MATH ROOM / PLAY ROOM (UPSTAIRS)
this is our math station. once i started reading about montessori math, after trying three other math approaches with my kids, i dove in head-first, and math manipulatives have since taken over most of our playroom. hanging on the wall are the colored beads--beautiful glass things strung on copper wire. they are the basis for linear and skip counting, and learning squares & cubes of numbers in a tactile way. montessori bead cabinets are expensive, so i made this simple little hanger/shelf from plywood, four brackets, some barn wood (for the shelf), lath, and cup hooks.
to the left is a crate filled with various montessori math boards/games, & hanging above are the short bead chains. in the bins are toys (the final remnant of the playroom that once lived here, along with the toys on the shelves behind the curtain there).
this is our old school desk that i made two years ago for the kids' room (using plans found here, though i changed the dimensions to make it larger), before i had even properly planned on homeschooling. it is wrapped in sheet metal and indestructible! it is also great for playing with magnets. i keep some vintage first readers handy for heron, for that day when she decides to cozy up in that butterfly chair. the clipboard contains math worksheets for the current lessons. the chalkboard is an old window painted with black chalkboard paint.
CLASSROOM (BASEMENT)
this is our original classroom, where we begin our days for preschool time with Per. we also spend fridays here for mail + journal day. lately we have gravitated to brighter learning spaces, like the math / play room upstairs, or the dining room table, or outside! but come winter, we will be living down here. it may be dark, but it is COZY!
(the low light makes it difficult to photograph, but here are my best efforts...)
i found this old table at an antique store, & had a glass tabletop cut for it to create a smooth surface for writing. i made the chalkboard out of masonite and reclaimed wood.
calendar time, part of our morning preschool routine. sources for the schoolhouse cursive font ("learning curve") on the Mississippi Academy embroidered sign, the d'nealian font for the calendars, and other fonts i've frequently used, are listed in the SUPPLIES tab.
we start our school days with tea & books.
our reading area beside the "fire". the lettered boxes are the kids' mailboxes for mail day on fridays. i also keep a stash of library books handy here for perry's preschool time.
(top) our letter-writing station, sitting atop a little set of ikea drawers used for paper and art supplies.
(bottom) the "completed work" bin, which is sorted through every friday, and filed into the kids' binders.
my art + craft station, to the right of the kids' school desk.