Our "Learning Center"

Like most homeschool families, we can never have enough bookcases. We're lucky to have a wonderful set of floor to ceiling bookcases handed down from my grandparents that we're putting to use in the basement with curriculum, encyclopedias and science equipment. I've made use of one of our smaller cheap bookshelves as a "Learning Center" for my kindergartner and made room in the dining room for it. Everything on it is something my daughter can independently do during down-time. A basket with coloring books and crayons, one with flashcards & memory games, another with books on tape, etc. Making use of quiet time with a book on tape is something she is really delighting in, the magic sounds telling her when to turn the page on her own is a special treat... and I'm happy she's not using her little brother's nap time or my dinner cooking time to watch more television. Yes, sometimes our toddler tears it apart, but they are good about putting it back together because my daughter knows the rule for the Learning Center is one thing out at a time and put what you use back again when you are done.