asmall Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 We are living in a smaller space, and I am horrible about keeping our homeschool stuff organized. What kinds of things can you not live without? What kinds of things can you let go? How much paperwork do you keep from your kids previous years? We have one large bookshelf and one small bookshelf. My kids also have a large bookshelf in their room. I just need some ideas, because everything is over flowing, and there are piles adding up in other places. I also have some small bins with covers, but I am not the organizing type and don't really know what to use them for. Any ideas will be a great help. Thanks, AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertmum Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 When my kids were smaller they each had a large Rubbermaid tote with a handle that contained all of their workbooks, textbooks, etc. they could move them around the house and work where they wished. They were responsible to clean them up at the end of the school day - we kept them on a bottom shelf, but they could be placed anywhere: a closet, bedroom, etc. I only keep this year's work on our shelved. Anything that is not being used this year gets put away in boxes in my closet. This significantly lessens the clutter. Finally, I keep virtually none of my children's work year to year. I have a small box of things worth keeping (mostly for sentimental reasons), the rest goes. I have heard of people taking pictures or scanning work into the computer and keeping files for each child. Good luck. I moved into a much bigger home a few years back and have been able to spread out a bit more, but I remember the challenge of homeschooling in a tiny space. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
profmom Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 (edited) I keep all their compositions and then things like math tests, lab reports, and list of books read, along with class descriptions & grades (when applicable -- usually only older kids). At a minimum, I would keep all their writing -- that's what I think they would be most interested in seeing in future years. While I'm at it, I try to take a picture or two and add a bit about what kinds of activities they were involved in that year. Then, I take it to Office Depot and have it spiral bound with laminated covers. For my youngest, I am wondering if I can do something similar with her art work, but I"m not sure yet because of the different sizes. Edited June 21, 2012 by profmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Get a scanner and an external hard-drive. Scan in all paperwork you want to keep, put it on the external hard drive, and then recycle the hard copies. That way you have the record, but no pile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmmaNadine Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Also, I'm not sure if you use Pinterest, but a search for homeschool organization there http://pinterest.com/search/?q=homeschool+organization generates some great ideas. There are a slew of what seem like professionally styled homeschool rooms that never actually have met a child, but there are also a lot of great ideas that can be done easily and inexpensively. Use a dishrack for workbook storage, for example, or how to turn your cereal boxes into magazine storage. The bins that you mentioned above, are they the right size for storing art supplies? Or maybe putting together everything you need for an activity? That way if you have one of those "we need a break" days, you have a fun activity ready to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairy4tmama Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 We live in a small duplex and over the last two years I have streamlined more and more. Here are some things we do that may help. We uses a modified workbox system, each of my kids have one bin which holds all of the books/work for the week as well as pencils and erasers. Their bis sit on a shelf in the living room and any books that are for their lessons but not currently being used that week are on the shelf under it. I now have all of their written work done on a dry erase lap board or in a comp book because last year we were swimming in piles of paper no matter how hard I tried to keep up with filing. At the end of this year I will have a stack of comp books to box up or find a place for, anything that is bigger I will take a picture of and not keep. I keep a file box of school supplies on a shelf above my washing machine this is where all the extra comp books, file folders, binders, lined paper, markers glue, staples live if we aren't currently using it, its not out, and I only have to look in one place for what I need. I keep a box on top of one of the bookshelves for books to be re-shelved and DS9 is in charge of re-shelving the books each night. With 5 people reading another thing we swim in is piles of books. In order to make our small space work for us I have 8 bookshelves in my living room basically there are book shelves on every wall and one wall is bookshelves from end to end. These hold mostly books but as I mentioned before they also hold the kids work boxes and a few work boxes for other things (history, science and a toddler box for the toddler I watch). Obviously what works in my house may not work in yours but I hope this gives you an idea or two.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I have a huge house but believe me, it has it's problems as well. I like to keep material in the same place. I have bookshelves to the ceiling. As far as work I keep, I have thick binders for an entire year's work which I file yearly. I do not keep every single paper or math practice sheet. Just their best works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmall Posted June 22, 2012 Author Share Posted June 22, 2012 Great ideas everybody! Keep them coming! Thanks, AL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicoryChick Posted June 22, 2012 Share Posted June 22, 2012 Last year we moved to a smaller home and I had to pare down on some things. One thung I did whas get some fabric boxes from the dollar tree and put them in my bookshelf. I was then able to fit more books on my shelf and it made them easier to organize. Each of my chikd has a different color locker size file crate (I think I paid 3-5 bucks each at Walmart). They keep their woorkbooks, notebooks and pencil box in these. Thankfully they fit nicely in my TV stand and you can barely see them with the doors shut. Like a pp I also take thei papers and other stuff and put them into a box in my closet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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