Successfully homeschooling your kids can seem overwhelming. Especially with all of the materials that come with homeschooling. The curriculum, the library books, the manipulatives, the science kits… You know what I’m talking about.
Your best bet is to start with one thing in mind – homeschool organization. This simple idea is the one thing that creates a solid foundation for your homeschooling years. If it is easy to find, you will use it more. If it is strewn all over the house, it will cause you stress. Organization is your friend, homeschool mom.
To help, I have put together a list of awesome homeschool organization ideas to give you a headstart in your organizational journey. As it seems to be for everything in life, try to take what you can from these ideas and leave behind other ideas that would not work for you. Picking and choosing a few of your favorite homeschool organization ideas will help guide you along the homeschooling journey with as few bumps as possible.
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Homeschool Organization Ideas
Organizing the School Year:
These homeschool organization ideas start with bullet journaling. If you have yet to discover this technique, take a look. I have been bullet journaling for years and didn’t know it was a thing. Now, you can get as fancy or as straightforward with your bullet journal as you would like. Bullet journaling is just one idea and it may not be for you. I am sharing a wide variety of homeschool organization ideas and tips for you to check out. Keep what works for you and leave what does not.
Homeschool Organization Using Bullet Journaling
How to Plan Your Homeschool Year Using a Bullet Journal
How to Create a Bullet Journal, Homeschool Mom Planner
How to Organize Your Homeschool for the UpComing Year
Organizing and Planning for Your Homeschool Year
How to Create a Simple Filing System for Your Homeschool Year
Daily Visual Schedule:
If your kids learn well with visual aids, this idea is perfect for you. Print out pictures of daily activities and place them in the order that they will be completed. I think this would help tremendously with having to remind your kids of what to expect next. There are many free printouts on the internet for activity cards so all you need to do is click and print. This homeschool organization idea would also be a good fit for kids who have not learned how to read.
Visual Schedules Video
How to Make a Visual Schedule Video
Using a Visual Schedule in Your Homeschool
Organzing Resources We Have Used and Enjoyed:
Using Notebooks as a Planning Tool
I use a weekly “official” planner, but love my notebooks for getting super-specific about projects we have going on in a week. If we have a yard or home project ongoing, I like to break it up into smaller tasks and assign one or more to specific days. I also keep notes about what is working, not working, changes to make in our homeschool. It’s my daily journal and planner!
Here are some cute notebooks for parents and teens.
Homeschool Planners:
The Best Homeschool Planner for Your Personality Type This is a great site to figure out your personality type and what type of homeschool organization planner would work best for you.
7 Must-Have Tools for Your Homeschool Planner
Make Your Homeschool Planner Work for You
Types of Paper Planners to Choose From
Free Homeschool Planner Printables
Homeschool Manager-This online tool is great for all ages. Homeschool Manager keeps track of courses, grades, high school credits, volunteer hours, and more! This is perfect for homeschooling throuth high school. Everything is kept online-schedule, grades, volunteer hours, everything. Then, when a transcript is needed, one is ready with just a few clicks.
How to Organize Digital Homeschool Resources:
If you depend on digital resources for homeschooling, you need to know how to organize those links. Technology can be your best friend when you homeschool…. but only if it’s organized and in its place.
Managing Your Digital Homeschool
Organizing Digital Homeschool Curriculum
Organize Homeschool Digital Files
Homeschool Scheduling:
Do your homeschool hours differ from a traditional school schedule? Believe it or not, it is okay to start and end your homeschool days at times that work for you. The one rule you should try to stick to is to make a schedule and stick to it. Kids need structure no matter what time school begins or ends. This is where homeschool organization tools can be helpful.
Sample of a Homeschool Schedule
Create a Schedule that Works for You
How to Plan a Week and a Sample Homeschool Schedule
Easy Printable Homeschool Schedule Template
5 Free Printable Homeschool Schedule Templates
Are your homeschooling books taking over your house? Get them organized with these easy to use homeschool organization tips.
Simple Tips for Organizing Your Homeschool Library
Organizing Your Homeschool Library
Organizing Your Homeschool Books
Organizing Your Homeschool Library
DIY Lesson Organizer:
Having a place to organize your lessons is a great way to keep everyone on track. This simple DIY lesson organizer idea will jump-start your day so you can get straight to learning without having to hunt for your lessons.
Homeschool Lesson Planner- Don’t Over Complicate Things
Apps For Homeschool Lesson Planning
Creating a Useful Homeschool Lesson Planner
DIY Homeschool Planner Video
How to Create a Lesson Planner Using Microsoft Excel Video
Organizing Your Homeschool in Small Spaces:
Here are a few of the items we’ve used to keep things organized in a small space. We homeschooled for several years in a 2 bedroom apartment with 2 small closets and a laundry closet that did have 2 shelves.
- We stored supplies in these boxes from Sterilite (pictured right). I like these best because the tops have closures on the handles. I’ve been able to stuff more in those boxes vs. the storage boxes in which the lid snaps on.
- Wall space was at a minimum in the apartment, so we used this white board calendar with place for notes. It did help reduce the number of surprises in our calendar, like, “Ooops, I forgot we have rehearsal 4 nights this week!”
- When we were homeschooling with more spaced, this was on our school room wall. It was perfect for the kids know what was assigned for each subject. Some people use the file boxes, the hanging file was what we used. Plus, I used one row of spaces for household files–bills to be paid, receipts to save, tax-related documents. It saved a lot of space that crates would take up.
- The last item, which I LOVED during the elementary grades (before books got too heavy to fit inside the pockets), were these chair organizers. My daughter always had quite a few sticker books we’d put in there just for school “brain break” times, and I’d slip in a fun animal book I had picked up at our homeschool group book swap or at a thrift store. We also used it to store supplies, thinner spelling and vocabulary books.
Here are more ideas:
7 Insanely Clever Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces
10 Homeschool Organization Ideas That’ll Turn Your Small Space Into a Classroom
35 AMAZING Homeschool Room Ideas for Small Spaces
25 Ideas for Homeschool Organization in a Small Space
Unique Homeschool Organization Ideas For Small Spaces
Homeschooling in A Small Space Means Repurposing Rooms in New Ways
The Best Homeschool Organization Ideas for Small Spaces That Will Make Your Life Easier
Homeschooling in a Small Space Video
Free Homeschool Planning Tools:
If you need some help getting started on organizing your homeschool year, free homeschool planning printables are a great place to start.
Free Homeschool Planning Mini-Kit from Pam Barnhill
Homeschool Planning Pack From The Crafty Classroom
Free Homeschool Planner Printables From The Frugal Homeschooling Mom
List of Free Homeschool Planners
Free Homeschool Planners, Forms, and More
Free Homeschool Planning Resources
Homeschool Organization Tips for an Art Station:
While homeschooling, families do quite a bit of art projects, so homeschool organization tips should also include how to organize your art supplies and art station. It definitely helps to keep all of those art supplies organized and easy to find when you are ready to create.
Tips On Creating an Accessible and Organized Art Station For Kids
How to Organize Your Craft and Homeschool Supply Cabinet
50 of the Best Ideas to Organize Art Supplies in Your Homeschool
How to Organize Homeschool Art Supplies
Easy Ways to Store Homeschool Materials:
Homeschool parents are always looking for ideas to organize all of those homeschool materials. You might just find some new ideas that make your homeschooling days much more organized after checking out some of the links listed below.
5 Tips for Homeschool Organization
Homeschool Supply Organization
How to Organize Your Homeschool Curriculum
5 Simple Systems to Organize Your Homeschool Curriculum Video
Homeschool Planners
Looking for a new homeschool planner? Here are a few to consider.
Space-Themed Student Planner Printable (FREE!!)
Teaching Time Management With A Student Planner
Do you have any awesome homeschool organization ideas? Which ideas will you be implementing to help keep you on your kids on track? Share your thoughts and favorite ideas with me in the comments.
great tips!
Thanks!
Great post! I’m particularly loving the homeschooling in a tiny house,because that is just what we have!
Using a daily visual schedule has been so helpful for me! Otherwise I won’t look at a schedule hidden in my binder 🙂
I wrote a long blog post this spring about how we organize our homeschool classroom in the kitchen.
http://www.inourpond.com/2017/04/our-2016-2017-classroom.html
A few weeks ago, we added a “Please Touch” science shelf for all our nature items and science toys.
http://www.inourpond.com/2017/08/please-touch-science-center.html
Thank you, Homeschool Scientist, for putting together the round-up!
I find that storing activities in transparent boxes as opposed to labelling them, assists my kids in choosing activites activities independently and more frequently. Also I can quickly assess what we haven’t been using or which activity can compliment the skill we are working on.
That’s a great idea!!!