Homeschool Organization 1: Manipulatives, Books, Teaching Material, & Environment

Kaelyn, now 6 yrs. old, is happily using her learning space.

It is one thing to consider homeschooling.  It is another to realize that clutter can develop.  How does one handle it?  Decluttering is one solution.  Organizing is another option.

It is challenging to organize the homeschool.  A homeschool has the blending of a traditional house and the learning materials.  I have been homeschooling for over 10 years.  I have accumulated a lot of books, workbooks, and hands on materials.  It is easy to think of just chucking it all; that would be the end of the clutter.

The reality is that I have children ranging from Kindergarten all the way to high school.  Any good homeschooling parent will tell you that they keep some of that stuff for the younger children.  Fortunately, I have been slowly getting rid of material as Kaelyn, the youngest, outgrows it.  I've given away countless books, workbooks, and puzzles that all my children no longer need.  No, I'm not planning to have any more children, either; that's why I've been sharing Kaelyn's stuff.

Old entertainment center holds learning material like board games and 3D shapes.

Having a background in teaching has given me an edge at homeschooling.  I learned how to teach children.  I learned how to discipline students.  I learned about teaching styles and learning styles.  I also learned how to organize teaching material.

Organize books according to theme or type.  Line up spine to edge of shelf.

I learned about the need for books, which are rich sources of information.  I worked several times in libraries before having my children.  I learned a few tricks to organize books.  I organize books by subject.  I organize books by type, whether hard back or softback.

Hardback books are separate from softback books.

Manipulatives--hands on materials I've collected.

I learned about the need for manipulatives.  They are hands on learning materials, like the ones above.  It has been fun to use colorful rhyming wheels to teach phonics.  I also had to learn how to store them properly.  That's why I decided to use Kaelyn's panda bear box to store those for her grade in her room.

Panda Bear box holds Kaelyn's kindergarten manipulatives.

White bookcase holds material by grade level.

I've learned that it is necessary to have our learning materials in an organized manner.  That helps the educator, me, pull out the necessary tools for teaching a particular lesson.  It also helps my children reach the material if they desire to learn more about a particular subject.  When the homeschooling materials are organized, learning is more efficient.  Everyone is happier in our homeschool.

I hope this blog entry has served to help with ideas on how to organize learning materials.  Whether you are a homeschooling parent or not, you can still glean some ideas on how to organize your books and other learning aids.  I hope to blog on how to organize the posters, arts and crafts, audio/visual aids, and other manipulatives in the future.

My living room houses organized bookcases and cleared sofas, as part of an inviting learning space.

I keep dining table clear where my oldest does his schoolwork.

How about you, my readers?  Are your books organized in some way?  Is your home an inviting environment, conducive to learning?  I highly suggest assessing your home to see if the children in your life have opportunities (learning tools) to find books and other materials to use.

I pray that God bless you all, my dear readers, with His wisdom and peace.

This has been an entry for Thorough Thursdays.