​Homeschooling Tips for Organization

Being a parent comes with a whole host of different challenges in itself. Not only are you responsible for the well-being of your children, but you also need to keep a household running smoothly. Homeschooling is a time-consuming life commitment, but you truly wouldn’t change it for the world. However, there are challenges to homeschooling. These organization ideas for a homeschool parent will help you get set up and on your way to success.

Your decision to homeschool may work well for your family and lifestyle. Furthermore, if you thrive on creating lesson plans, doing creative projects, and nurturing your child to be the best they can possibly be you are off to a good start. As a busy parent and homeschooling parent, you can often feel as though there isn’t enough time in the day. This is why it’s more important than ever to get organized and find your own flow with regard to homeschooling. You don’t ever want your children to feel as though you’re not enjoying yourself in a homeschooling environment, so here are a handful of ways in which you can get organized. 

Create A Homeschool Outline

Getting into a homeschooling routine will always serve you well and help your child enjoy their time at home. Having a general outline for what you need to accomplish will create a system that enables you to get lessons done but creates flexibility to allow you to deviate from the plan. 

1) Before you start the year or order a new homeschool curriculum, create a to-do list of what you want to accomplish and the subjects you are going to cover. 

2) Use that list as an outline to choose a curriculum.

3) Once you get the curriculum, write specific goals for each subject regarding what you want to accomplish each quarter and/or month.

4) Break it down into weekly goals.

5) Now that you have weekly goals, you will have a better understanding of the time to get them done.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:

6) You can deviate from your schedule as long as you are making progress in the right direction!

These simple tips will help you get more accomplished. Each new homeschool year, I look at what I want to cover and then find the best ways to approach my homeschool days. Some years we have done all our “school work” in 4 days and had Friday for field trips. In other years, we do daily work for five days and then take a week off every 6-8 weeks. 

Before You Buy Curriculum

In the homeschool world, there are a lot of curriculum junkies. They buy or try to use every shiny new curriculum that Cathy Duffy or some other homeschooling guru uses or suggests. Honestly, learn your child, study your child, and let God lead you into what works best for your child. 

After you list the curriculum you would like to use, find out what homeschool books (reading, read-aloud, and supplemental books) you want to read. Will you buy everything new or try to get it used? Are you creating your own homeschool library, or will you use the public library? Figuring out a plan before you go off and spend a ton of money on books will help you financially and organizationally.

Use a Homeschool Planner That Works for You

Moms ask me all the time what type of teacher planners or homeschool planners I like to keep track of assignments. My answer is always, “The one that works.” 

Through the years, I have used teacher planners and special homeschool planners. Additionally, I have created my own planners. But what I have found to work best for my family, in the season that we are currently in, is a weekly/monthly planner. When I had young children, I used to make elaborate lesson plans, but since I am down to my last child, and he is autistic, I have a rough outline and fill in my schedule as I go. 

I used student planners when my children started to get a little older (7-9th grades). I put all their lesson plans in the planner, and they were responsible for completing their work. Obviously, I was there to help with any subjects that they needed my assistance such as language arts or math, but the majority of work they could get done on their own. To coordinate everyone’s homeschool schedules (with multiple children), I recorded on my schedule anything that needed my attention.

Check out these fun homeschooler planners – but remember that a planner is an outline and not set in stone – write in pencil (or use Post-it notes that can be moved easily!

Figuring Out Where to “Do School”

If you have small spaces, you may think you can never homeschool. But I know homeschool families that use the kitchen table to do school, and they store all their curriculum and books in benches used for kitchen seating. Other families have converted a room into a homeschooling room (Dining Room – the dining room table becomes a giant desk, and the china cabinet is a bookshelf/storage area). Figuring out where to do school is the first step to being organized. 

Through the years, I personally have allowed learning materials to take over our house and have storage bins that are overflowing. When I start to feel that books are overrunning my life, I know that it is time to whittle down my homeschool materials and take inventory of what I need and don’t need.

When your child gets to the high school years, they may want to do some of their schooling in their own room. Help them create their own homeschool space!

Whether you have a dedicated homeschool room or sit at the kitchen table, learning is the ultimate goal and can happen anywhere.

Keep Supplies Where You Use Them

Organize your homeschool supplies and make a list of what you have and what you need. Paints, papers, scissors, glue sticks, and laminators – it call all be overwhelming. Here is a list of all the art and craft supplies you might need.

If you are going to do art at the kitchen table, find a small space to store art supplies in the kitchen. This ensures that you have all the arts and craft supplies right where you need them, and you won’t have to go hunting for anything when it is time for art. 

If you can’t keep homeschool supplies in the room where you are conducting school, get a rolling cart. This is an easy way to store supplies, and while you are using them, you can easily roll the cart into a closet or out of the way. They have such cute carts that can fit in with your decor.

The Benefits of Color Coding

Years ago, I started color-coding everything. This was a great way to determine which child needed to clean up their messes. 

Child #1 got blue, Child #2 got red, and Child #3 got green. Each child had different colors. I used this system for notebooks, laundry baskets, bed sheets and towels, cups, plates, hangers, and more. When I saw a cup on the counter, I knew who it belonged to. When I asked for hangers in the laundry room, I could see at a glance who hadn’t brought any down. I could easily figure out who left a towel lying on the floor of the bathroom.

Honestly, this was the best tip at that time. Household chores became more manageable, and the amount of time I spent on chores was reduced because everyone could see who needed to take care of items.

AND no, I never had a child use their sibling’s color to try to get them in trouble. While it seems like a harmless prank, it is bullying and the bully needs to be dealt with.

Prep Mealtimes in Advance

Organization in the kitchen is another element that can help to set you up for a successful day. Meal planning is essential to having children in your house almost 24/7. Preparing lunches and dinners will take the stress off your shoulders throughout the day, and it will help to free up more of your time to focus on other organizational tasks related to homeschooling your child.

Don’t forget to include your children in making lunches and dinner. That is part of learning and a necessary life skill.

Set Up Your Homeschooling Area

If you want to get organized as a homeschooling parent, you must create homeschool spaces that your children can’t wait to work on.

Setting up tables, chairs, and all relevant pens, pencils, and other items will help you feel prepared to teach your children. It’s important to make the environment feel fun and practical to ensure they enjoy where they’re working.

Remember, your homeschooling area should be clean, tidy, and full of organizational storage to help create an area where both you and your kids want to be.

Binders, File Folders, and Filing Cabinets

Before you go off and spend a ton of money on binders, file folders, filing cabinets, and other homeschool storage, think about what will work for you. Honestly, I only used file folders to keep my homeschool notifications and yearly assessments organized. Much of my children’s work that I saved was kept in binders. However, at the end of the year, I paired down what I kept. I know families that have a tote for each year of homeschooling, and they literally keep every paper, workbook, and art project that their children make. Do you think your child wants to go through all that when leaving home? Or when you die?

Allow Freedom and Creativity Throughout the Day

Getting organized with homeschooling is not just about choosing the right lesson plans and getting your craft box together; it’s about nurturing what’s important to your child. Allowing a level of freedom will help your child to figure out exactly who they want to be without any pressure or fear of failure. Whether you’re setting up quick and easy crafts for your child or you’re simply allowing them to explore the paints you already have in your craft box, there are so many ways you can allow your child to express their creativity. 

Create Structured Lesson Plans

Lesson plans are an important element to have as a homeschooling parent if you want a traditional school experience. Not only do they allow you to stay on track with your desired lesson, but they will also help you to achieve your objectives quickly and effectively. Learn Bright has brilliant lesson plans if you’re looking to save some time and get ahead with your planning. Not only are their lesson plans complete but also based on well-known industry standards, making them reliable and desirable for every homeschooling parent. Of course, you can adjust these lesson plans to suit your needs and your child, but it’s the ideal place to get started when you’re hoping to get organized. 

Many homeschool curriculums have their own lesson plans already laid out for you. However, keep in mind you can always deviate from those plans. One of my children read a plethora of books. Even using a curriculum that was heavy on living books, I still had to add more books to read. Another child hated reading, and I subtracted books from his lessons but added in extra math. Do what works for your children.

Schedule Breaks and Expect Bumps

Scheduling breaks helps you stay on track. When my kids were little, I scheduled regular “catch up” days. These allowed us to focus on areas where we had fallen behind either due to illness, sunny days, or just because we need a break days.

Homeschooling is ultimately supposed to be fun and a great way to learn at whatever level your child needs to be at. Most children are not learning at grade level; they are either above or below. Homeschooling allows plenty of freedom and creativity to express who we really are, which is extremely important.

These homeschool organization tips should help you start homeschooling and make your homeschool life a little smoother. You will hit bumps in the road but don’t let that discourage you. Remember that not only is your child a work in progress, but so are you!

 The organization is the key to running a successful homeschool and will also help you enjoy your time with your child. Once you become fully organized, your children will begin to thrive even more in a homeschooling environment. You will find that your love being a homeschooling family and embrace it even more. Good luck in your new school year!

Other Tips for Homeschool Organization

Don’t try to copy someone else’s organizational system. Use what works for you!

Don’t worry if you don’t have a dedicated space. Use the space you do have in ways that work for you!

Learning occurs anywhere – the kitchen, the living room, the car, and traveling!

Create extra space – pray and ask God to show you how to make your homeschool functional for you!

Here is a list of things you Don’t Need in Your Homeschool.

Remember to have fun with your children and not just always try to be their teacher. Incorporate family game nights into your schedule, and remember Learning Should Be Fun!