A Classroom in the Living Room
Creating the best at-home learning space for your child
by Jason Fontelieu
As many school districts across the country
prepare to start the year virtually due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the question arises:
How do we get our kids learning when the
living room is the classroom?
Chris Jones has a few tips for parents.

Jones specializes in creating “functional,
creative spaces,” which most of the time
finds him designing children’s spaces. He’s
the co-founder of Thinkterior, a company
that designs interior spaces, and Adaptiv
Design Concepts, where he does commercial
design work and sells his myWall pegboard
products. Both companies are based in
Ashburn, Virginia, where Jones lives.

Remember these five principles
JOHNNYGREIG / E+ ; FABRIKACR /ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS; PINSTOCK /E+
Theme, focus, storage, growth and safety
are common design principles, and they’re
applicable to making effective learning
spaces, too.

Theme is key, but it doesn’t have to be
over-the-top. The theme can be your child’s
favorite cartoon character to something “as
general as ‘contemporary,’” Jones says
The focus? In this case, a space for learning.

Storage is necessary in keeping a space
organized (more on that below).

Growth means buying furniture and decor
that will be useful for your children as they
continue to grow.

And for safety, the basics: no sharp corners,
no materials that could hurt your child and
nothing they can jump off.

Keep learning separate
It’s important for children to mentally be able
to separate school time from play time, Jones
says. Since that distinction is lost with virtual
learning, keeping their desk or workspace
away from their toys and their bed is helpful.

Remember, some kids may benefit from
changing locations throughout the day.

Others prefer the routine of always working
in the same spot, he says. Also, younger
kids may need to work near their parents
or caregivers to remain on-task, so be sure
there’s room for an extra chair.

And for people in smaller living spaces,
Jones suggests taking the doors off a closet to
set it up like a mini-classroom with household
items such as sheets or string lights.

Stay organized
If kids are doing work for multiple classes,
they’ll need to keep their assignments
straight. Jones suggests having a different-
colored clipboard for each class—and maybe
even hanging them on the wall. Having a
whiteboard for listing tasks also can help kids
stay on top of their work.

And there should be minimal distractions
in the space. Remember: toys stay in the
playroom. Think ergonomically
It’s best to have a desk and chair fit for a
child, which means it should allow his or her
feet to touch the ground. A chair should be
comfortable, but not too comfortable in case
he or she loses focus.

Keep monitors at eye level so your child
doesn’t have to slouch over it.

Also, the more natural light the better.

In the end, the ultimate goal, according to
Jones, is for your child to look at the space
and think, “OK, this is my little school now.”
How did Jones get so excited about
spaces? His background is in graphic design,
but he has always been skilled at carpentry,
sculpture and painting. When he designed
his son’s room 17 years ago, he immediately
fell in love with the craft.

“What’s great about doing kids rooms, is
you can just have fun with it,” he says. T
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