Some of the ways I organize my school...

Well the pictures loaded out of order and since I don't want to reload them, I will just talk about them as they appear. :-) Gotta be flexible.

This first picture is the school schedules attached to the boys bedroom doors.

Each child has their own schedule. It lasts 3 weeks. Every day needs to be signed off by the parent that it all was completed. It includes their schoolwork, chores, hygiene, bible reading etc. It was very easy to make in word on my PC and now I make it in pages on my Mac. I have used one of these every year. Every 3 weeks I sit down at my computer and plan out what needs to be done. Some stuff stays the same and I cut and paste. It doesn't take long. Maybe 1 hour every 3 weeks. I use ACE paces, so they typically take 3 weeks to get through which is why I use the 3 week schedule.





This is part of my dining room where we do school. We have lined the walls with bookcases which hold all kinds of books, and inside the cabinets I have puzzles, flashcards, other school stuff. A small desk, my laptop and printer are new additions to this years layout.

This is a small bookcase that is next to my small desk. It holds the extra ACE paces that they will use throughout the year. I set a small amount of money aside every month so that I can buy all the curriculum for the year at one time, but then that means I need a place to store it. Also stored here is coloring books for Olivia, markers, crayons, and other supplies the kids might need. The case labeled school forms holds where I keep attendance, my grade book, forms that www.gracechristianschools.com requires.

We at one point had a bedroom that was a classroom and the kids had desks set up. However the minute I would need to leave the room, the play time would begin. So having them do school, right where I can be the entire time helps tremendously. However the problem of having them all work at the dining table is that they face each other. Well at lakeshore (a school supply store) they sell these lovely dividers. I can then post on the inside of them important things for the kids to see and remember, and they can't see each other.

Each child has their own basket which is where they keep their bibles, daily journals, school books, a small pencil case with a few pencils and pens in it. A slim dictionary I found at target and anything else that they might need for each 3 week session. They take it to their spot at the table, and then when they are done, clean up and back on the shelf it goes. I found silver duct tape to place across the bottom so that I could label them.

This is a calendar I make every year to show the kids what days they will have school. This year I added the local public school days their friends go to, so that they could see that they will have similar vacations.

This is a close up of Stephan's schedule. He has spanish this year. I hope I learn it too.

Well that is some of the ways I have organized my school. The number 1 thing I have learned in home schooling, organizing and scheduling... Is leave time for life. One of the blessings of home schooling is that we get to keep our own schedule. So when I schedule things to the very half hour, I am throwing away the very benefit of home school. So we have our lists and we get them done, but at our own daily pace and schedule.