Where Is your 5th-8th graders curriculum kept?

[Gil]

Exactly as the title says.

 

Where (and how) is your bigger kids curriculum stored?

 

The Boys are transitioning towards textbooks and binders so I'm trying to decide where/how to store all this stuff.

 

 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

We have bookshelves for books, a cupboard for binders and science kits, and school desks.

 

In lieu of such a setup, I always liked the idea of each kid's materials being stored in a box in his closet, to be fetched at the start of school time and repacked and put back at the end of the day.

[Farrar]

We have the same thing we've had for awhile.

 

Each kid has a largeish box that holds all their workbooks, notebooks, and textbooks that are currently in use.

 

There's a single shelf on the bookshelf above that which holds all the shared books and texts that are sometimes in use, for example the novels that we'll read for the year and enrichment math books that I turn to for extra problem sets.

 

There's a little cubby for each kid for finished work as well as finished notebooks and workbooks. We clean that out every once in awhile.

 

My kids do their work in comp books or on the computer. We're not fussed by the not lying flat thing. Spiral notebooks make me ragey. Binders are messy unless you're really focused on upkeep for them. If there's a short term project with lots of parts, sometimes I take out a folder and three hole punch things for it. They also have planners. The planners live in their boxes as well.

[Sherry in OH]

Books and binders to be used this week are shelved on the living room bookcase.  Each boy has a plastic bin for his pencils, math tool kit and other small items.  This is also shelved on the living room book case.  Books for next week and later are shelved on the bookcase in the master bedroom (with dire threats to youngest ds regarding their removal from the bedroom.)  

[Gil]

We have bookshelves for books, a cupboard for binders and science kits, and school desks.

 

In lieu of such a setup, I always liked the idea of each kid's materials being stored in a box in his closet, to be fetched at the start of school time and repacked and put back at the end of the day.

Are their shelves, cupboards and desks in their rooms or somewhere else--like a central study-space or classroom?

Edited March 3, 2018 by Gil

[SilverMoon]

Each kid, from the first grader to the high schoolers, has their own shelf in our school area that is just theirs. All supplies for current subjects live in each kids' personal shelf, binders, textbooks, notebooks, reading books, math manipulatives, etc live there, and it's their job to keep their shelf tidy and organized. College girl usually has her stuff piled on the small desk. The 9th grader uses most of the shelf in the worktable, and the rest of the shelf holds science and history books for the little ones that are used frequently but not every day. There's a small bookcase has a shelf for the 8th grader, the 4th grader, and the 1st grader, and one for random supplies (crayons, whiteboards, etc); the top of it is loaded with literature. The worktable was originally built with our chemistry year in mind and has room for experiments and supplies on top. Right now it holds dictionaries, writing guides, stationary, books we might want before the school year is over, speakers, cans of pencils and erasers, and such.

Edited March 3, 2018 by SilverMoon

[regentrude]

on bookshelves in their bedrooms. That is where they had their desks to do independent work.

Edited March 3, 2018 by regentrude

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Currently, a classroom. They're free to go sprawl on their beds, if they'd rather, or spread out work on the kitchen table, but there's a central location where the stuff goes.

 

 

(Edit: I thought I'd quoted, sorry!)

Edited March 3, 2018 by Tibbie Dunbar

[Roadrunner]

One of the bookshelves is devoted to current school books and workbooks. It's easy to pull things and put it back up. Boxes didn't work here. Lab supplies, random wires.... are all in plastic boxes stored on top of the bookshelf along with a microscope. 

[prairiewindmomma]

Trofast bins in the classroom. My 6th grader has lost his brain, and the bin system helps.

[alisoncooks]

We do most schoolwork in the kitchen. I have a hutch that stores random supplies (dictionary, thesaurus, paper) next to the table.

 

Most textbooks/workbooks are on a bookshelf nearby. Oldest DD does some schoolwork in her room (writing and literature). She takes her lit textbook, writing notebook, etc all down to do work...and then puts them up on the bookshelf when she's finished.

[Targhee]

One particular shelf for their materials, a different one for mine. Nothing fancy. All books, texts, binders, notebooks, etc go there.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Targhee

[KrissiK]

We got one of those cubby things from IKEA. It's Kallax.  It's got 8 cubbies - 4 are used by the kids and the other 4 are used by me. We just use that for our day to day things. The rest is stored in the garage.

[Tanaqui]

Definitely not shoved under my bed because I'd rather use a space heater in my room than heat up the entire house when the two of us are the only ones home....

[Lori D.]

Every morning, we'd bring out the heavy-duty plastic crate for each, with textbooks, books, workbooks, notebooks, etc. stored in the crates spines facing up, and a plastic pencil case with pencils and other small supplies. At the end of the day, replace everything in the proper crate, stack up in the laundry room and close the door. Reading books and other books that were in immediate use were also kept in the crate; otherwise books were  on bookshelves. Science supplies were in a plastic bin with a lid, also kept in the laundry room and brought out as needed.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Lori D.

[happypamama]

Each child has a shelf in a big bookcase (well, the youngest two share a shelf) for their books and binders.  They also each have one of these bins  from Target on their shelf for papers, drawing pencils, floppy books, etc.: https://www.target.com/p/mesh-desktop-organizer-silver-room-essentials-153/-/A-13429685 Plus they have a plastic pencil box each for pencils, pens, and the like.

 

Finished work goes in an inbox on my desk, and after I check it, loose papers go in files in a crate.

[RenaInTexas]

In the past, we cleaned out our hallway linen closet to store all things homeschool. Worked out well and allowed kids to strecth legs and have a little locker time (like public school kids) to get their books.

 

We moved the linen closet stuff to various places: top shelf or floor (under clothes) of bedroom closets, under bed storage, donated, etc.

[JBJones]

We converted one of our bedrooms into a school/computer room. It helps me to keep track of everything. Before we just had materials strewn everywhere and it drove me crazy.

[Miss Tick]

There is a handy cabinet in the kitchen where I keep all the school stuff. If I can't fit it into the cabinet I may have overplanned. Some of the older kids textbooks have found a home on the bookshelf near the computers where they do the classwork. Although, this does defeat my basic overplanning check.

[deerforest]

Same as it's always been--in our homeschool room. We do 1:1 stuff together at table in there or in my office, and she does her independent work wherever she wants. We've worked out a system for keeping track of her work, what needs to be filed, turned in, etc.

 

Storing things hasn't changed for this age, just who's more responsible for finding it has.

[SanDiegoMom]

We have one cube each in an IKEA bookshelf and they each have a magazine holder for loose papers that need to be filed.

[TheAttachedMama]

We keep all of their books sorted by subject in a rolling scrapbook cart with their school checklist on top.   They roll them over to the table when we are working, and hide them in a closet when we are done with school.   

[2_girls_mommy]

On a bookshelf. Each child gets a shelf each year as their current "locker." They are supposed to return all books and folders to the shelf each day. We do pack backpacks quite often for taking books to work in dance classes while waiting or at co-ops and such, so they often do have to go search for their book before we start each day, but they should all be on the shelf or in the backpack. 

[Chelli]

In Ikea magazine holders on top of the bookcases in our dining room. They are labeled by subject and contain everything needed for that subject (book, workbook, TM, etc.). She just grabs the subject she needs and goes.

[ChocolateCake]

All my son's current books are on top of his dresser with a bookend keeping them up.  Any curriculum not being used goes in my IKEA billy bookshelves (with doors) in my office.  We don't use binders.

[2_girls_mommy]

In Ikea magazine holders on top of the bookcases in our dining room. They are labeled by subject and contain everything needed for that subject (book, workbook, TM, etc.). She just grabs the subject she needs and goes.

That is a good idea. I keep a shelf of magazine holders for all of TMs for the year for me and some with all of their test booklets for a year for all subjects in one holder. 

But I like the idea of one subject in each holder. I am going to think about this. Subjects like Latin where my dd has a Henle II textbook, a Henle II MP lesson plan booklet, an MP quiz booklet, a Henle grammar book, a copy of Fourth Form textbook for referring back to are hard to keep together. One magazine holder to keep them altogether is a great idea. 

[Seeking Squirrels]

Mine are only 4th and K. We use portable file boxes, like these, each child has one and I have another that doesn't have the storage lid. All of their workbooks go in their bin and scissors, dry erase markers, glue stick, and a few pencils go in the top compartment. Each also has a couple of pencil boxes in their bin that has their most used math manipulatives. They have to put everything back in their bins when we're done with school. Teacher manuals go in my bin. We have a large plastic crate that holds extra manipulatives, some office supply stuff, and some rotating things for my K to do while I work with DD9. All history stuff is together in one magazine holder so I can keep it together. 

 

We have a school room but it's in the basement and it gets quite cold in the winter. So this is what we are using while we are doing school upstairs so we can keep it organized and accessible in the living room. 

[redsquirrel]

we do school in the dining room. There is a large bookshelf in that room and that is where the homeschool books live. Each kid get a shelf.  I should add, this is a large, heavy duty homemade bookshelf. It's not a flimsy ikea jobbie. This is a beast of a bookcase that I found abandoned in an 'unfurnished' apartment. It had been built to hold a graduate student's book and she decided it was too heavy to bother moving. I moved in and took it with me when I left. I've painted it, so it looks nice etc. But, I don't want you to get the idea that just any bookshelf is up to holding a whole family's homeschool collection, lol

[luuknam]

Bookcase 1, bookcase 2, the middle seat of the couch...

 

Those are all in the living room, btw. Occasionally something will live on my dresser in my bedroom for a while too, or on the TV stand (in the living room - the TV stand technically being a desk, so, not exactly crazy that curriculum sometimes lives there). 

 

ETA: oh, and in my go-bag. Especially when the kids have lots of activities where they're not doing stuff at the same time, so I can do stuff with one kid while the other does activity. At the moment that's not really happening, but that has happened a lot in the past - last year my youngest did most of his homeschooling at school while we were there because oldest was there for various therapies.  :lol:

Edited March 7, 2018 by luuknam

[Momto4inSoCal]

We have a cart with two bins in it. One for each child. Any books they are currently using stay in the bin. Books for the year not in use go on the bookshelf. Every child has a section on the bookshelf. I have a basket with kindergarden books for my twins and another basket with morning time books. 

[almondbutterandjelly]

Locker.  Around middle school we ordered dd a full-size black locker (from Sam's Club I think) and then painted it in "school colors".  She's still using it in late high school.

[PeachyDoodle]

Most everything stays on our bookcase in the living room. We have a vaulted ceiling, so our bookcase is about 7.5 feet high. The shelves are tall and deep. I love it.

 

The kids each have a desk in their rooms, and dd12 keeps some of her books in hers. It's one of those old-fashioned school desks with a storage area under the seat, so not much room. Mostly she takes what she needs to her room and returns it to the bookcase when she's finished.

[Meriwether]

We ha e a schoolroom. The older kids have a bookcart by their desks for their current books. Lit and history books are stored by week on a separate bookshelf.

[RootAnn]

Bookcase in the school room part of the basement. Each kid has part of a book shelf. Most of their books are in one magazine holder. (High schoolers share a shelf as they have more textbooks. So, their notebooks are in the magazine holder and textbooks are next to their notebooks.) My TMs and reference books share a shelf with the younger three. We don't have enough free bookshelf space for each kid to have an entire book shelf to themselves.

 

They remove what they need for each subject and then (mostly) put it back when they are done.

[mlktwins]

We have a schoolroom on our 3rd floor.  3 Ikea tables (one for each boy and one for me) and Ikea shelving (Expedit).  They each have 6 12x12 plastic drawers under their tables to put binders and textbooks by subject.  I have bins on the floor with library books.  

 

We also have a quest room across the hall where we read and their computer tables are.  

 

Except for extra reading, we keep it contained to the 3rd floor.

[fourisenough]

We have a large cupboard in the dining room. Shared supplies are on two shelves and each girl has her own shelf. It has doors, so when the school day is finished, everything is put away and closed up. Then our home feels like a home, not a school! Most work is done at the dining table, but we separate when I’m reading aloud to younger or when older is in an online class.