Welcome to Step 4 in our 5-part blog and video series on How to Homeschool! In this blog we will be talking about one of the most fun topics in the series: creating and organizing your homeschool space! This one is especially fun to research on Pinterest to find all the creative ways homeschoolers are making homeschool organization affordable and easy by using what they have, but here are a few tips on how to efficiently organize your space that are all about location, location, location!
Whether your homeschool space is a room, shelf, cabinet, or a collection of boxes, it’s helpful to keep all of your materials in one area, or in the place they’ll be used during homeschool.
Tip #1: Keep materials in one place
Wherever you keep your homeschool materials, whether it’s in your homeschool space or somewhere else in your house, it should be a location convenient for both you and your kids. If the kids can get their materials on their own, it will save time and encourage independence.
Tip #2: Decide where to homeschool
Also consider where each of your children work best when organizing your homeschool space. Your children may prefer sitting at a table, standing at a countertop, or lying on the floor with their materials. Some kids prefer a quiet space, while others like having background noise or music.
Think about what will work best for your children when you’re setting up that space, whether it’s at your kitchen table or in an extra room. If you read Step 3: Creating a Homeschool Schedule, you know that sometimes it’s productive to alternate between group work, teaching time, and independent practice.
This can be tied into your homeschool space, as well; for example, starting as a group at the table and then letting the children go to their separate work spaces for independent work time, especially if they require a different learning environment.
One of my daughters needs a very quiet space when she does math, so we do our group lesson together, and then she goes and does her math in another room.
Tip #3: Bookmarking location in curriculum
This last tip is how to save time (and I’m sure we all like those, right?).
As kids are working through a few curriculum resources at a time, it’s super helpful to use a checklist of the assignments or lessons as a bookmark! Just fold a piece of paper in half lengthwise and write down a list of each chapter, lesson, or assignment in that book. The kids will learn to track their own progress, saving time and encouraging independent work.
Another homeschool secret? That checklist helps the kids feel a sense of success and accomplishment as they check off each completed lesson, motivating them to keep going as they visually see their progress.
If you have any homeschool organization tips, feel free to share them in the comments! We’d love to see your best tips and tricks.
Learn how to choose a homeschool curriculum in Step 5: How to Homeschool: How to Plan Your Year
Learn about all five steps to get started homeschooling in the How to Homeschool video series.
Amy Michaels is a former teacher turned homeschooler. She creates fun learning activities based on popular children’s books. Connect with her at BookBrilliantKids.com.