Mega Resource List for Homeschool Organization
Published:
July 27, 2013
Contributor:
Carrie
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
Organizing your homeschool before you begin schooling is an essential ingredient for a successful year. The more you have planned, purchased, and printed prior to the first day, the easier the following days will be. Be sure to scroll way down for a ton of Free Printables for Homeschool Organziation!
Must-Have Products for Homeschool Organization
Approaching the homeschool year with an arsenal of organizational tools cannot only motivate you for a strong start but can keep you progressing at an easy pace throughout the school year. These items are a worthy investment to consider:
A Great Homeschool Planner
Finding a way to map your lesson plan and track them daily is essential, not just for states where you have to report grades and/or attendance, but as a personal progress record. Homeschool Helper is an amazing application that allows you to batch plan lessons, track attendance and grades, plan your activity calendar and more. The Homeschool Helper app is available at iTunes for iOS (iPad and iPhone) and Amazon for Android devices (Kindle Fire).
If you prefer a calendar, The Well Planned Day from Home Educating Family is a comprehensive planner perfect for any homeschool family and helps create an easy yet flexible lesson plan system. Complete with space for gift giving, grades, and chores, The Well Planned Day is also available in bundles with a subscription to Home Educating Family and other planners.
The Ultimate Homeschool Planner is also a fabulous option and it has space available so you can journal memories throughout your year, creating a keepsake for the future.
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Laminator or Page Protectors with Dry Erase Markers
Especially if you are homeschooling multiple children or plan to homeschool for several years, purchasing a laminator can save you money while giving the resource to create lasting organizational charts. Laminate worksheets for use with a dry erase marker to avoid breaking a publisher’s copyright and chore charts for a durable reminder of daily to-dos.
A similar option is to place printables in page protectors. Dry erase markers can be used over the pages, leaving the worksheet unmarred for future use. (For best results, avoid the non-glare type.)
Bins, Buckets, & Baskets
Whether your live in a small or large home, space is always a valuable commodity. Maximize your closets and bookcases with lined baskets, colorful buckets, and metal bins. A quick trip to the Dollar Tree can give you a buggy full of organizational helps for a fraction of the designer-store price.
If you budget is extremely tight, recycle wipes containers, coffee canisters, diaper boxes, and empty condiment jars can be covered in contact paper or decorated with washi tape.
Slow Cooker
From field trips to co-ops to busy days packed with science experiments, a slow cooker can be a lifesaver. Start dinner in the morning and forget about it until dinner.
File Folders
A box of manila file folders has a number of uses. Print or create your own file folder games to compliment current studies. Building lapbooks with unit studies can help affirm the lessons your student learns as they work through a science chapter or literary work. Of course, you could just use them to store printables and paperwork.
Bookcase and Shelves
Even with closets stuffed full of educational games and manipulatives, books need a special spot to encourage a love for reading. Stash books in baskets for little children and place them on short bookcases for children. Or, get creative and search Pinterest for book storage solutions.
Monthly Menu Plan
Having a plan for dinner can de-stress your afternoon. Take some time each wee or each month to create an organized menu plan and shopping list. A handy tip to consider: Since most foodie blogs use Ziplist to display their recipes, you can use the Ziplist app to save recipes to a free account. The Ziplist app will make your grocery list and store your selected recipes. You can get it for iOS and Android devices.
If you are busy and need someone to create the menu plan for you, check into using eMeals.com. You can choose from over 50 plans, including menus for families with dietary issues like gluten intolerance or those wanting a low-carb diet, have the menus emailed to you with a shopping list or access your account through the free eMeals app.
If you are un-wired, several blogs like Frugal Family Favorites provide free printable monthly menus.
Family Action Center
Keeping your mind clear of details can help you feel more organized, even when you are not. So, have a place where you have a calendar, running grocery list, message center… any details that will help your family keep up with details. Cozi Family Organizer is an amazing app for keeping the family calendar and shopping list synced together and it is a free application for iOS devices and Android operating systems.
Free Printables for Homeschool Organziation
More of a DIY parent? If you like to mix and match to find the perfect groove for you or if you just prefer the old fashioned pen and paper style of organizing, the blogosphere is packed with free printables that you can use to create a homeschool organization binder to fit your exact needs.
Homeschool Curriculum Shopping Printables
- Curriculum shopping list from The Unlikely Homeschool
- Curriculum planning pages from The Vicki Arnold Blog
- Homeschool curriculum price comparison from Gricefully Homeschooling
- Homeschool curriculum shopping organizers from Meet Penny
Homeschool Planning Printables
- Customizable homeschool planner from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
- Homeschool planning pages from Notebooking Nook
- Homeschool planning pages by grade at Timberdoodle
- DIY Homeschool Planner at The Hands-On Homeschooler
- Homeschool planner from Mission Minded Mothering
- Homeschool planner from Living Well Spending Less
- Homeschool planner printables from The Three R’s
- Printable planner at The Home School Mom
Daily Homeschool Printables
- Morning routine cards from I Can Teach My Child
- Homeschool routine for preschoolers at Carrots are Orange
- Homeschool assignment and routine chart at Christian Homeschool Moms
- Homeschool routine at The Many Lives of Megan
- Workbox weekly grid at Homeschool Creations
- Daily routine and chore chart printables at Meet Penny
- Daily and weekly homeschool planning pages from Intentional Homeschool
- Weekly student planner from The Crafty Classroom
- Daily lesson planner from Confessions of a Homeschooler
Homeschool Attendance Printables
- Homeschool attendance printable at Homeschool.About
- Homeschool attendance and grades chart at Meet Penny
- Homeschool attendance form at Donna Young
The Home Classroom Tour
Having an organized space for your homeschool activities gives a predictability to your homeschool day that can be a huge benefit to children who thrive on routine or those with special needs. Whether your home has a dedicated room for homeschool or you have to improvise with the small space that you have, this tour of homeschool classrooms will give you the inspiration you need to organize your home for education.
- Hodgepodge’s IKEA and Chalkboard Homecshool Room
- The Schoolroom at Sam’s Noggin
- The Chaos and the Clutter’s Home Classroom
- Blog She Wrote’s Learning Spaces Tour
- The Converted Dining Room at Home Schoolroom
- Homeschooling in Small Spaces at Meet Penny
- Re-purposed Formal Dining Room at Wildflowers and Marbles
- Easy Dining Room Changes at Mommy Minded
- The Adventures of Bear’s Rearranged Play and Learning Space
- Rockin C’s Schoolbarn
- Montessori-inspired Classroom at Discovery Kidzone Montessori Adventures
Feeling inspired? With this long list of resources, you can find plenty of new homeschool organization ideas and printables to make your year easier than ever.