Creating a home classroom can be as simple as a kitchen table and the basic supplies, or as creative as a separate room complete with chalk and dry erase boards, posters, bulletin boards and all the trimmings. Hopefully this list of ideas will at least get you started, moving in order from most basic to a real home classroom.
*Choosing the room. Space is a must! Do not plan on schooling in a cramped room, but find a windowed room which gives you the space to properly seat each child, as well as to move around freely around them. It does not have to be huge, but it does need to be uncluttered. A clear room is encouraging of a clear mind!
*Seating: do you have a place for each child to sit with feet properly on the floor, and backs supported? If a child is unable to place his feet flat on the ground it can affect his writing. If the child is too short to sit with feet planted firmly, provide a small stool.
*Table issues. In the case of families who only have a table available, it is important that the child be sitting high enough to get a proper grip on papers and books. A table that comes too high or too low on the child is also going to affect his writing and work abilities. Smaller children may require a booster seat to attain the right height; older children may need a thick, sturdy book or two.
*Desks. If you are fortunate enough to have desks for your children, you will want to make certain the desk is the right size for each child, and in a location that is well lit. A good rule of thumb for classroom lighting is to make certain the light is just above and behind your children. This keeps shadows off of books and papers, and aids in good reading.
*Walls. Homes that are large enough to contain a room designated as the classroom will want to give greater consideration to the paint on the walls of this room. Avoid colors like shades of red, which can promote anger, or any dark shade that can promote sleepiness or idleness. Choose a color that is light and airy. Neutral tones are best, but pale greens and blues can be attractive as well as conducive to good study.
*Storage. It is important to consider that you will need a safe place for storing school books and supplies. As your schooling will take place in the home, you need to make sure supplies are kept where they will not be stolen or damaged by children in off-school hours. It is also important to know if you will have answer keys, and to keep those locked away in a filing cabinet with any other materials only to be used by adults.
*Learning Accessories. In larger cities you can often find a school supply store. These are especially helpful to home schooling families. You can find necessary accessories to decorate the walls of your home classroom from the larger chalk, dry erase and bulletin boards to staples such as alphabet banners in print and in cursive, posters containing simple mathematics or grammar rules, and all the themed bulletin-board dcor you could ever hope for.
Items like pull-down maps or individual globes are also useful and come in handy. A bookcase with a complete set or two of encyclopedias and any other books that will be required reading are a great addition as well. American History will be helped along with a flag of any size, and of course you must include a standard round clock on which the hour, minute and second hands can be clearly read by your students.
By the time you have made it through the above list, and arranged each of the items on it to your liking, that special room of your home should have the general look and feel of a classroom. The level of attention you show to creating a classroom will be reflected in how seriously your children take their role as student to teacher rather than child to parent, which is necessary. Be as creative as you like, but stick to the principal of neatness, and your home classroom will be a success!