With this school year bound to look different than any year past, students of all ages are likely to do more remote learning—which can pose a challenge if your home wasn’t exactly set up for a homeschooling situation before this point. Worry not: You can create an effective “classroom” out of a nook or room with minimal investment. Another thing to consider? Asking your child or children for input! Being engaged in the design process can translate to being more engaged in the remote learning process, too. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind.

Give everyone a dedicated space

If you have multiple kids working from home, try to treat it the same way as a classroom with a dedicated desk for each. That way, they can be involved in keeping organized and tidy—instead of getting your middle-schoolers homework mixed up with the high-schoolers English assignment.

Consider where to set up the learning zone

This is a personal call based on your kids and situation: If you have the option of making a space in their bedrooms, that may be a good option. But also consider how productive they will be without a little bit of oversight. If they need that extra supervision, a space in the living area of the house might be better as long as there aren’t too many distractions.

Organize all the supplies they might need

While in the classroom, your kids are probably used to having all of the paper, pencil sharpeners and other tools they would need within reach. This might require a bit of trial and error with distance learning, but by asking your kid to help you create a shopping list during those first weeks, you can get the items you actually need to make it a successful set-up for them.

Get clear about the schedule and guidelines

At school, students quickly become accustomed to schedules and know what is expected of them. The same should be true at home. Your children’s teacher will help create some overarching measures of success and expectations, but there still needs to be some oversight and guidance on your end. Just like setting up your own office or adjusting to remote work, this may take a bit of time for kids.