When I was working away from home, my wonderful husband picked up the homeschooling slack for me. In the process, he decided to do school in the dining room again.
As time went by, I realized that I really like homeschooling downstairs as well. Why?
- Two bathrooms instead of one.
- The kitchen is right next door for snacks and drinks.
- Leah can hang out in the living room when she gets bored of “playing school” with us.
- It’s warmer downstairs.
- Sometimes mom can sneak away and fold laundry.
- The kids get involved in making dinner.
All of the curriculum not currently being used is upstairs, in the “classroom”. We keep only the things we really need in this space. We had once tried it as our only space, but there was just too much.
- Keeping things organized is huge when homeschooling happens in a main room of the home. Here is how we used/repurposed things for an orderly space:
- From the top, this is where the crayons and manipulatives live. Chaos ensues if these live on a shelf that can be reached.
The large basket from Walmart holds the stuff I need daily.
Shelf two is home to my Really Useful Organizer, {I can’t find it online, but I bought it at Staples} a repurposed a canning jar {a fave for me!} for paintbrushes, and our Bible Basket.
The next shelf houses math books, our core reading material for Paths of Settlement, and our IEW stuff.
Here is the nitty-gritty everyday stuff- our Paths of Settlement books for the current unit, McGuffey Readers, three-hole punch and my file box. {look for post tomorrow!}
Our Better Binders {love, love, love} fill out this shelf-I haven’t updated the labels for Evan and Christian, on Friday Even begged to trade for green. We also have sketch books, Klutz Watercolor books and Teaching Textbooks.
Our trays, filing folders and clipboards all stay at the bottom.
I can’t say we will never go back to our real classroom, but this is working for us right now. How do you keep homeschool must-haves organized?
© 2013, Sam. All rights reserved.
WOW!!! I love your organization! Being trapped in a homeschool room as torture for me! We will never do that again. I’m working on getting organized right now to do this in the dining room. I don’t want my dining room to look like a school room but your shelf organization is a nice balance!
On a different subject, I LOVE YOUR TABLE! Where did you get it? It looks a little Pier1-ish.
The table is handmade. Here is the post with the specs! http://samsnoggin.com/2012/10/favorite-things-the-table.html
I really struggle to keep things organized. I only have the one child and I get overwhelmed very quickly. I suppose it’s because I have trouble focusing on 1 thing from one minute to the next. I need to have better follow through.
Renee @ Great Peace latest thoughts..Heading Home
Oh and I’m really curious about how you organize the Illuminations notebook I see there on your bottom shelf. I have not loved it the way I had hoped and as the year goes on I’m regretting that purchase. I want to be able to utilize it more.
Renee @ Great Peace latest thoughts..Heading Home
I didn’t mention it I suppose since we don’t use it. It has been a fail.
Distraction gets me too.
I moved our school room downstairs last year in May. I couldn’t take the constant interruption that would happen if I needed to do something in the Kitchen. After a brief period of mourning on the lost of my dining room and how pretty it looked when you opened the front door. I tore it all apart and now it is our school room. Honestly, I haven’t looked back, I LOVE having the space next to the kitchen! It doesn’t interrupt things when I get up to check on bread or dinner and it’s so much easier to get lunch at a reasonable hour. I worked hard to make sure it looked pretty since it’s the first thing you see when you come in to the house. The only thing left to do is make the curtains. Perhaps when I finish that I’ll share photos. Don’t hold your breath, it has been a 9 months since I started the project. :)
And I was going to ask for pictures!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Frugal Soups
We have two desks (a school threw them out and they are the double kind so really spacious one for each). I popped off the tops and redid them and I love the look of them.
Karen C. latest thoughts..Romans 12
Do you have a photo/blog post of them?
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Frugal Soups
Just sent you an email with photo of the desks:)
Karen latest thoughts..Gathering for Prayer
Thank you!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..February Goals
We are a dining room table schooling family. In our old house we had a designated schoolroom upstairs. But we ditched that after the first year to the “home” feeling of being downstairs in the living room, kitchen and dining room. It felt more natural, and I was free to get minor housework done while children were working on assignments, but in earshot if help was needed.
Now we are in a smaller house and still use the dining room. I have a shelf and antique teacher’s desk in the dining room as part of the decor, and our everyday stuff is there. We keep our books and notebooks on a built-in unit in our kitchen, that it hidden away from plain sight. And our hall closet has built in shelves that hold all of our extras. It works just perfectly.
I do wish my organization looked more “pretty”, though.
Nicole @ Journey to Excellence latest thoughts..Weekly Wrap-up ~ It Seemed to be Mostly About Nature
It sounds like you have a great system! I have an antique dresser, which isn’t in the bottom picture. It holds the printer, but the drawers need cleaned out. I never get in them, which tells me I can take that stuff out!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Small Space Homeschooling: Bookcase Organization
Fabulous ideas Sam. You space looks lovely! Pinned:)
Stephanie @ Harrington Harmonies latest thoughts..Inspire Your Child with Poetry
Thanks!!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Small Space Homeschooling: Bookcase Organization
First I have to admitt, my green eyed monster comes out looking at that beautiful farm table you have :) . I oraganize my bookshelf well but I really slack off with the upkeep. I am bad about sticking something on there for just a “second” and next thing I know, I have to redo the entire shelf. I know in my head that if I put it back where it goes the first time, it would not take anymore time and it would stay neater longer….but it still doesn’t happen. I need to work on that.
Melissa Buttry latest thoughts..A New Year
Yes, change your internal dialogue so that you do the upkeep, it is worth it! And-this farmhouse table sure is nice, even with all of the warp and bumpy spots!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Small Space Homeschooling: Bookcase Organization
I am thankful for your organizing skills (obsession?). You’ve always made our home a comfortable place to be. I love you :)
Thank you! That means a lot, since my obsession is pretty obsessive. ;) I love you!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Small Space Homeschooling: Bookcase Organization
I love an organized homeschool shelf! We have an organized one, but it only looks good and uncluttered because most of its contents are “gracing” the middle of the dining room table.
Eddie – The Usual Mayhem latest thoughts..Making Beeswax Valentine’s Day candles
LOL-that is how ours looks at this very second-all of the shelf is on the table! We are finishing up all but math, so we are clearing it back off now.
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Small Space Homeschooling: Bookcase Organization
What great ideas! As we are realizing that we will be in our current home for at least 2 more years, we are revamping some of our organization. Our home is luxurious for global standards but feels tight sometimes (about 1000 square feet for 6 people with no closets and on two floors). I know you will understand when I say that I don’t want clutter and disorder to take the joy out of homeschooling for me :)! Off to Staples I guess!
Take a deep breath and smell it for me, i love the smell of Staples!!
Sam Kelley latest thoughts..Small Space Homeschooling: Bookcase Organization