Picture Source: Graduation Source

Storage Solutions for Homeschoolers

Homeschooling families know how important it is to stay organized, because your household is a combination of a home and classroom. One of the ways to stay on task and keep track of all your books and materials is to have appropriate storage containers for your school-related supplies.

Basic School Supplies

It’s helpful to have a centrally located stash of basic school supplies, keep a running inventory, and buy items before you run out. Some of the basics that every homeschool classroom will need include:

• Paper
• Notebooks
• Glue sticks
• Erasers
• Markers
• Paints

You can store these items in labeled plastic dishpans, bins, or a small chest of drawers.

Manipulatives

In a homeschooling classroom, you will have plenty of manipulatives, puzzles, and other small items to keep track of. Nothing is worse than losing a key piece of a puzzle or learning activity. To keep track of all these small but crucial components, put them in:

• See-through plastic storage boxes
• Zipper-plastic storage bags
• Clear food-storage containers of all sizes

Books

Your homeschool classroom will have different types of books that you will rotate depending on the season, subject, and topic you’re studying. You should have different areas to store the books, such as:

• Readers: No matter what the age of your student, there should be books available for him or her to “read.” Even pre-readers need picture books and primers that are designed for emerging readers. These books should be stored on low shelves, so they are available to your child when he or she has time to pleasure-read.
• Textbooks: Math, Reading, Social Studies, and other textbooks should be kept at your student’s desk or workspace in the classroom area.
• Reference or library books: If you utilize the public library, keep those books separate from those you own. A high ledger shelf can be an effective storage space for borrowed books.

Seasonal Items

For materials that are only used during certain seasons, such as books about winter, spring, or autumn, holiday activities, and seasonal art projects, get large plastic tubs to separate these items by category, such as:

• Halloween
• Christmas
• Winter
• Summertime Beach/Ocean

Color Codes

In addition to all of the above, you can color-code your materials by subject matter. Use stickers, containers, or labels in colors, such as:

• Blue for math
• Red for reading
• Yellow for art

Running a classroom inside your home can be a ton of fun if you stay organized and keep track of all the tools-of-the-trade. You and your child will be more successful and stay on task more easily if your materials are well organized.