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simplemama
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| Posted: April 16 2007 at 10:45pm | IP Logged
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I have seen a few people refer to their learning room? Do you make a bedroom into one on just any corner you can find?
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Dawnie
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| Posted: April 16 2007 at 11:58pm | IP Logged
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It depends on the family and the space available to them! 
We have a large basement room that we could use/have used as a learning room, but it works much better for me to have our learning area in the dining room. I have a locking cabinet with office supplies, art supplies, preschool games, knitting and sewing supplies for my 7yod, paper, cardstock, and sheet protectors. I also have a low bookshelf with our globe, math manipulatives, flash cards, some puzzles, a few art supplies and paper, and all the school books we use on a daily basis. The computer is right off the dining room in our living room along with our piano and another bookshelf with lots of good books for reading aloud or silent reading.
The basement room is kind of a library/playroom now, but there is still a large wall map on one wall and the alphabet on the other. The children's toys are all down there, in addition to my big filing cabinet, and several bookshelves full of books not in daily use.
I move furniture around a lot...or, I should say, I ask my dh to move furniture around a lot.  We've tried several arrangements since we moved into this house about a year ago, and I like having school in the dining room the best. There are big windows to let light in there, and the laundry room and kitchen are right there, so I can tend to dinner or laundry while still being available to answer questions and keep my daughter on task. Also, her sisters' playing doesn't distract her nearly as much b/c they are downstairs (mostly...sometimes).
In the basement, I felt like the walls were closing in on my all the time, even though it's a big room, and there was never enough light down there. If I needed to go upstairs and tend to laundry, or dinner, or change someone's diaper, it was a big interruption.
I know some people really like having a dedicated learning room, though, and it works really well for them. There was a Learning Room fair last fall...you'd probably like to take a look at that...I'll see if I can find the link...every family does something a little different!
Dawn
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Mom to Mary Beth (99), Anna (02), Lucia (04), Clara (06), and Adelaide Victoria (2/28/09)
Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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Dawnie
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| Posted: April 17 2007 at 12:07am | IP Logged
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Here is the link to the Elegant Simplicity in Learning Spaces Carnival!
Dawn
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Mom to Mary Beth (99), Anna (02), Lucia (04), Clara (06), and Adelaide Victoria (2/28/09)
Visit my blog!Water Into Wine:Vino Per Tutto!
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Christine
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| Posted: April 17 2007 at 8:28am | IP Logged
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We used to have a bedroom as our learning room, but we no longer have that luxury, so now we have a learning house. I prefer the latter, as our learning definitely isn't confined to one room.
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Christine
Mommy to 4 girls, 5 boys, & 2 in God's care
Memories of a Catholic Wife and Mother
Pretty Lilla Rose
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: April 17 2007 at 2:22pm | IP Logged
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Do not miss Tina's wonderful learning room.
Isn't it divine? 
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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JuliaT
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| Posted: April 17 2007 at 9:08pm | IP Logged
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I have a room in our basement that I used for a school rooom. We haven't been down there since Christmas. For two years, having a separate room for school fit us just fine. But in Jan. we had some family problems and it was soothing and calming to have our learning time upstairs where it was cozier. So we have just stayed upstairs. I have cupboards in our kitchen island where I store our school books and craft supplies. We brought one of our bookshelves from the basement and put it in the living room. We use that for the kid's books and games. We love having our learning time upstairs. Right now, I can't imagine ever going back down. :)
Blessings,
Julia
mom to 3(7,6,4)
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Juliainsk
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: April 17 2007 at 10:15pm | IP Logged
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We've used a variety of areas as the "school" room. Right now we are using a bedroom, though crafting and gaming are more often done in there and "school" seems to be done on the dining table, the couch, a bed, or (preferably) in a tree. The "school" room does house most of our books and computers, though. The library books are kept on the coffee table in the living room.
I loooove those shelves!
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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Cheryl
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| Posted: April 18 2007 at 6:13am | IP Logged
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We have a schoolroom above our garage. We use it everyday, even if it's not a "school" day. The kids love to draw up there and we read up there. I'm changing things around in it now to keep my dd 1 from grabbing everything. I found a Showcase of Learning Rooms in the sidebar of this blog. There are 11 links to lots of pictures.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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simplemama
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| Posted: April 19 2007 at 8:00am | IP Logged
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gosh, these are all beautiful!
Ok well I definitely feel the need for us to start saving money for a bigger house. :) Or at least one with a seperate dining room. We live in a new ranch style house with 3 bedrooms up. The kitchen/table eating area/family room/laundry room is all one big room. Our basement is only partially finished and is used mainly for storage, my dh's computer gaming room, and a random ping pong table :)
We have a balcony and live within arms reach of our neighbors with no fence and a flat tree-less semi-grass-less back yard that is very boring. I am trying to decide how to spruce it up and make it somewhat exciting.
We spend most of our time in the big room. My dd (3) would love to play in her room all day but I like to be in the main room so I can do laundry, cooking, etc. So I have a couple book baskets set up (I rotate the books in there) and we also have just done our fingerpainting on the kitchen non-carpeted floor on a big towel.
Our 6 month old ds is currently in the 2nd bedroom on a mattress on the floor that also has 2 misc. desks in the room that are not really used. So I had planned on just letting the kids share until I found out we were having a boy. (does anyone here have brother/sister in same room?) His room would be a great place to set up some maps and games and maybe an art/craft corner and such but where do I put him?
Maybe I could put him in our bedroom during the day for naps (I hardly go in there during the day) and then still use that room at night. (Right now he falls asleep for the first part of the night by himself so my dh and I can have some privacy if needed and so we don't wake him up when getting into bed, then I bring him in when he wakes up)
I have lots of ideas for the room but also don't want to do anything too crazy as this is hopefully just our 'starter home'.
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asplendidtime
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| Posted: April 19 2007 at 8:41am | IP Logged
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We don't have a learning space, our home sounds very similar to Simplemama's... We just do what works for us, every space gets used and we try to be relaxed about it all.
Sometimes I see pics like that and get a little envious, and I think that those are necessary for a great education. I do what is working for us right now. I try not to stress about our situation but find the ways to use it to it's maximum good potential. Even a postage stamp yard has tons of potential. 
I just wanted to throw that out there, only because some of us newer ladies might really fret that you "ought" to have a learning room. 
That being said, I really like your learning rooms!
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Rebecca~Mama to
Noah 17,
Katie 16,
Mary 14,
Tim 13,
Jonah 12,
Josh 10,
Zoe 9,
Will 7,
Peter 6,
Laura-Mae 4,
Emily-Joy 2,
Genevieve & Gabriella 1
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simplemama
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| Posted: April 19 2007 at 9:33am | IP Logged
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7smallones wrote:
Sometimes I see pics like that and get a little envious, and I think that those are necessary for a great education. I do what is working for us right now. I try not to stress about our situation but find the ways to use it to it's maximum good potential. Even a postage stamp yard has tons of potential.
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Thank you so much! I needed to hear something like this :) For a while there I was starting to wonder if we were the only ones without a huge house and beautiful garden ;)
It is true, we must be satisfied and even joyful for every little thing God gives us, great and small.
We are currently reading the book of Job and so that is on my mind.
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Veronica's Veil
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| Posted: April 19 2007 at 10:09am | IP Logged
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We have a very small home as well, a cottage/bungalow style. We have NO formal dining room and NO extra bedrooms or ANY space for a learning room. Although I LOVE the idea of a learning room and I crave a place to keep ALL our supplies in ONE room! lol. It's just not God's plan for us right now. We bought this house as our "starter house" 5yrs ago and since then so many changes have taken place that we are now unable to "move up" to a bigger (better) home. I have struggled in the past with contentment. And it seems we are forever re-arranging and re-organizing in order to make it work, but finally I do feel a certain peace with it. We have been homeschooling for 4yrs now and I have learned a great deal, as well as continue to learn daily!
The one piece of advice I would like to offer for any new Moms that may be in this situation is to take a few days and really clean out, declutter and organize your supplies. I find it necessary to do this once a year as my boys grow older and we no longer use certain things and we acquire new. If my home is clean and organized I am quite content with it no matter the size, etc.. I have noticed a HUGE difference in myself when the house starts to get cluttered or "dirty" looking, it affects even the way we learn and our attitudes about learning.
As God has a plan for each family, I find that I am actually extremely thankful for the place He has planted us...reminds me of the song "the burden here is sweet compared with Calvary"
God Bless
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Learning Room?
