| So you homeschool - that is great! Homeschooling | | | | be of some assistance. |
| is wonderful, we have been enjoying it ourselves | | | | Books: |
| for a number of years and we love it. The big | | | | Living books, textbooks, workbooks, lab books, |
| question - I have all this great stuff - where do I | | | | notebooks, chapter books, first reader books, |
| put it? How do I organize the papers, and pencils | | | | picture books, puzzle books, teacher books, |
| and pens and those little tiny bears and don't even | | | | student books, books about homeschooling, |
| get me started on the books, oh my the books. I | | | | books, books, books - if you homeschool, you |
| have the stuff, now I need to know how to | | | | have books. The question is how to organize all of |
| organize it all. | | | | those books? |
| First - take a deep breathe and know that you | | | | One option, depending on space, is a bookshelf. |
| are not alone, either in your homeschooling | | | | We have used kit built shelves as well as have |
| journey or in your quest to manage the madness | | | | custom bookshelves built into a closet by using |
| and learn how to organize. | | | | shelf brackets and wood from our local hardware |
| The Steps to Organization (a.k.a. How to | | | | store. Homemade shelves are fairly simple to |
| Organize) are fairly straight forward. Imagine you | | | | make and if you don't have the equipment to cut |
| are putting together a puzzle. What do you do | | | | the wood at home, most hardware stores will cut |
| first? (Well, first you open the box, but I am | | | | pieces for you (for a small fee), just make sure |
| figuring we got past that part.) So what do you | | | | you measure before you go. (Measure twice, cut |
| second? Depending on the kind of person you | | | | once - otherwise it is measure once, cut once, |
| are, you start by sorting the pieces. The pieces | | | | buy some more...) |
| with the straight edges go into one pile and the | | | | If you want other shelf organizer options, you can |
| pieces without the straight edges go back into the | | | | look at the cubbyhole shelf options, or a wall |
| bottom of the box. So our first step in learning | | | | mounted book shelf. There are a number of |
| how to organize is: | | | | options available so take your time and look |
| HOW TO ORGANIZE STEP 1 -- SORTING (woo | | | | around to determine the best idea on how to |
| hoo, yeah, think trumpets and fanfare -- this is | | | | organize your books. (after all, you have to live |
| exciting, we know where to start learning how to | | | | with it, I don't) |
| organize) | | | | Supplies: |
| After you are done sorting your pieces, we | | | | Supplies tend to multiply, you start with a few |
| move on to step two. (I know, I know - I didn't | | | | pens, then they somehow grow into dozens of |
| tell you how to sort or what to sort or how to | | | | pens. Deciding how to organize these supplies will |
| organize anything yet - that comes later in the | | | | vary from homeschool to homeschool. Below you |
| article. Just hang in there.) | | | | will find a variety of drawer suggestions and other |
| So what is the next thing that you do when | | | | ways to organize various supplies. Use these |
| building a puzzle? Do we sort it out and then just | | | | items as a spring board to style your own border. |
| walk away? Do we put all the middle pieces (i.e. | | | | Be sure to read through step 3 for information on |
| pieces without the straight edge) together first? | | | | using a label maker to help you learn how to |
| No, first we build a border for our pieces. So step | | | | organize your bins, boxes, and drawers in an easy |
| two is: | | | | to use way. |
| HOW TO ORGANIZE STEP 2 -- BUILDING A | | | | Wide drawers will organize paper, pens, even |
| BORDER (more fanfare, sounds of cheering) | | | | workbooks. I discovered these drawers when I |
| The border is now built, but we are not done yet. | | | | was trying to decide how to organize lab supplies. |
| If you left the puzzle with just a border you | | | | One of my drawers is for live experiments, this |
| never get to enjoy the beauty of it. The same | | | | doesn't mean that I keep frogs or bugs in there, |
| goes for learning how to organize. Building a | | | | instead I use it for organizing food for fish and |
| border is great, but now you have to use it. How | | | | frogs, seeds for plants and other supplies. |
| do you use a border? I am glad that you asked | | | | Another drawer is our Explorer Gear drawer, that |
| (OK, I am glad that I asked, but if you were here | | | | one contains binoculars, small nets, a small bug |
| I am sure you would have asked.) We use a | | | | habitat as well as other supplies. Wide drawers |
| puzzle border to give us information about the | | | | are can be found in the plastic storage section or |
| puzzle. The border tells us how big the final | | | | the craft section. These are generally 12 x 12 so |
| product will be. It helps us to determine where | | | | they are great for books and papers. |
| the interior pieces should go and it also lets us see | | | | Mini drawers are great for organizing pens, pencils, |
| a light at the end of the tunnel. (I went from | | | | paper clips, rubber bands and all of those little |
| puzzles to trains, and soon I will go back again. It's | | | | office supplies. When looking at drawers be sure |
| a mixed metaphor, but I digress.) So step three | | | | to check the information on the drawer sizes |
| of how to organize is: | | | | before buying online. For example, on some |
| HOW TO ORGANIZE STEP 3 -- FILLING IN THE | | | | websites the mini drawers look larger than the |
| PIECES | | | | wide drawers, this is however, not the case in |
| This makes sense when you are thinking about a | | | | real life. Check your space allotment by |
| puzzle, after all you have this pile of | | | | measuring, then find drawers that will fit. (Great |
| non-straight-edge pieces just sitting there and | | | | homeschool project - make the kids measure |
| waiting. How does this work with organizing? Do | | | | then figure out the area of the space and which |
| you recall way back in how to organize - step one | | | | drawers will fit best) |
| where we were sorting? Those are our missing | | | | Shoe boxes may not seem to have a space in |
| pieces, so filling in the pieces means that you are | | | | your homeschool space, but they are wonderful |
| now putting stuff away. (Yes, another light at the | | | | for organizing. When you want to discover how |
| end of the tunnel) So that's it we are done, right? | | | | to organize math manipulatives, various games |
| After all, we sorted the pieces, we built the | | | | and science equipment think shoe boxes. Items |
| border, we filled in the pieces, our puzzle is done. | | | | can be easily organized and as the boxes have |
| Right? Wrong! Sorry, but there is one more step | | | | lids they can also be stacked. When looking for |
| before you are organized. (Actually, I am not | | | | storage boxes, be sure to look for clear boxes |
| sorry, but it sounds nicer to say it that way | | | | for ease of identification of the items within, if |
| rather than - tough luck bucko, quit being a | | | | you constantly have to take the tops off of |
| whiner.) So then what is the last step? Take a | | | | boxes to find out what is in the box you will soon |
| minute and think about it - when you are done | | | | give up on your organizational system. You also |
| with a puzzle what do you do? Do you leave it | | | | want boxes that have lids. While having baskets |
| where you built it? Do you take it all apart so you | | | | may look prettier, they do not stack and if |
| can do it again another time? Do you smear goo | | | | something is taken off of the shelf incorrectly it |
| on it so that is will become a work of art for you | | | | make a big mess. Another reason to have boxes |
| to hang on the wall? For the purposes of our | | | | with lids is that you are learning how to organize, |
| analogy (i.e. comparing building a puzzle with | | | | and it is very easy in the beginning of the learn |
| learning how to organize) We are going to so no, | | | | how to organize process to fall back into old |
| no, yes. No, we don't just leave it where it is - | | | | habits. A box without a lid becomes a dumping |
| that just adds to the clutter. No, we don't take it | | | | ground for little things. |
| apart (What? Are you crazy? We just did all this | | | | A decorative way to organize includes the use of |
| work getting organized, for goodness sake, don't | | | | baskets (I know I just said don't use baskets, but |
| take it apart.) Yes, we smear goo on it so it is a | | | | after you have learned how to organize, you can |
| work of art. Now, before you go get actual goo | | | | begin to look at other options, like baskets. Just |
| and really make a mess of things remember - | | | | be sure they are used for very specific things. |
| this is an analogy. The goo is basically the stuff | | | | We have three baskets under a long table by the |
| that holds the puzzle together and keeps it looking | | | | front door, these are our library baskets. Only |
| nice. That is what we need - we want our newly | | | | library books and the check out slips are placed in |
| organized area to look nice. So the final step is: | | | | the baskets. You can also utilize door space, by |
| HOW TO ORGANIZE STEP 4 -- THE FINAL STEP | | | | using something like a 15-Pocket Over Door |
| - KEEP IT ORGANIZED (I forgot the fanfare for | | | | Organizer or a file folder holder. We have also |
| step three so let's just add it in here - fanfare, | | | | used the Kids' Toy Organizer and Storage Bin, but |
| fireworks and a laser light show, and a skywriter | | | | not in the schoolroom. It started in the |
| writing out "you just learned the basic steps of | | | | schoolroom, but then I have found this doesn't |
| how to organize".) | | | | work as well since there are no lids. In the kids |
| Now that we have climbed the "Steps of | | | | rooms, toy organizers work fairly well to keep |
| Organization" (aka how to organize) together, let's | | | | toys organized, but it all depends on the ages of |
| look at an example. | | | | your kids and the variety of your supplies. |
| Note: if you have only short periods of time to | | | | Teaching your kids how to organize their own |
| work on your organizing project then still work | | | | things now will save you time later. |
| your way through the steps, however organize in | | | | Step 3: Filling in the Pieces |
| small sections. For example, organize the floor | | | | Now is when you start putting things back. An |
| first, then organize shelves (one at a time), etc.) | | | | item that I have found to be a great organizing |
| Step 1: Sorting | | | | tool is a label maker. Some examples of label |
| This is the hard part, but if you want to learn | | | | makers are the DYMO Personal Label Maker or |
| how to organize and stay organized, it really is | | | | the Brother P-touch Electronic Labeling System. |
| necessary. Let's head off to your homeschool | | | | You can even use printable Avery Mailing Labels. |
| room / area / closet and bring some boxes with | | | | The whole point is you need a way to label. What |
| you. Begin by labeling your boxes in the following | | | | are you going to label? The short answer is: |
| way - trash, donate / sell, doesn't belong in this | | | | everything. All of the boxes, drawers, and |
| area - depending on the amount of stuff that you | | | | pockets should get a label. This way if you find an |
| have you may need multiple boxes. Once you | | | | empty box, you know what was supposed to be |
| have gone through your initial sort, take the trash | | | | in it. Also, when you look into your storage area |
| away, and move the donate / sell boxes to | | | | you can see at a glance what you have. Where |
| another place (preferably out of your house). Now | | | | else can you use these labels? 3 Ring Binders! If |
| we get down to the nitty gritty of learning how | | | | you want to know how to organize multiple |
| to organize - in the next step we will start building | | | | binders in the same space (I usually buy them as |
| our border so that we are able to put things back | | | | a multi-pack so they all look alike) without getting |
| in an organized way. Keep a box or two around | | | | having to open each binder to determine its |
| so that any items you decide you no longer need | | | | content, put a label on the spine and eliminate this |
| can be placed in the box. If you have a lot of | | | | issue. |
| items you no longer need, consider selling them at | | | | Step 4: The Final Step - How to Organize to that |
| a local convention or online homeschool books site. | | | | You Can Stay Organized |
| If you are limited on space in your school area, | | | | Once you have learned how to organize you need |
| take a look around your home to see if you have | | | | to learn how to keep it organized. A simple |
| storage spaces anywhere. To keep the number | | | | organizational system will make it easier for you |
| of school items to a minimum you can choose to | | | | to keep organized. One of the ways I do this is |
| keep out only what you will be using immediately | | | | by labeling my boxes on both ends, that way |
| (within the week, month, semester or year). For | | | | when the kids put them back onto the shelf (see |
| the items you are storing organize them on a | | | | - teaching kids how to organize) backwards it |
| shelf (if possible) or in labeled boxes. Label your | | | | doesn't matter, because the boxes are labeled on |
| boxes with the contents so when you need to | | | | both ends. Another way I keep organized is by |
| retrieve items they will be easier to find. An idea | | | | having a Mommy section and a kids section. In |
| for how to organize the storage boxes are to | | | | the kids section there are the items that the kids |
| label them with the approximate year (i.e. first | | | | can use and learn with on their own, in the |
| grade, middle school, etc), the subject (math, | | | | mommy section are the things that I think they |
| science) and the date of when you put the box | | | | need help with. This will vary based on the age of |
| into storage. If you find that you have one or | | | | your kids. Remember unless you live alone (and if |
| more boxes that you do not use for a while, | | | | you homeschool then you don't live alone) you |
| consider if you need to keep the items in the | | | | are not the only one who needs to know how to |
| box, or if you can sell or donate the items. | | | | organize. If everyone knows how to organize |
| Step 2: Building a Border | | | | then your life will be a lot easier. |
| Since I have yet to see two homeschool rooms | | | | The bottom line - have fun turning your school |
| that look alike I am going to go over some of the | | | | area into an organized place to be, that way you |
| basics of how to organize your homeschool items, | | | | will all enjoy spending time there. Organizing |
| from there, you should have a pretty good handle | | | | doesn't have to be hard - take time to look |
| on things and can continue on. If not, send me an | | | | through your things. Keep what you want, get rid |
| email through our contact us page and let me | | | | of what you don't and organize what is left so |
| know your question on how to organize your | | | | that you can find everything when you need to. |
| homeschool (or any other area) and I will try to | | | | |