Homeschool Organization

[DietCokeLover]

If you do not have a designated school room, and are like me and have to use the kitchen table..... How do you organize it all? Do you have a wonderful piece that makes your life easier? Bonus points for pictures!

[inmypjs]

We don't have a homeschool room. We do have an office space, and I keep curriculum and other homeschool supplies on bookshelves in that room. We do most of our schoolwork at the kitchen table, on the couch or on the floor. I really try not to buy curriculum and resources that I don't need and I do sell promptly when I'm done. I will say we are going to be moving to a smaller house, and I am planning to use the dining room in that house as a homeschool/craft/kids work room. With the help of my Dad, we're going build a table similar to this one in the center of the room, and our IKEA expedit shelves on the walls. I am really looking forward to it!

http://www.confessionsofahomeschoole...m-on-ikea.html

[brittone2]

If you do not have a designated school room, and are like me and have to use the kitchen table..... How do you organize it all? Do you have a wonderful piece that makes your life easier? Bonus points for pictures!

In our finished basement we have a 5x5 expedit with fiction books. The kids pull from there for bookshelves in their room, or I pull things as needed. I have a 5x5 expedit in our office room. We rarely HS in there, but most of our HS things live in that room. I keep manipulatives in various container store containers that fit on the shelves. I have designated areas for my own references (towards the top), history, various branches of science, math literature (ie math that doesn't get used every day) etc. Then the kids each have a smaller shelf with a spinner like this http://www.staples.com/Staples-The-D...product_597003 They each have two cubbies of a 2x2 little cube shelf to keep their current books/curricula, plus the desk apprentice.

We have gone through things like SOTW all the way through and we are looping back through. So I do pull out some of what we aren't actively using that year and put it in bins in the attic or basement (labeled with what they are obviously) until we are back in that history cycle. I do keep out some of the favorites from other time periods, general references, historical fiction, etc. but I do try to rotate out some of the books we don't need in our history cycle.

[OKKiddo]

Where we live right now I've had to use our kitchen table as the homeschool work area. I used to keep their curriculum inside the craft cabinet but that was getting pretty full with crafts and our work and curriculum. Then one day I was walking back from the playground with the kids and saw a beautiful china cabinet on the curb. We're talking glass was intact, doors worked perfectly, and the dove tailed drawers worked perfectly as well. Not a scratch one on it. After inquiring at the house, I was able to take it home. So, that's where we store all of our curriculum and manipulatives now (as well as our archived work for portfolio's in case we're ever called to question--like by my MIL).

However, we're due to move at the end of the month and we're looking to purchase a home where we're relocating....IF we can find a house we can afford that's the right size and isn't in need of too much remodeling. My dream house would have that study and formal dining room, formal living room, family room, and eat in kitchen (big bonus would be a insulated sun room). Then I could still fit in playroom, home school room, DH's study, an eating place, and a place to hang out as a family. I would be in Heaven. I know, I'm dreaming. I also dream about Erica's home school room and this one http://www.pinterest.com/pin/266134659204118155/ She basically took the formal living and study from her house and created a teacher's study and classroom situation. Hmm, if that dream house comes along maybe my DH will share his study?...

[brittone2]

Just coming back to say my friend has a large dining room buffet where they keep a lot of their HS things. I have an antique jelly cupboard I used in our old house for art supplies. We used it in an eik next to the kitchen table. The top worked as a serving piece. It has always been a very versatile piece for us and it holds a lot. Two sides with three shelves each, two drawers above that, and doors to conceal it all.

[wifecat]

We bought our house with homeschooling in mind and it had this awesome space in the basement (with big windows) that we thought would be a perfect classroom. So all of our supplies are down there in cabinets and on shelves. But, here's the catch - it's absolutely freezing year round down there. I put heavy insulated curtains on the windows, have tried space heaters...nada. We like it in the summer if we're warm, but otherwise, we too are at the dining room table. With all of our stuff downstairs. I think my husband might kill me if I start storing stuff up here though...

[AngelaS]

For years I stored all our books and curriculum and manipulatives in the entertainment center in our living room. It has sliding doors to hide everything when you are watching tv, so It worked perfectly.

Now I have a school room with a big table and expedit and usually the table is covered in craft supplies and projects and we wind up at the kitchen table to do school....

[OKKiddo]

I can't believe there are so many of us on here that homeschool! That's awesome!

[Melaine]

We finally emptied the "fancy" dishes from our kitchen hutch and have filled it with 20 or so Ikea magazine file boxes. I don't love how it looks but it's not hideous. At some point I would like to cover the glass windows with a pretty fabric. But so far, this is the best system we have had. We can fit a LOT in those folders, they are easy to label and they make random stuff that wouldn't stand up nicely on a shelf fit in great and easy to access. Like math manipulatives, flash cards, maps and charts, computer paper, art supplies, etc. We still have tons of school books stashed at random but I haven't finished filling the file boxes either. I also tend to purge often so try not to hang onto unused materials.

eta: ooops this pic is totally upside down. The colorful strips are where we reinforced them with duct tape. The bag is my 31 organizing tote which I still really like for homeschool.


image.jpg

[OKKiddo]

Melaine, does your china cabinet have eagle claw feet and lights inside? Made of oak? I swear, those leaded glass panes are identical to one I used to have (and sold when we moved to a house that it wouldn't fit in).