Curriculum Storage

[Mama Anna]

I've got a question for you all. How do you store your hschool stuff? What do you do about the curriculum you're currently using as well as the books that you're saving for the next dc?

Any secrets to pass on?

Thanks bunches!
Mama Anna

[BusyBee]

I have a giant plastic storage container in the attic full of next years books.

[tess in the burbs]

I have a cabinet with the current year's books in it. So anything we are using or will be using that year is on one shelf. I have some stuff in this cabinet for future year's use that the kids would never look at if out on the bookcases. I do have future books out on the bookcase if it's something they would look at now on ocassion(like science reference books).

Anything they have used workbook wise goes into a tub in the garage. Any books already used that can be read or viewed for fun is on the bookcase. I try to leave out as many books as possible for them to have available...and I am surprised how many books we already used they gravitate to for reading.

[Beth in Central TX]

I have our current year's books on a bookshelf in our homeschool room. I keep the books for my youngest son in little tubs that I purchased at Wal-mart; I think they are sold for about $2 apiece as tubs to wash your dishes in. I have one tub per year, and I keep them in a built-in cabinet that's also in our homeschool room.

[prairiegirl]

I have enough bookshelves now that I put all of my curriculum and books (current and from years past) on them. I like having everything at my fingertips so that I don't have to search for things when the time comes. Before the bookshelves, I used Rubbermaid containers to store the curriculum that I wasn't using for that year.


Julia
mom of 3 (8,7,5)

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

Future curriculum: book case in my bedroom

Current curriculum: each child has a rubber maid type box with lid, each morning at school time they simply grab their own 'tote' and bring it to the table (they keep their pencil box in there as well). At the end of school time, they put their own books in their tote, put the lid on and and put it away. ;)

[SnowWhite]

Next year's curriculum:
Top shelf in the boys' closet, and an extra dresser drawer.

This year's stuff:
In Joshua's desk and on a bookshelf

Stuff I'm saving for the younger ds:
Under the spare bed, in a Rubbermaid under-bed tub.

[Suzannah]

I keep all sheets and blankets in the rooms they go to. Towels are stored under the bathroom sinks. Beach towels are in a box of beach and snow things (somehow they ended up together). So, that frees up my linen closet for curricula I'm not using at the moment. Anything we are currently using is on a bookcase or in a large hamper-type basket from Ikea in the dining room. That's where we do school so that's where it needs to be. If it's not currently in use, either because we've finished it or it's waiting for next year it goes in the closet. I also keep extra supplies in there such as construction paper, glue sticks, folders, paper, etc.

In the closet each subject has it's own space so when I need to look for something I can at least limit my search to part of a shelf and not have to dig through two or three boxes as I used to do. I did have all first and second grade in one box, and intended to keep putting grade levels together for a while so it would all be handy when DD is ready for them. But that was very inconvenient when I needed to find things again.

[nestof3]

Resources currently being used including binders holding completed work and lesson plans are on my desk. I don't actually sit at that desk anymore. I use the other desk in the same room which has the computer when I want to write or type. "My desk" is really a storage center -- very organized, but still storage with all language arts and math materials to use this year in addition to my planning binders.

Books that are being read for history and science (many library ones) are in a large cloth-covered heavy duty cardboard cube thing on the floor next to the sofa where we sit. Poetry, reading and read-alouds are in another little container on the floor next to the sofa where we use them.

There is also another container on the floor in the same area with library videos. My son has a container on his bed with library audio books. This system prevents us from misplacing library stuff.

For history and science, this container only holds the topics currently studied. Like, for history, eventhough we will do Middle Ages this year, the books I own on this topic remain on our World History bookshelf until we are at that point in Story of the World. Then, those books are moved down into the container and the library books we will use are added to it as well. Same thing for science. Right now, spider books are in the container. We have been studying invertebrates all year, but right now are studying Arthropods-Arachnids-Spiders.

I also pull math manipulatives and games pertaining to what we are studying and store them on my desk for easy reach. Otherwise, extra math and language arts materials are in a tall cabinet with doors.

[OnTheBrink]

I have an armoire that I use to store materials. Someday, I hope to have a computer armoire so I can close off all that stuff, too. But for now, it's just a regular old armoire from Walmart.

[Suzannah]

Future curriculum: book case in my bedroom

Current curriculum: each child has a rubber maid type box with lid, each morning at school time they simply grab their own 'tote' and bring it to the table (they keep their pencil box in there as well). At the end of school time, they put their own books in their tote, put the lid on and and put it away. ;)

Oooh, I like that idea. I think I had heard of it before, but I'm finding that our bookcase is getting fuller now that both DD and DS are doing school.

[drpeppermom]

I use two workbooks for ds and then our record keeping notebook and I keep it on our desk. He has a pencil case we keep on our kitchen table. My storage problem is library books!I keep a big plastic bin in the living room.

[Suzannah]

I like nestof3's idea of putting a library box in the kids' rooms. We have our library bags in the dining room so we don't lose track of the ones we get for school. But we have recently misplaced a couple of "for fun" items because they went upstairs and then either disappeared from there or came back downstairs and disappeared...nobody knows.... I'm sure we'll find them one day after the kids go to college.:rolleyes:

[ArwenA]

Normally the current curric. is on a bookshelf with stuff for next year and things I'm saving for little ones in boxes. The things we're using for the particular day are stored in each child's separate basket.
Right now everything is in boxes because our house is for sale.

[Kathie in VA]

Tis sad but true, I don't have enough bookshelves to hold all my school book plus all the other books that dh wants to store in the 'school room or library'... but he's building more for me... I just don't know when :rolleyes:

Sooo I also use plastic crate boxes turned on their sides, stacked up to hold books. umm and I also use old diaper boxes (like the Huggies ones), also turned on their sides & stacked up to make more shelves. There are also a few on the floor.

For 'stuff' I use a set of bins and a wooden bin holder from Ikea.

Old stuff is currently in a box on top of the shelves I do have.

Works for now! ;)

[Wendy in ME]

Thanks to my wonderful dh, I now have an entire wall of bookshelves so all of our books are out. The books that we are currently using are together as are the things I have collected for next year. My books are on a separate shelf above my desk. Everything else is aranged according to topic. The bottem shelves hold plastic dishpans that I purchased very cheaply that hold the younger thin soft cover books so they can just flip through them. They are also separated by topic though the little ones don't always put them away where they go.

[Aletheia Academy]

Most everything we are currently using is on a bookshelf in our school room (a dining room we don't use). I also have a locking cabinet for math manipulatives and art supplies. As the kids get older, I hope to give them free access.

Upstairs in my bedroom, I have a stash of books intended for future use.

I like Dawne's idea of keeping a small tote or crate for each child's workbooks...

[OneRoomHomeSchool]

I got my idea of a rubber maid tote for each child from Joyce Swann:

http://www.home-school.com/Articles/HomeschoolTips.html

quote --> " Each student has a cardboard school box which contains his text books, syllabus, a pad of paper, pencils, erasers, a ruler, a compass, a protractor, and a pocket-sized spelling dictionary. This box is kept on the child's closet floor when school is not in session. When he comes to school, he brings his box with him. In this way everything is organized so that we do not waste time looking for materials, books, etc. As each student finishes his school day, he places his materials back in his box and returns it to his closet. Thus, when the school day ends, there is no mess to clean up. " <-- end quote
.................................................. ..........

For us, right now the school boxes are on my buffet in the dining room, as soon as our school room is finished, they will simply leave their tote on our school table down there. :D

You can SEE our boxes here
http://oneroomhomeschool.blogspot.com/2008/02/getting-organized.html

[nukeswife]

We have an area between our kitchen and living room big enough for our dining table so we have used what should be the dining room in our house as a school room.

The kids each have a desk (I just bought these, so before this is was a smaller preschool table) and then I have a couple of wire shelves I bought at Target for about $14 that's where the educational toys that aren't used specifically for school as well as all the art supply bins go. I also have 2 cubbies units. Each has 9 cubbies and I store workbooks we're not using and manipulatives in there. The books we are currently using are on top in cardboard magazine boxes that I bought from www.reallygoodstuff.com

If you'd like to see pictures check out my blog. On the left sidebar right at the top is a slideshow of our schoolroom.

[Calming Tea]

Future Curr: On Shelves high in my closet
Past Curriculum: On one book shelf I have set aside for this- I just stack it.

Current Curriculum:
My Stuff: at Walmart I bought ice tray bins for about 1.50. They are just the right height to keep TM's and school-sized workbooks from flopping over. I have three of these bins on the top of a bookshelf in kitchen near dining room.

Kids Stuff: We tried several methods but so far them each having their own backpack is the only one that has worked. I am excited for them to go this coming school year and pick out their favorite backpack. I don't buy expensive Jansport because they are not lugging them around or dragging them. THey are usually sitting on the floor. I found a sale at Target last year and my son got a brand name Spiderman backpack for $5. I hope I can find something similar this year.

Then when company comes I have them take their backpacks to their room. When we go out somewhere unexpectedly they grab their backpacks and we have everything we need right there with us (except TM's but usually you can get most of the work done in a pinch without TM's.)

I love the backpack method. In the front of my ds' backpack he has his pencils, eraser tops, and little sharpener though I prefer the battery electric sharpener for everyday use.

This year we are going to a personal box for all other school supplies, that can also go into the backpack hopefully. This way they will each learn to be responsible with the supplies. Right now they share crayons, glue sticks, etc, and while I can't say they don't care at all, they are a little careless. They will receive a nice big pencil Bag with glue stick, Prismacolor Colored pencils, scissors, and other such personal supplies.

I am also working on my own personal pencil bag with stickers, red pen, pens, pencils, and anything I might need during school time.
:o)

[ChristineMM]

Hi, The currently being used stuff is kept on the hutch in the kitchen. Next years stuff and all books not being used right now are on bookshelves in what was supposed to be the formal living room, now converted to a family library. I like having access to it. Overflow books for the future that don't fit on the shelves are organized well and stored in closets.

I find it interesting to hear how everyone organizes their stuff!

[Narrow Gate Academy]

Current curriculum: The student parts are in a kitchen cabinet dedicated for schooling. Each DD has there own basket. The teacher stuff is in my desk drawer along with my homeschool catalogs. Library books usually stay in the rolling crate we take to the library each during the week, and I just pull out any that I want to keep and stack them on the floor in my room temporarily when we go to the library.

Future curriculum: Down in the basement on shelves in a cabinet or at my desk if I'm looking through them.

[St. Theophan Academy]

Stuff we are not using - I have two super cheap tall bookshelves (we have toted them from house to house for 14 years and somehow they have survived) and they are in my storage space (we don't have an attic or basement, but there is a room in the back of the house we use for storage). All the history I group by period, so I can go to the shelf and find all of my ancient books etc. There are shelves dedicated to different subjects, and one for just catalogs and curriculum ideas.

Current stuff - I have one small 2 shelf bookshelf in our schoolroom which stores most books we are using, and a few baskets scattered around the room with books on a certain subject (ex- a basket for astronomy books, one for knights and castles since that is what we are reading in history etc). I also have a small shelf that holds plastic containers with all the little stuff - math manipulatives, flashcards etc. And my kids each have an old fashioned desk (given to me by homeschool friends whose children are grown) where they can store a few things (my son keeps his prismacolors at his desk so no one else will use them :) My books and things I don't want the kids messing with are stored in a cabinet in the room next to the schoolroom (technically we have 2 school rooms - the downstairs in our home was built as an in-law suite, so the living room and kitchen areas down are our school space - it has been so amazing this past year - I love this house :) One of these days when I figure out how to add pictures on my blog I will post pix of our schoolroom.

[Frontier Mom]

They each have a desk and two colored stackable milk crate style bins for three ring binders beside their desk. It just makes it easier for us to find things that way. They also have their calculators, pencils and a timer on their desk. I bought each a timer because we are working on time management and focus right now.

I am lucky enough to have walk in storage off our school room. I have a metal bookshelf from Lowe's just inside the door. I keep extra curriculum in rubbermaid boxes on the bottom two shelves and empty spiral notebooks, folders, and notebook paper on the upper shelf. The top has milk crates where we gather "science" supplies.

This works good for me but, like others mentioned, I leave most of our reading books out so they can choose them for free reading.

[Mom2boys]

Our current curricula is on a bookcase in our living room, which is right next to our dining room (where we do most of our schooling). My boys each have a basket with their independent work, and a pencil box.

Past and future curricula and books are stored on four tall bookcases in our basement.

I store their completed work in 3 ring binders, which are kept in the hutch above my computer desk.

[one l michele]

We have to tall bookcases side by side. On the left are books we are currently using (top shelf books to read this year, next books currently using, third books we have completed, bottom is reference materials). The second bookcase contains books that are "for fun" or future school years.

I also have a 5 wide drawer storage thing that has "expensive" art supplies in the bottom, that years math supplies in the next, then current science unit supplies, then assorted blank paper, then the top has my supplies (catalogs, tape, scissors, paper cutter, etc.).

We have a double door art closet.

Next to my desk I have a clear storage tub with texts for the following year (which I use to make up my scope & sequence for the district).

Then . . . in the basement - LOL. I have another tub of math manipulatives, one of science supplies, another of blank stuff (index cards, notebooks, new pencils, etc.), and then a final bin of materials I'm saving for my youngest

It works for me.

[Starr]

My dh is laughing. He thinks I will be very encouraging. LOL

We have a cardboard Avon box with a lid for my ds to hide some of his school books and little "treasures". It fits under an old pew in the kitchen. This is very handy because one can put things on the pew when too tired to pull the box out.

My dd keeps her books and notebooks on a shelf in her room, where she studies on her own.

We also have a small bookshelf in the kitchen for reference books and subjects they do together.

Okay, here it goes: our hallway shelves are full of books and curriculum materials, many books are in what are: affectionately known as, library stacks. Yes piles of books on the floor that are sorted into catagories when they get too messy. :eek:

[Ali in OR]

This is a fun thread to read through!

As I read each post, I think "we do that", "yep, we do that one too", etc.! We have stuff everywhere! Bookcase in my room has books to be read this year for science and history, plus used workbooks, things we used last year, etc. In the cupboard below it are good art supplies and math manipulatives that aren't used much (scale, base 10 blocks). There's another bookcase just outside our room that holds history and read-aloud books that we've finished, coloring books, Spanish stuff, flashcards, and a bunch of books from last month's library book sale. Math manipulatives that are used a lot (mostly for play) are on a shelf under our counter, along with cheap art supplies, finished drawings in an inbox, an encyclopedia set, and History of Us and some Teaching Co. DVDs. A bookcase in another room has readers, picture books, and many of the books we read last year or earlier this year. But the stuff we use everyday (Singapore workbooks, handwriting, Phonics Pathways, etc) is in a plastic crate that has hanging files in it to hold everything. I like this a lot. Last year all of this was on a shelf, and every morning when I took the books off the shelf, everything else fell over. The crate is great.

I must say that I am intrigued by the backpack or tote for each child...especially as youngest dd starts accumulating her own work. Hmmm...

[Jennifer in NH]

A few years ago DH turned our formal living room (which no one ever used) into a library. We still have a family room by the way. So all of our curriculum past/present and future goes on the bookshelves. Books we used last year but will or might use again are on the top shelves. At the moment old workbooks are in the library too, but I like the idea of a rubbermaid container in the attic!

[KYHokiemom]

I love the idea of timers for each child! That's great! I think I'll add timers to my shopping list. Thanks for the tip!

[KYHokiemom]

We, too, have a dining room that we use for schooling. It is not large, but we were able to find some inexpensive bookshelves that span the length of the room. I keep all of our readers, read-a-louds, science (labeled by color for topic), history (labeled by color for period), art, and art supplies (paper, small bins of crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc.) I keep 3 shelves for tm's, my 'in box' for things to look at and reference materials. (I would love to have a desk, but there isn't the space right now.) I have another shelf of random things to pull from to shake up our school day (critical thinking books, cut and paste for dd5, etc.)

Each child has a plastic bin to store current workbooks and a folder for work in progress, the weekly assignment schedule and printed supplement sheets (for example, book report forms). They also store 3 ring binders here for each subject area.

I have a file cabinet where each child has a folder (we call it a portfolio) for compiling completed, graded work. At the end of each quarter, each child files his papers in the correct 3 ring binder. At the end of the year, I compile a portfolio of each child's work progress. I include highlights from each subject area. I discard everything else. Then the binders are usable for the next year.

Future curriculum sit in my room for a season as I read through it. Then it is placed on the upper shelves in the school room.

Library books are everywhere! I have piles on family room end tables of fun readers, some interesting topic piled in the music room (current books are Ali Mitcutsch's books on how things are made - a BIG hit.), current history books in a basket under our easel in the school room and of course many more in the child's library baskets in their rooms.

Dh just laughed and told me to include that I label EVERYTHING! :)
He bought me a label maker years ago, and now even the refrigerator is labeled :o. I like things in their place! (but that is a topic for another thread!)

Fun thread!