Organizing Your Homeschool Learning Spaces

I have just released the second installment of our new PDF packet: Homeschool Foundations: Establishing Routines that Work.   This section section is about Organizing Your Homeschool Learning Spaces.  In this section, you will think about your home and how you want it to feel and function.

Scroll down below to read through some quick homeschool organization tips!

When you have the time and energy, you will dive into some of these spaces and start to make sure they are functional for this next year!  With the start of a new school year, it’s time for a fresh look and new systems for keeping things tidy and organized!

This is packet currently free!  Click on the Add to Cart Button or the picture below to download. The link will be sent to you via SendOwl (the automatic delivery service I use).

Note: The automatic email from SendOwl might say something like “Thank you for your purchase” but of course you are paying nothing for this! Just wanted to be clear! If you have any questions feel free to email me!

As I add new sections in the coming weeks, you will receive an update email from Sendowl.

I hope this packet is helpful!  Let me know if you have thoughts, tips and pointers to add!!  ~Liesl

Homeschool Foundations: Establishing Routines that Work

$3.99 $0.00

Here is some of what was discussed in this new section:

Quick Homeschool Organization Tips:

One step at a time! Plan to organize just one area at a time.

Allow Plenty of Time: It is easy to underestimate just how long it will take to pull things out, make decisions, throw them out/file them, clean and reorganize that space.  So, back to the first point – start in just one place!

Ask Good Questions:

• What purpose does this have in our home or in our homeschool?
• When will I/we use it next? Should I hold onto it that long?
• Does it have a logical storage place/home? Will I be able to find it again? There’s not a point in keeping it around if I have to spend hours looking for it a year or two from now.
• Will we read this in its book form or will we prefer to get it from the library or on Kindle?
• And of course for clothes, will I wear this ever again? Is it nice enough that someone else would want to wear it?
• Will someone else be happy to have this? Will it save someone else money if I donate it?

Look for unused spaces: Are there places in your home that have become a catch-all but aren’t being used efficiently?  Is it time to repurpose that space?

Streamline: Make sure that the items you need most often are the easiest to access. The things you use daily should be the easiest to get to.

Make things Easy to Put Away: Keep in mind the height of your kids and make sure they will be able to help keep things tidy!

Store things where you use them: Right now, you live in a homeschooling home.  If you need space near the dining room table for books, make the space! Finding a convenient place for home for things can help reduce the clutter in your house because you increase the likelihood that it gets put away.

Label: Since everyone will be helping to clean up during the school year, take time to label things so others know your organizational strategies. Label the inside edge of a drawer or the inside of a cabinet door so it’s obvious what’s stored where. Label your workboxes. You can even label your office supply area so specific items are always returned to the same spot! Everyone will be able to place things back where they belong if they are clearly labeled!

Have a home for all the things you (and the kids) tend to misplace.

• Where does your purse go? Where do your keys go?
• Where do your glasses go?
• What happens when the kids finish (math/writing/science)? Do they know where to put things when they are done?
• Don’t put it down – put it AWAY!

Five Minute Clean Up! Set the timer and see how much tidying you can get done in five minutes.

Donate Later: If you are worried you will need things later, place it into a box that says “donate later” with a date.  If you haven’t used those items by that time, donate the box!

Your Homeschool Learning Spaces:

When you have the time and energy, start thinking through the homeschool spaces you will use this next year.

If you have the time to dig deep and get organized, let’s think of your home on a smaller scale. How can you design different spaces in your home to work for your family?

Go through the list of 20 different homeschool spaces on pages 16-19. Take notes along the way thinking about your personality, your kids, and your homeschool needs.

• Which spaces your family use?
• How you can design a space that is functional and easy to clean up when you are ready to move on for the day?

Dive in and spend some time creating dynamic learning spaces for your family!

Here are some of the topics we will cover in this new packet.  It is called Homeschool Foundations… because it covers that long list of everyday tasks we have to tackle while also educating our kids.

• The Importance of Rest
• Making the Most of the Break
• Home Organization – Using the space we have available well
• Meals and Meal Planning
• Daily Routines
• Energy – Homeschooling without overwhelm
• Home Routines
• Calendars & Planners