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dakotamidnight
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 8:39am | IP Logged
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I'm in the process of starting to set up mine for the fall - and I need ideas!
What helped you the most to have? What did you think you need and didn't?
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 9:12am | IP Logged
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I'm interested in the reponses you will get dakotamidnight! I am hoping to do some rearranging in our school room for next year too.
One thing I have found that works wonders for us was to make sure the kids have an area for their stuff (we use desks) and each desk is near an electrical outlet. I purchased desk lamps for each of my kids and we turn off the bright overhead light in our classroom. It's immediately a more peaceful "feel" and the kids seem less distracted. The outlets are also used to plug in tape recorders or CD players for listening to music or books on tape. I actually had to move the desks in a way I would have never come up with if I didn't think of the "outlet for each desk" idea. And it's working better than I thought it would!
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 10:19am | IP Logged
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I've rearranged our room several times. 
The best thing by far? Bookshelves. Lots of them. One for each child.
We also use a large table instead of individual desks. Our room is on the lower level, with sliding glass doors. Nice in warmer weather ~ we can see the birds and assorted animals and move right into Nature study.
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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Christine
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We no longer have a learning room. If I ever have the space to set one up again, I will spend many hours looking at Jen's Learning Spaces for ideas.
When we did have a learning room, we were happy to have the alphabet displayed around the room, an interactive wall calendar (children place the date on the calendar each day and change the month when needed), a whiteboard, and shelves. I purchased many of my things at Lakeshore Learning Curriculum with coupons or discounts.
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Christine
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dakotamidnight
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 11:00am | IP Logged
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Christine wrote:
We no longer have a learning room. If I ever have the space to set one up again, I will spend many hours looking at Jen's Learning Spaces for ideas.
When we did have a learning room, we were happy to have the alphabet displayed around the room, an interactive wall calendar (children place the date on the calendar each day and change the month when needed), a whiteboard, and shelves. I purchased many of my things at Lakeshore Learning Curriculum with coupons or discounts. |
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Our Learning room is half of the master bedroom that DD and I share. It's also the playroom. Right now it's got a big little tykes playhouse setting in the middle of it - can't put it outside for fear of snakes.
Lakeshore does coupons? I had no idea - we have one in town but I've never been there. I get most of my stuff 2nd hand at thrift shops.
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Mattie
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 12:09pm | IP Logged
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ok, I am gonna try not to brag to much, but I just finished setting up my dream school room! So exciting!
We just moved a month ago and our new house has a patio that has been enclosed, heated and electricity put in (just missing water to be perfect!)
It is about 200 square feet!!!!! It is completely off the house and is very bright (6 windows) and gives into the backyard.
We have one big desk with a set of drawers on the side for each child.that is in the south end of the room, we also have those hanging to put away books (the orange/red ones)
Then on the east side we have 2 dowel rods shelves with all the baskets on the 3 lower shelves and the top shelves have art and crafts book on one and nature magazines on the other. Then our geography shelf and a big dresser which contains all board games, special craft material such as sheets of beeswax for candle making, etc...
Opposite that we have an easel and lots of windows.
The North half of the room is our atrium (a low book shelf) and our library with a huge book shelf.
We have a couch that splits the room in two and faces our atrium.
I have no idea how to upload pics otherwise I would...
We are still finishing everything and it has been interesting to work with very little wall space but I absolutely LOVE it! It is contained (dh requirement) and it's bright (my requirement). God has blessed us abundantly!
maybe if you pm me I can email some pics.
But keep the ideas coming, I love it!
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Mattie
Maman to 4 beautiful mountain kids in CO
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Mimip
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| Posted: April 07 2010 at 12:32pm | IP Logged
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Mattie,
I had those hanging things in our shopping cart at the Container store and put them back because I was concerned they would hold that much. Do they?
Our school room is the front room of our house. Three large windows and its our air conditioning (which is great in the heat of summer here in S. FLA.) Each of my older 3 children have their own desk and the older two have a drawer system for their workboxes or books. Each desk is in front of a window so they each have a window sill to put their "stuff" on. Each child has their own basket with pencils, scissors, markers ect. Oh and each child has a trash can. I know it sounds silly but it really does help.
I have my large wrap around desk in the corner with my computer and magazine holders. Each child has one where they turn in their work and put completed work in as well. I also have them for the subjects we do together, Catechism, Science and History.
We also have 4 large bookshelves and a pantry with doors for the arts and crafts things.
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Mimi
Wife of 16 years to Tom, Mom of DD'00, DD'02, '04(in heaven) DS'05, DS'08 and DS '12
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AndieF
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I have a table for two children and desks for the other two children (wouldn't have room for two tables - plus all of it was free, so I couldn't really be picky LOL) There are bookcases against the other two walls that hold most of our materials, although I also have a 3 shelf bookcase that has a small rubbermaid tub for each child to hold their Notebooks.
The room is smaller than I would like (9 feet x 10 feet) but I am grateful for the space nonetheless.
Andie (homeschooling two 10 year olds and two 8 year olds!)
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aussieannie
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| Posted: April 10 2010 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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I just have a completely new room for schooling!! Part of our new renovations...it's not a hugh room, (14.7 feet x 10.3 feet) but I've been savvy with the space I have, including a new gateleg table that has a storage space in the middle that holds 4 solid, timber chairs.
Also I have my computer cabinet which is now big enough to hold my beading and sewing. I have three bookcases, one for the catholic children's books, one for the homeschooling and one big general one.
I've installed an Ikea glass 'whiteboard' on the wall, only it's not white of course, they blend in nicely with the wall, unless being used. We have a sofa lounge down in this room too. We start back schooling in this room for the first time tomorrow, after the Easter break.
I hope to do a posting at my blog soon with photos, so I'll link it back here then.
But I'll share the photos of this new gateleg table:
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drmommy
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| Posted: April 12 2010 at 8:34am | IP Logged
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A few year ago we added on a new kitchen to our house. Just last year we finished the "old" kitchen, which was galley-style into our new schoolroom. The three girl have their desks with shelved cubbies on one side of the room, with bookshelves above them lining the wall. On the other side, is a long 18 foot countertop with two, two drawer filing cabinets and three drawers for me (!), and to the right of that is a cupboard that holds supplies and the girls' sewing machines and their sewing supplies and materials. I have a nice window above my side of the room. There are six indirect-lighting lamps that help with light, since a lot of homeschooling is done in the afternoons and evening (I work outside the home three days per week).
I just love this area, and for me to just come in to this room surrounded by books and paperwork is heaven. It really helps us that the girls have a place now to put their books and supplies, since before this, their books and supplies were strewn all over the house and their bedrooms!!
God bless...I am interested to see how other rooms or learning spaces are set up. I LOVE Dawn's and Jen's!
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MrsM
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My favorite, most used things in our school room:
Billy Bookcases from Ikea
We have three of these, and with the height extension they hold a lot of books. Do overs for me would include finding space for two more in the school room. As it is, we've got two of these in the girls' room, one in our room, and two (nicer) bookcases in the dining room, plus several built-ins in the living room. Can you ever have too many books? 
Vika desk system with cubbies and drawers (also from Ikea) I really like having closed storage for some of the less attractive supplies. Drawbacks include kids stuffing papers/books/etc., inside willy nilly. 
Alex drawer unit from (surprise!) Ikea These drawers are very long, and great for holding oversized art papers.
Staples Desk Apprentice The children's desks are pushed together to form a very large surface, and the Desk Apprentice sits in the middle. It's great for storing lap-size white boards, pencils, pens, notebooks, etc. Drawbacks are related to children using the storage inappropriately, i.e., for hot wheels, doll dresses, etc. Very irritating for the mother.  But when used properly, an awesome piece of planning and storage heaven. Also, goes on sale frequently--don't pay $40.
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Lynn in California
Homeschooling dd13, dd11, ds10, and ds8
Mom to Miracle Baby ds3
Mom to darling Elizabeth and Francis, held in Mary's arms and always in my heart
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Summer
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| Posted: April 14 2010 at 10:36pm | IP Logged
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Oh, this is fun. We have an Ikea schoolroom too!
The room has two bookshelves flanking the window. (The shelves are similar to these, but we bought ours on clearance.) A sideboard sits on one wall with adjustable shelving overhead. (Hmm, my sideboard has lots of drawers in that middle space. It must be discontinued too.  ) An Ikea table, chairs, and drawers finish it out. I didn't put in desks because the room is small.
When friends visit and ask about the furniture I just tell that it is my Ikea room. For some reason they don't believe me and will ask about different things, pointing to this and that. I always just say, "Ikea!"
Best Ikea purchase: this rail and bucket storage system for the wall. Cheap and cute. I store all our pencils, scissors, glue sticks, markers, and crayons on one wall rack under the dry erase board. Very neat!
If I could do it again I would:
1. Make the room bigger. We only had three children when I was designing the house.
2. Add more windows. Natural light is crucial to a happy atmosphere and this room is dark. We have the lights on all day to brighten it up. 
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(mom to my littles dd 11, ds 10, dd 7, dd 4.5, ds 2, & ds 7mo)
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St. Ann
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We also have Ikea furniture in our "Schoolroom", which we actually call the "Kaminzimmer" or fireplace room. ( For obvious reasons) My desk, the glider and 2 TrippTrapp chairs are the only non-Ikea pieces. The bookshelves are from the Leksvik series along with the sofa table. I am really thankful for the sofa. Helena has been cuddling up on the sofa in the mornings for playing and looking at books, using the lapdesk for little 'worksheets'. We have a wool blanket folded up for ready use and a lambskin on the seat part of the sofa. She is such a contented child. We do have a work table,at which she also sits to color...more so with her older sisters when they are at home. She loves the coziness and the closeness to me on the sofa. It invites "just one more chapter!"
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aussieannie
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I have to agree with the Ikea thing..they are so good on space saving! Here are three things that are Ikea (well one isn't but Ikea makes one just the same)
Here is the gateleg table (which I showed photos of in a post above) with all the chairs out..Ikea sells something similar, Ikea Norden gateleg table BUT it doesn't store chairs, it has three drawers on either side, in the center, equally 6 drawer spaces all up, which would also be handy for schooling. It tucks away next to the outer wall and the computer cabinet when not in use, opening up the main floor space when put away.
I LOVE this and it is working SO WELL! Ikea writing board, during the day when not being used it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb and when in use, it works better than any whiteboard, no scratch marks developing in time, wipes off more effectively...I look foward to installing a second one of these in the months to come, our children find working on this board with me, alot of fun! Wasn't expensive when compared to whiteboard prices, but Ikea is like that all round. Easy installation too. The 4 silver platic clips you can see at the top can hold paper..I've been slipping the phonogram cards up with them, after I test each sound with my son..
This was not such a good photo of the Ikea sofa itself, but see how it fits on that side of the wall, next to our computer/craft cabinet, the sofa is also a bed with storage space for pillow, blankets etc. My oldest son uses this room as a sleepout at night and during the day, children can sit down for quiet reads or other homeschooling reading activities. It also can be a place for my little ones to read or even sleep (without the bed pulled out, just resting on the sofa seat) while schooling is going on around them.
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aussieannie
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One thing I did, was go to Ikea, write down all the things I liked and the prices, then did a regular ebay search on those products until they came up secondhand and bought them at a fraction of the price in perfect nick...the gateleg table I have that is BETTER than the Ikea one and I found it on ebay doing this sort of Ikea search. The sofa I bought was only 8 months old, used by one elderly lady when she came out from Europe to stay with her daughter and family for 6 months, they bought it for this visit only and sold it straight after ~ it was in perfect condition and came from a clean home, I was VERY happy!
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aussieannie
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| Posted: April 15 2010 at 6:38pm | IP Logged
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MrsM wrote:
| Alex drawer unit from (surprise!) Ikea These drawers are very long, and great for holding oversized art papers. |
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I like that unit Lynn...I think I will check out and see if it is in Australia...wonder if it is in plain beech wood...
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: April 16 2010 at 6:42am | IP Logged
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aussieannie wrote:
I LOVE this and it is working SO WELL! Ikea writing board, during the day when not being used it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb and when in use, it works better than any whiteboard, no scratch marks developing in time, wipes off more effectively...I look foward to installing a second one of these in the months to come, our children find working on this board with me, alot of fun! Wasn't expensive when compared to whiteboard prices, but Ikea is like that all round. Easy installation too. The 4 silver platic clips you can see at the top can hold paper..I've been slipping the phonogram cards up with them, after I test each sound with my son..
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I can't find this on the Ikea site. Do you know the name for it? I'm drooling....
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Paula
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aussieannie
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Here's the link ~ it's called Kludd ~ a notice board. 
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Elena
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I have some pictures of our room from a few years ago - it needs to be updated and of course it never looks this neat! But you might find it helpful.
Our classroom
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Elena
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dakotamidnight
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Elena wrote:
I have some pictures of our room from a few years ago - it needs to be updated and of course it never looks this neat! But you might find it helpful.
Our classroom |
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That actually does help a lot - I'm a visual person.
I noticed you bought part of your schoolroom items at public school auctions - how did that work for you? We have TONS of school auctions here as there are around 25 different districts in the area, counting community colleges, etc. Here all the auctions are online.
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4Real Forums : Planning and Ordering our Days
Topic: How is your school room set up?
