and school supply storage. You can do this by attaching a dry-erase board to the top half and paint the bottom with magnetic paint to turn it into an instructional area and a place to display great work. You could also use the space to hang maps, the alphabet, or other educational materials. Or for extra storage, hang a 24-pocket, over-the-door shoe organizer, and store supplies in each pocket.

Abigail Cardinal at Connections Academy comments: “Virtual learning can be extremely overwhelming, especially for parents who are also juggling working from home. We know that finding an area in your home to become a dedicated learning space can be extremely difficult, especially if you are restricted by space. Hopefully, these small tips and tricks will help you set up an organized classroom space for your child.”

For free online resources including knowledge articles, step-by-step visual guides, activities, and materials please visit Connections Academy.