If your schoolroom is also your living or dining room....

[ssavings]

how do you organize and store your books/curriculum/manipulatives? Do the books reside in the living/dining room, or do you move them elsewhere after "school" hours?

[frugalmama]

wondering about this too

[PRTGSw2K]

I conceal ours in baskets on our built-in bookshelves. The day-to-day stuff goes in these.

[AHASRADA]

I have a cabinet in the corner of my dining room with all the "school books" we are currently using, a few of my reference books, and some manipulatives. It is a "fake wood" laminate cabinet with doors, which my grandmother previously used as a pantry in her kitchen, so it does not look out of place. Each child and his/her own shelf where all their school books and notebooks reside.

 

More reference-type books that are only used occasionally (history and science spines, writing guides, etc.) and some readers and read-alouds are on book shelves in the living room and upstairs hallway.

 

Books that we have recently completed, or that we will be using at some point later this year, are kept on shelves or boxes in the basement. That way our diningroom cupboard isn't cluttered with items we are not currently using.

 

HTH,

[Jim]

Instructor materials are supposed to be stored in a drawer under my desk. Every few weeks I arrange it. Current student material is in ds binder, wjich he is reponsible.

 

Ideally, his books are on his desk in his room even though we may school there, in the dining room, or in my office during my work hours. We've found ourselves schooling all over the house and, as a result, material is often scattered everywhere.

[mom31257]

I used to have a nice baker's rack beside our table that is in our eat-in kitchen, but I replaced it with 2 bookshelves that my in-laws were getting rid of.

 

Here is a link to a picture of them. This was made a couple of years ago, but they are still there and organized a little differently now.

 

Ds has a desk from Ikea that sits facing those book shelves, but on a wall just leaving the living room coming into that area. We use the living room, the desk, and the table in the kitchen to do school.

[lorrainejmc]

We have bookcases with a shelf and basket for each child. All their current curricula is there, everything else is in storage. We also have reference books, some current and favourite fiction, and math manipulatives in a basket. Baskets help keep a clutter free look.

[ErinE]

We school at the breakfast table. Each child has a milk crate with their books, papers, and pencil boxes in it. I emptied out a section of our kitchen cabinets and filled it with the notebooks, manipulatives, crayons, glue, scissors, etc. that we use on a regular, but not daily basis. All other items are stored on bookshelves tucked into a closet. When we have guests, we put the crates in the same closet. I don't like seeing clutter so I try to clear out what I'm not using every few months. I also weigh the amount of "stuff" that comes with a curriculum before I buy it. When possible, my instructor texts are pdfs that I read off the iPad.

Edited February 26, 2012 by ErinE

[jar7709]

Books/supplies that we are currently working on, along with some reference books that are in frequent use, go on a couple low bookshelves along the wall next to the dining table. A globe and some trays for the kids' notebooks and loose papers is on the top of that set of shelves. I am loving them! So glad I sprung for the shelves that were slightly more expensive so they are sturdy, but still look nice and blend in with the colors in our living/dining room. You can see them in the background of a shot about halfway down the page here.

 

Read-alouds and books that go along with our current history or science study go in a milk crate near to the couch.

 

Overflow craft supplies and activites go on shelves in our utility room. Piles and piles and stacks of stacks of overflow books go on many shelves in all the other rooms of the house. ;) I am always glad we are comfortable with a fair amount of clutter around!

 

ETA: I found a better picture of our dining/school table and shelves. Our house is very open and this is our only eating area, with the living room behind the camera as a great room, so I really wanted it to "blend" in with the other common areas of the house. Photo clickable for larger version.

Edited February 27, 2012 by jar7709

[Mommy22alyns]

We have bookshelves and a cabinet from Pottery Barn Kids. I won't lie, it's obvious that we homeschool.

[----]

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Edited September 13, 2014 by amana

[boscopup]

We have school desks that hold workbooks and such. I keep books on a bookcase. I keep manipulatives in drawers in those rolling carts you can get from Sam's ($30, 10 plastic drawers). I have a white board and an easel to hold it.

[Classically Minded]

Our dining room IS our homeschool room, we use bookcases mostly. I like having the learning materials easily accessible. It helps us be more efficient by saving time.

 

[Wabi Sabi]

We have a couple of shelves in our dining room and made a large, linen-covered bulletin board to hang above the shelves as a place to display current work, art, etc.

 

There's a small closet in the dining room as well. It has several additional shelves for binders, art supplies, more books and the like. Finally, we also have a buffet on the other wall. One drawer holds our tablecloths and napkins, but the other drawers all hide more office and school supplies.

 

Here's a photo of the shelves with the huge pinboard:

 

[kewb]

In theory, all books are put back on the bookcase in the kitchen. Pens, pencils, resource books are put away in the credenza and in the breakfront.

 

In reality, most of the books reside stacked in the center of the dining room table. If company is coming I make sure everything is put away properly.

[ErinE]

Classically Homeschooling, I love your room! It looks familiar. You've posted a picture before, right? My dh is "inside" decorator (long story.... it was compromise) and I've used your room as an example of what I want in our ideal homeschool. Lots of book shelves, a white board, one big long table. Right now we school on an itty-bitty table that seats exactly four. My kids are within easy reach of each other and it drives me bonkers!

[alisoncooks]

We have a pretty small eat-in kitchen and we homeschool in there. I have a cabinet/hutch (2 open shelves, 3 drawers) that I keep workbooks and immediate needs (crayons/paper) on...things I want to be able to reach.

 

I cleaned out our small coat closet (by the front door) and installed 3 shelves & a behind-the-door shoe organizer. I have games/supplies/manipulatives stacked on the shelves...the pockets hold some smaller games/puzzles-in-bags.

 

I also have a (very ugly) plastic storage container (3 drawer variety) tucked in a corner in the kitchen. I have everything else crammed in there.

 

Not ideal.... but at least it's relatively tidy and put away.

 

ETA: I do have a very large calendar wall/whiteboard area...it's down the hall, next to the bathroom. Only free space we had. :)

[Classically Minded]

Classically Homeschooling, I love your room! It looks familiar. You've posted a picture before, right? My dh is "inside" decorator (long story.... it was compromise) and I've used your room as an example of what I want in our ideal homeschool. Lots of book shelves, a white board, one big long table. Right now we school on an itty-bitty table that seats exactly four. My kids are within easy reach of each other and it drives me bonkers!

 

Thank you, yes I think I have posted our pictures a while back in another homeschool room post. We only have one child but I always knew I wanted a long table so that even when we have crafts/projects on one side, we can still eat dinner on the other end.

[Tarreymere]

We do school in the living room or in the eat-in kitchen of our mobile home. It used to be that I could keep our materials organized on a wheeled kitchen cart and wheel that around to where we ended up at......but now we are up to two four shelf bookshelves, one three shelf bookshelf, and a buffet in our kitchen and it DOES look like a schoolroom. I even have a pencil sharpener on the counter. No getting away from it now. I think it is only going to get worse and I hope I don't end up building an addition on the house for all the books! But that said I still prefer to do school in the middle of the house and not in a schoolroom. We do clear off the table every day when we get done.

[Guest]

Our living space is small also, so we have converted our living/ dining room into a living/ dining/ schoolroom combo. We have everything out in the open for the boys to access, except for certain things like paint etc. that the boys can use under my supervision ;). Works well for us :)! I have lots of pics in our blog! The link is in my siggy.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Anywhere I can fnd a free space! I have 3 bookcases in the living room, 1 in DD's room. I have a hall closet full of bigger stuff and a storage shed for thing that weather well.

[PentecostalMom]

Dh and I were just talking about this tonight becasue since we moved, we not longer have a schoolroom (or a dining room, in our old house we had both!). Now we have a dining area, since we are in a 1500 sq.ft. apartment. It is in the corner of the L-shaped living/dining/kitchen area. I do not like visual clutter, but as it is there is A LOT! I wish I had a tall cabinet with doors so I could just close them, but alas, I do not.

 

I have a small bookcase in the living area, about three feet tall by 2 1/2 feet wide, I am planning to hang maps and a timeline in our dining area this week, and the rest of my school items are in the two rolling carts I bought for workboxes that I didn't get set up before we moved. Since, they are at the back of our very long apartment and in my bedroom, we use them for storage of curriculum or teacher guides. However, I digress.

 

I am also planning to get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Educational-Insights-Classroom-Organization-Center/dp/B000LLEA5Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1I5HLV9CYFDFJ&colid=3B6DDO7X9SV0A

 

to use in place of workboxes. I am making dd a grid (or rather dh is) with 16 boxes and 16 "tiles" velcroed onto those boxes for her assignments with a pocket at the bottom. She will look at the first one, which will be Bible, we will complete that subject, then she puts it into the pocket and moves on to the next one. I plan to organize the bookshelves with the things that won't fit or are supplemental.

 

Looking forward to other ideas for our tiny space!

[freeindeed]

We have bookshelves in every room of the house, including one of our bathrooms. Our books are everywhere!:) We typically do school in either the living room or dining room. And, seriously, my dining room looks more like a classroom.

[Elizabeth in MN]

Well, I have 'just" the one so we have less stuff for homeschooling. I keep all our books for the week in a wicker basket next to our dining room table. The pencil sharpener and pencil cup on the table because they take up no room.

[Aspasia]

My kids are really little so most of our "school stuff" involves craft supplies and manipulatives (stamps, glue, paint, glitter, feathers, sequins, pattern blocks, etc.). We have an Expedit bookcase from Ikea to store everything. I know, it sounds huge and imposing, but I promise it's nicely organized and looks neat. All the loose items are stored in uniform containers with two in each little cubby of the bookcase. Some of the cubbies hold books instead, two of them hold file boxes filled with file folder games and themed activity ideas and materials. It's a very functional, user-friendly set-up. In our last house, I had everything stored in a separate room and we just didn't use it as much. Here, my kids spend half of every day choosing activities from the bookcase, creating things, building things. I love it.

 

Part of me hates that our dining room looks like a classroom, but most of me realizes that guess what? It IS a school room 97% of the time. We entertain quite a bit, but even with our busy entertaining schedule, that room is a non-school room only about 3% of the time. I have to be practical, right? :lol: And things are just harder with the materials further away from where I am (which is usually the kitchen).

 

 

I am also planning to get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Educational-Insights-Classroom-Organization-Center/dp/B000LLEA5Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_npd?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1I5HLV9CYFDFJ&colid=3B6DDO7X9SV0A

 

to use in place of workboxes.

 

Such a good idea! I'm totally going to use this next year when we start doing workboxes!

[kokotg]

We're trying to sell our house right now, but I'm envisioning a dining room/schoolroom combo in my next house. In my imagination, it looks something like this:

 

 

 

In real life....we'll see. The idea, though, is that the room will look somewhat presentable--or at least be easy to make presentable given some notice--and that the messier looking stuff will have a cabinet with closed doors to live in or stay in another room and come out only when we need it. I think it will help that my kids are older now and that we are not crafty.

[Mommyfaithe]

We use my living room ...a lot. I use 2 milk crates that slide under our big coffee table....really a big oak slab. I keep our in use books in there. I also keep our lap dry erase boards, crayons, glue sticks, big timeline etc., in a small end table with a closet.

Dh also built a huge wall unit with a built in bookshelf, window seat with lids that lift for back packs, sports stuff etc and BIG pull out drawers for art supplies, paper, art supplies etc.....this wall unit holds a ton.

Faithe

Edited February 27, 2012 by Mommyfaithe

[amselby81]

Can I bookmark this thread? I'm so interested in these responses. I'm just responding so I can easily find this thread in the future. :)

[Mommyfaithe]

We have bookshelves in every room of the house, including one of our bathrooms. Our books are everywhere!:) We typically do school in either the living room or dining room. And, seriously, my dining room looks more like a classroom.

 

We do also...every single spare space...lol. Dh made me bookshelves by removing Sheetrock and putting shelves between the joists. I love them!

Faithe

[mumto2]

We use IKEA bookshelves for our not in current use today books. Teachers manuals are also kept there. We just got some big covered storage cubes (Ikea again) to keep everything they are working with in. It could be better organized and less visible but I want visitors to know my dc's have real academics to do. We don't have a lot of home ed where we live.

[cjgrubbs]

We do also...every single spare space...lol. Dh made me bookshelves by removing Sheetrock and putting shelves between the joists. I love them!

Faithe

 

Mommyfaithe - I would love to see a picture of your shelves!

[kristinannie]

My schoolroom is my dining room, but we don't have a dining room table. It is just a school room. :lol:

[In the Rain]

Mommyfaithe - I would love to see a picture of your shelves!

 

:iagree: Sounds like a great space saver.

[nikicole]

Our dining room is our school room. We have a bookshelf with baskets for each kiddo that holds all of their daily books. We also have a cabinet that we store manipulatives, supplies, etc. in, and a couple other small containers/shelves that hold art supplies and paper. So... pretty much "school" is taking over our dining room. And I said that would never happen!!!:tongue_smilie:

[WishboneDawn]

Check out the link in my sig and this link. Everything not in use daily goes on bookshelves in the basement.

[2_girls_mommy]

Ours is the dining room that we eat in every day for every meal (only table we have!)

 

I keep a large bookshelf and a small storage of drawers in the dining room, next to the table. All books in current use and supplies have a home there and should be put up when not in use.

 

Bookshelves with books used less often are in other rooms.

[TxMama]

I converted a nearby coat closet into a school closet. I call it the disappearing classroom.

[MrsMe]

Mommyfaithe - I would love to see a picture of your shelves!

 

Ditto!:iagree:

[Jess4879]

We are in a very small house right now and all of our schooling is done in the kitchen. We have a storage cupboard in the kitchen that we keep all of our books in. We also have a stackable shelf system full of art supplies in the laundry room and a bin in the basement. We also have a book shelf in the kids room and another in the laundry room. My dream is to one day have a school room with shelving and cubbies ...

[Mandylubug]

We have an eat in kitchen and it is also the home of our schooling endeavors. I will try to snap a picture of what "school" looks like after lunch today because it looks like our living room and kitchen exploded with kids and books during our schooling hours.

 

I did convert the coat closet by the front door into a school supply closet and it houses our paper mess. I also have a buffet that is being repurposed to house crayons/pencils/ some books etc. I have a book shelf in the dining area as well and a computer desk strategically placed in a walk through from the dining to the living area..

 

IF I had a formal dining room I would totally make that our schooling area and leave the eat in kitchen as our only dining area. BUT we don't so we have to use what we have.

 

I do like it to clean up for the most part when "school" is not in session and it look clean and tidy. I will attempt that photo as well, later ;)

[In the Rain]

We have an entertainment center in our living room to hold the school stuff we use most often. I keep books we don't need currently on a bookshelf in the guest room. I keep pencils and paper on the window ledge near the table where the girls work.

 

The bottom of the entertainment center has a small cabinet for each girl. They keep their workbooks or other school items in there. The largest section holds a desk apprentice with extra paper, scissors, pencil sharpener, etc.

 

It is obvious we homeschool, but I'm okay with that. :001_smile:

[CupOCoffee]

In our house, DS does his work in his room, and DD does hers in the living room; when we meet to teach/discuss in the evening, it's in the living room.

 

We have bookshelves *where ever they will fit*: living room, dining room, every bedroom (3). DS's books are all upstairs in his room; DD has a special shelf in our entertainment center in the living room, for "using this week books". The rest of her books are upstairs. Since we use SL Cores, each Core has a shelf and then some if needed, and some are totally packed away in rubbermaid under beds.

 

When we were recently shopping for a home, I SO wanted a room we could devote to school books, lined from top to bottom with bookcases, but alas, it was not to be. We still have a lot more space and it doesn't look like we have QUITE as many books, but they are still a prominent part of our home, as is our extensive movie collection (don't even ask how many shelves).

 

~coffee~

[Cassy]

We do schoolwork mostly in our kitchen and our dining room. In the kitchen I have a set of drawers on wheels which fits in a space where the previous owners used to have an under the counter fridge. This has four smaller drawers for each boy's work, and two larger ones filled with art supplies. The counter above this set of drawers is also piled with school books, as is about a third of our 9' x 3' kitchen table. In the dining room about half of a 9' x 4' dining table is piled with books, another table has various k'nex and science projects on it, and there is a box of RightStart manipulatives in one corner. We also have various musical instruments, including two pianos, in this room. The school stuff in these rooms only really gets tidied away twice a year, once at the beginning of the summer vacation, and again just before Christmas, when the house gets transformed into a festive delight :tongue_smilie:. We also have huge bookcases full of schoolbooks in the dining room and sitting room, and the main computer is in the sitting room.

 

So, yes, we live with school clutter everywhere pretty constantly, and we like it that way ;).

 

Best wishes

 

Cassy

Edited February 27, 2012 by Cassy

[ThreeBlessings]

Sorry the pic is low quality. I'm assuming it is blurry because I resized the pics? I forgot to change the camera setting. Our schoolroom is our dining room. I don't try to hide it one bit. :) We lived in apartments for years homeschooling and space was always an issue. I love having a decent size dining room to devote to school. We do have bookshelves tucked elsewhere in the house with books and craft supplies, but for the most school supplies and books are in the dining room. There's 3 pics in the album.

Edited February 27, 2012 by ThreeBlessings