Whether you have a designated room for school or you are using some of your living space as a part time school room organizing all your supplies, books, and other items can be a challenge. It will be trial and error until you find something that works for you, your family, and you home. Here are some things that worked for me, they may work for you or you canĀ use these ideas as a springboard to create a homeschool room or area that works for you.
Where do you put all your supplies?
If your homeschool room is in your living space use armoires, shelving with doors, and pretty baskets to blend it in to your existing decor. This is YOUR homeschool, designed to suit you, nobody said it needs to look like an institutionalized schoolroom. Don’t want to hang up the alphabet, 100’s chart, a word wall? Use those items in a smaller scale. I created a 3 ring binder with these items for my child to look to for reference during school, when not in use it can be filed away with the rest of our books.
For me, plastic tubs have been my best friend. Flat skinny ones for under bed storage – I store curriculum to be used later in the year or even things for the next year that I have picked up on a great deal. Shoe box size – (Dollar Tree) for shelves in the schoolroom, each housing specific items like; science tools, flashcards, items for fine motor development, etc. I keep mine on a shelf that closes up and just looks like a piece of furniture after school.
Use baskets or other containers to store items that are used daily/weekly and need easy access but that you want disguised. Tuck bookshelves throughout your area where space permits for school. Supplies like pencils, markers, rulers, compasses, etc. can be placed in a small handled tote (like the type marketed for cleaning supplies) and placed on the desk, and then put away after school.
If you have a designated schoolroom you obviously have more room to setup your library, spread out, and store items. You may still want to utilize some of the storage and display ideas above. Search Pinterest for ideas on decorating, organizing, and set up. No matter how much or how little space you have it will run smoother and be more successful with organization.
How do you keep track of your day to day curriculum?
Planner– You can choose from a massive offering of pre-printed planners or use a simple daily calender. Subjects to complete are listed by page number or activity and checked off or crossed out as completed. This is also very useful for those states that require yearly documentation and reviews. Keep your calender/planner for portfolio reviews if you must have one for your state.
Workbox – This is a system that is successful for many homeschooling families. You can either require your child to work the boxes in order, or allow them to choose the subject they work on as long as all are completed at the end of the school day.
Filebox– Similar to the workbox system, takes up less space. You can use a small handled file box with hanging folders to either file work for each subject. each day. Or put the entire day in one file and keep a week at a time at hand.
If you are required to keep a portfolio for yearly review I suggest that as you pull completed work each week you keep a few papers from each subject as a sample of their work before you toss out the rest. Place them in another file, or hole punch and keep in a 3 ring binder.
What are your favorite tips and tricks for organizing your homeschool?
Jill says
Homeschooling can get messy. These are great tips for staying organized.
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