It’s truly a productive Sunday today. While my husband and daughter are out having a play date at the park, I get the opportunity to re-organize my learning materials and prepare them for our next lesson and theme. Moving from California to Florida was truly exhausting, yes really. Amidst of that major move, I was able to bring all my important learning materials and books that my daughter will be using for the following years to come. If your reading this right now and can relate how precious this learning materials are, then you’re a certified teacher or Montessorian at heart. Congratulations for being one! And since we have the same interests, I’m excited to share how I take care of my learning materials. The way I organize my stuff improves over the years as I find more ways to keep things accessible without wasting my time looking for my materials in a different places. Yes! I’ve been to that too and I’m no way going back to that unorganized method of myself anymore. I love organizing things because this gives me a peace of mind and personal achievement. If things are organized and in proper place, you know exactly where to find it saving your sanity and more importantly your precious TIME. Here’s my guide with photos of how I organize my learning materials at home.
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5 Basic Guides In Homeschool Organization That Will Save Your Time
1. Invest in a high quality storage boxes and labeling system.
Below shows photos of how I store my materials according to theme or unit of study. I also include in each box the books related to each unit. I prefer using clear individual boxes or drawer. For storage boxes, I recommend a latch type with extra storage space cover. If your learning materials are extra bulky this will hold the content without breaking the latches (I’ve been to that!). This style of organizations keeps my unit of study in one place with easy to see label. Invest in a high quality label maker that is versatile to use in different storage system.
Basically this are the learning materials that goes with each storage boxes
- Books (my most important learning material)
- Montessori three-part cards (ex. community helpers three-part cards)
- Nomenclature cards (ex. bird nomenclature cards)
- Miniature objects (ex. flowers)
- Guide sheet/Fact sheet or picture cards
- Homeschool lesson plan
- Song & poems related to the unit.
- Other learning materials like felt board for story telling
- Theme decor or seasonal decor
- Open ended toys or imaginative toys like Brain Flakes, Picasso tiles, stacking toys
My thematic storage for community helpers, Insects, Farm animals & reptiles.
These are my storage boxes for geography, astronomy, dinosaurs and ocean animals.
2. Choose tools and machines you trust and will last for many years.
From my past blog, I posted about my daughter’s birthday gifts that are mostly Montessori inspired. Yesterday, I’m done laminating some three-part cards for her Safariltd Toob sets.
Laminating cards should not be expensive. I got this Fellows laminating machine as a gift five years ago and until now it never fails me. My three-part cards and nomenclature are mostly from Montessori Printshop. They always have free and sale items. Additionally, they use the card size that fits with my storage system.
I been using Fiskars for cutting three-part cards and nomenclature for many years now. For my blade, I choose the one with Titanium blade coating. The difference from the regular one is the efficiency and sharpness of the blade. This can be reuse many times before it gets dull. This is a two pieces per pack. It saves you from buying more often of the regular blade.
3. Use shelving system that fits your criteria and budget.
Last night, I finished organizing books that Audrey got from her birthday. I invest in this high quality book shelf from ECR 4 Kids. I love to showcase more books for my early reader at home so a five tier book shelf wins. It displays different sizes of books and also sturdy enough for my daughter who loves to step on it like a ladder while looking at the window when I ask her “Whats the weather today?” during our morning circle time.
4. Choose a simple easy to view storage system for small learning materials.
I found this clear rectangular case at Daiso when we’re still at the Bay Area (SF) and I regret that I did not buy more of these. This perfectly fits a three-part card with the objects then I place the other cards on top of it using a rubber. It’s easy to view what’s inside with an instant label!
5. Display learning manuals and books in an easy to see and reach shelving unit.
I like my guide books handy when I need to take a quick look for a specific quotes and words from Dr. Maria Montessori.
How do you organize your learning materials? I hope this guide will be your inspiration and will be a great help with your home or school organizational task. Don’t forget to share this guide to your fellow teachers and parents who home school their kids.
“The teacher teaches little and observes much, and, above all, it is her function to direct the psychic activity of the children and their physiological development. For this reason I have changed the name of teacher into that of directress”
The Montessori Method (p. 173 )
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