Organizing your homeschool space?

[susankenny]

PLEASE help me! I feel like I am over-run by homeschooling books sometimes. Our home isn't small, but I feel like I just don't have adequate space for everything! How do you all organize your spaces?

 

I would appreciate advice, pictures, whatever!

 

 

Thank you!!

 

Susan

[lauracolumbus]

I have three areas for my homeschooling material. 1. Long term storage in the basement on bookshelves and in drawers for stuff that I won't use this year. 2. In our school room, I have 3 bookshelves for stuff that I might possibly use this year. 3. Workboxes for stuff we are currently using. At the end of the day the kids put their stuff back into the workboxes and we just move on the next day. Extras like timeline books, extra math books, reference items go on the shelves in our school room shelves. Stuff I know is highly unlikely to be use (eg medieval history resources when we're studying ancients), goes downstairs. I also have one of those multi drawer carts where I keep our school supplies like tape, rulers, flashcards, etc. Not fancy, but it's taken me way too long to get to this system.

 

Laura

[LLMom]

I know when my supplies are not organized, I feel super stressed. We do have a room just for school stuff, but we have book cases throughout the house because there are so many. I tend to group my items that go together on shelves or racks. I have all the writing utensils and paper together, educational games and manipulatives together in a bin, etc. Here is an article I wrote on how I organize my stuff with pictures. Organizing your homeschool

[PeterPan]

PLEASE help me! I feel like I am over-run by homeschooling books sometimes. Our home isn't small, but I feel like I just don't have adequate space for everything! How do you all organize your spaces?

 

I would appreciate advice, pictures, whatever!

 

 

Thank you!!

 

Susan

 

I suggest you post a picture of your mountain along with a schematic of your space, and people can give you suggestions. You have general principles (put stuff where you use it, if you're not using it put it in a lower use area, keep things at ready you use a lot and behind doors/curtains if you don't, etc.). Advice specific to your space would probably be more helpful. You can attach files here or take a snap and load on flickr and give the link.

[TXMary2]

PLEASE help me! I feel like I am over-run by homeschooling books sometimes. Our home isn't small, but I feel like I just don't have adequate space for everything! How do you all organize your spaces?

 

I would appreciate advice, pictures, whatever!

 

 

Thank you!!

 

Susan

 

 

If you have funds for shelving, I suggest IKEA Expedit. They are versatile in that you can put books, or you can put drawers and fill them with odd sized manipulatives, etc. If you click on the link in my signature you can see my pictures.

[Clarkd]

We have a similar set up to Lauracolumbus. I have bins for long term future in a spare room, an old tv armoire for items someone will most likely use this year then another armoire right next to our table where we do most of our work. We don't, however, use a workbox system. I have one milk crate and one shelf per kid in the "daily use" armoire. Then on the right inside the armoire are the shared materials (e.g., counters, art supplies).

[myfunnybunch]

My biggest sanity saver was packing everything away (or selling or giving away) everything that is not in use. When we need it, I get it out and find a place for it on the bookshelf. When we no longer need it, I put it away.

 

It was a HUGE relief not having to deal with all of the book clutter!

 

Similar to other posters so far, we have a daily use shelf (one for each child and one for me), a bookcase for resources that are used regularly but not daily, and a bookcase upstairs for books that are used sporadically.

 

Cat

[Ecclecticmum]

Simplicity Parenting Book - Your Answer. lol.

 

I just did a big curriculum book clearout/donation. Other than that, plans are (hopefully implemented in the coming weeks):

 

Back Room - Storage of Rarely used stuff & Mom and Dads Books (Philosophy homeschool guides, Homesteading, Homemaking, Gardening, Car Manuals etc).

 

Backroom Closet - Any curriculum for later years. Kids Portfolios, books that kids aren't developmentally ready for (Oliver Twist etc)

 

Kitchen Cupboard - Few favourite cooking books I refer to (little booklet type ones with "basics", bigger cookbooks are in storage room).

 

Atelier - Cupboard in there houses most of the currently in use curriculum, Art & Craft books. Anything I use reguarly with the kids, my teaching guides, weekly planner

 

My Bedroom - Cupboard has a few mom books that I plan to read/am currently reading, and compilations/treasury kids books for lounging on my bed, snuggling with kids and reading to them. I don't have bedside drawers.

 

Spire - (I originally called it the inspiration room, my daughter just repeated it and said "spire", it stuck lol) A few carefully chosen childrens books to go with their current school theme/unit (this room is their toy room, waldorf-inspired)

 

Kids Bedroom - Guttering/Poles behind door with most of the childrens picture books/novels on it.

 

Car - A few of each childs picture favourites, ocassionally swapped in and out.

 

So, in short. Everywhere. But orderly ;) They all have a home, and in places where they are the most used.

 

If you want to talk crafts & supplies, well most of those are in the Atelier, set out for the kids, they have good quality pencils, crayons, paints, glitter, paper (and scrap paper) recycling and all sorts available there. Any stuff I need specifically for projects are kept in my bedroom in archive boxes under my computer chair. "Special" school supplies (all the exxy stuff just for mumma-led school stuff) is locked in my little art supply cabinet. The rest is free reign for the kids. I also have a filing cabinet on the verandah with more messy art supplies and a cabinet filled with backup supplies.

 

HTH xxx