I like organizing things! It’s one of my favorite things to do. Over the years, I have created a method we use in our homeschool and I thought I would share it with you all.

Creating an organized system for your homeschool, in the beginning, is one of the most helpful things you can do. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to know where to start so I’d like to share some ideas on how we do it for our large family.

Now, just so we are on the same page here, we change things often to adapt to the growth of our children. My methods from last year will not continue to work if I don’t tweak them here and there.

I have used the same foundation for years but have made small changes as our family grew larger. Let’s get started!

Organizing the Paper and Supplies

This is one of the most challenging areas of our homeschool, all the paper stuff! My children genuinely love paper, pencils, crayons, and markers. I have some very creative and artsy kiddos who are always into our paper supplies.

I want to encourage them to create and use their imaginations so I try to have the items they need available and ready for use.

Color Coordination

We do color coordinate pretty much everything that our children use. Every kiddo in our family is assigned a color for their cup, toothbrushes, bath towels, and miscellaneous items like headphones.

This helps cut down those sibling squabbles because we can take one look at the item and know whose it is. Schoolwork and supplies are no different. Each child has their own binder and their color is clearly visible with their name.

Our children’s colors are:

• Sam – Black
• Bella – Yellow
• Andy – Green
• Alex – Blue
• Randa – Purple
• Nikki – Red
• Georgie Lou – Pink

Bookcase

We keep our curriculum, individual binders, learning manipulatives, and bible devotions on a bookshelf located in the corner of our kitchen. It’s easily accessible for all the children to store their work.

Command Center

Our command center is an old dresser that my husband bought before we were married. I am not sure how it got the name “command center” maybe we used it in our early days as more of an organizational tool.

We should really change the name to the Art Supply Studio or something like that because it houses all of our art supplies. The drawers store our pencils and pens, paints, finger paints, and miscellaneous cords for various electronics we’ve had through the years. We also have our big bin of crayons and markers available for the children to grab and create.

We have a large bin of construction paper and cardstock in a variety of colors for them to choose from. They can use this paper to create in their free time and we also use it for school projects.

Binders

Each child has their own personal binder. I bought large white binders and had the children decorate their own signs with construction paper of their own assigned color. I cut a strip of construction paper in their color and slid it on the spine of their binder. We can glance at the bookcase and know immediately whose binder is whose.

In their binders they keep the following items:

• Pencil bag with various supplies
• List of the spelling rules and parts of speech
• Multiplication Table
• Monthly Assignment Sheets
• Math and Handwriting Work
• Unit Study Projects

Pencil bag with various supplies

They each have a pencil bag at the front of their binder where they keep a couple of sharpened pencils, an eraser, and a highlighter. They keep it stocked and ready to go so when they work in their rooms or another location besides the kitchen table, they are able to function with everything they need.

We use the highlighter in our group teaching time for a multiple of things. We highlight things we read and need to make note of. They use it to mark things they may need to talk to me or Rick about. It’s a really great teaching tool and one that I use more than I thought I would.

List of the spelling rules and parts of speech

We keep a list of the spelling rules and parts of speech so they have a reference they can quickly access when they need some guidance.

We also use these in group teaching time as a repetitive learning exercise. They read through them together, taking turns.

Multiplication Table

I let them keep a multiplication table in their binder for a quick reference when they are doing their math. Most of the middles are learning double-digit multiplication right now, so they can double-check their answers themselves.

Monthly Assignment Sheets

They keep a copy of their Monthly Assignment Sheets in their binders so they can keep track of their progress by checking off the work as complete as they go along.

There is also a place for my husband and me to approve their work as they get it done. The monthly assignments list serves as a guide for them to independently work and stay on track.

I wrote an entire post about this process and included a free PDF download of the assignment sheets if you would like to see that.

Math and Handwriting Work

Some of our kiddos have math books and some do not. So those that have math worksheets keep them in their binders.

I use a digital product for our Handwriting worksheets. When I am putting their monthly assignments together, I print out their handwriting work and it goes into their binder.

Unit Study Projects

Since we teach a lot of subjects using unit studies, there is usually a project they are working on. We store these projects in their binders.

For example, when we studied China, they wrote a research paper as we worked through the country in our learning. They kept their notes and outlines in their binders so we could work on it every week.

Dry Erase Boards

We have a total of four magnetic dry-erase boards hanging in our kitchen across from our kitchen table. I love my dry erase boards and use them in the following ways:

• Calendar
• Chore Lists
• Menu Board
• Character Reminders
• School Work
• Notes to myself
• Organizing family projects

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Calendar

One of the boards is used as a monthly calendar. We have a magnetic reusable calendar that came with the calendar grid, the numbers, and all the months of the year.

At the beginning of the month, we set it up and the kids mark off each day as we complete them. This is a great way for them to learn the months of the year and days of the week.

Chore Lists

We hang their chore lists on the board beside the calendar. I use a command hook so it is easily available for them to grab and work through in the mornings.

I wrote a post, Chores: A Handbook for Parents. Check it out!

Menu Board

One of the dry-erase boards is completely dedicated to our menu board. Our menu board is a quick and easy way for the kids to prepare a healthy, well-balanced meal independently.

You can get all the details of how we do it in this post, A Large Family Survival Guide: Breakfast and Lunch Ideas.

Character Reminders

Whenever I am teaching a character trait, I like to hang the word, what it means, and our key bible verse for all to see. This serves as a constant visual reminder of what we have learned. In those moments when we need to refer to it, we can just look and talk about it.

School Work

Of course, we have a whole dry-erase board available for any school work we need to work through. These can be those pesky double-digit multiplication problems or learning to write complete, complex sentences for our research papers.

Notes to Myself

I make notes to myself on these boards. It makes it really convenient when I need to remind myself of something like an item we need from the store or when the kiddos are sick, the medicine schedule.

Organizing Family Projects

I use it for this all the time! You know those Kitchen Preparation Days I’ve spoken about? Well, I write on the board everyone’s assignments for these days. It works really well and everyone can make sure they have completed everything they were assigned.

Kitchen Buffet

I call it the Kitchen Buffet but it a long piece of furniture that has several drawers located in it. We keep a lot of our busy learning toys in the kitchen buffet for when we need to occupy our little ones.

Most of the toys I have bought at a thrift store and have bagged them up into busy bags. The attention span of a three-year-old is extremely short and that can be frustrating when you are working with your older children.

We hand the little one a busy bag and let her play. When she is done, she puts it back into the bag and we hand her another one to play with. Just so you know, I probably have about twenty different activities in the kitchen buffet.

Assignments and Grades

I find this part of our homeschool very tedious so I try to keep it as simple as I can. However, I follow our state’s law to be sure we are in compliance and you should do the same.

Assignments

Most of their assignments are given through their Monthly Assignment Lists. At the beginning of every month, I look at where we are and where we need to be. I plan accordingly based on the time we have available for that month.

It is the child’s responsibility to get their assignments done by the due date. However, we give them weekly support through tutoring and coaching so they can be successful.

Grades

First of all, when it comes to high school things are totally different than the early years.

Sam, age 16, is a sophomore this year. I keep a meticulous grade book and other documentation for this time in his life. He is my first high schooler and so I am learning as I go. I use my iPad to keep track of all his information and I email it to myself on a regular schedule. I have a folder in my email to store all of Sam’s high school information.

We are keeping the curriculum he is using as a paper trail but just in case something were to happen, I want to have a digital trail too.

For the rest of the crew, we have a rule that they must get a grade of eighty percent or higher in order to pass or move on. If they are getting less than a B then there is a concept issue I need to explore.

If there is a concept that we are having trouble with, then Rick and I provide tutoring to explore what the issue is. If they are all having the same problem, I will organize a “clinic” and teach the concept with some hands-on activities if possible.

Tracking Hours and Work Samples

You need to be aware of your homeschool laws and requirements for your state. Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a great resource for that information. Since I am not a lawyer, you need to visit their website to make sure you are in compliance.

We have been members of HSLDA since the beginning of our homeschool journey and highly recommend that you join too. They offer a layer of legal protection should you ever need it. Besides that, they are a huge advocate for our homeschooling rights.

Hours

In our state, we have to track hours for our children so I have two separate tracking systems. Since Sam is sixteen I no longer have to track for him under the law, but I do still need to track for some of his high school credits.

For all the kiddos ages seven and up, I have to track one thousand school hours, six hundred in core subjects like language arts, math, science, and history. The additional four hundred hours are tagged as other hours and can be core or elective style hours.

When you have seven children, things can get really complicated really fast. Right now, I only need to keep track of the times for five of those kiddos.

For the past couple of years, I have tracked per individual child. Do you know that the screen time report Apple now provides you weekly? Well, it began to show that I was spending about an hour and a half per week just tracking hours.

So at the beginning of our school year this year, I began to evaluate how I could make things simpler and save time. I decided that since we run off a weekly schedule where I plan what they are doing as a group, I would just count those hours.

We have no problem meeting our required hours just by counting the time they spend on their monthly assignments, reading time, and our group teaching time.

Basically, if they are not working as a group then I do not count their individual time.

I have a schedule template I use on my iPad in their Numbers application. At the end of every day, I note the amount of time they spent in each category and total it up.

I keep track of the totals every week and put it into a Numbers spreadsheet so I know how much total time we have for the year. I evaluate this on a weekly basis so I can make sure we stay on track.

Work Samples

Work samples for a large family can take up quite a bit of space. I don’t necessarily have a recipe for how much I keep but I can tell you I keep way too much. I guess I always want to make sure I could put together a solid case with plenty of examples should I need too.

I also take lots of pictures of those hands-on activities as proof of the work we have done.

Location

We do our schoolwork everywhere! I think this is one of the perks of homeschooling. We can move around and change locations to set a different mood for the day,

As you read this portion of my post, you will see why having the binders stocked and ready to go is beneficial for us.

Kitchen Table

Our most frequent place is the traditional kitchen table. We do the most work there and that is where the kids are the most focused. Plus we have all our tools and supplies at our fingertips in the kitchen.

Bedrooms

They do some of their Monthly Assignments in their rooms because it offers some quiet and privacy. Well, as private as a large family can be.

Sometimes, when they are all together there is a lot of bickering and talking so they don’t get much done. So I divide and conquer by allowing them to work in their rooms. It’s certainly not perfect but it does help.

Living Room

I love to use our living room for watching educational movies and listening to audiobooks. Sometimes for our quiet time, the kiddos will bring in their blankets and pillow and lay on the floor or on the couch while we listen to an audiobook. It is so relaxing and enjoyable too.

Outside

Going outside mixes things up! Sometime we will read or do our monthly assignments. Or of course, the obvious PE time! I love to have the children spend as much time outside as we possibly can and the weather will allow.

Lesson Planning

I really do enjoy lesson planning. What I don’t enjoy, is when I do my lesson plan and it has to be thrown out the window on the first day. So I have tried to make this part of our homeschool as fluid as I can. We need to be flexible but still meet our goals.

Goals

At the beginning of the school year, I always set goals for the following areas:

• Our entire homeschool
• Each individual child
• Me

Our Entire Homeschool

I look at the direction I want to take my entire homeschool and make goals within that. For example, this year I really wanted to explore the world focusing on different countries and their history. So this became one of my goals.

I also evaluate character goals and levels of responsibility I want to see within our family. Is there a child who is showing some leadership skills that I could work to mentor? Are there some areas of character that I need to see improvement within the family? The answer is always yes, so I narrow it down to what traits and skills I want to focus on.

Each Individual Child

I evaluate each child and their level of development. Oftentimes we as parents get frustrated because we see symptoms of underdevelopment or areas of weakness and don’t know quite what to do with it.

I always evaluate the symptoms and see if I can determine the root of the problem. For example, one of our children was really struggling with reading fluently. My goal for this child was to increase their reading level for the year. When I began to evaluate how to do that, I started with their physical wellbeing. I took them to the eye doctor and sure enough, they were having a hard time seeing. Getting them glasses was a simple fix to a symptom that I was very concerned about. Just a quick update, this child constantly has their nose in a book now!

Me

Yes, I even make goals for me as their teacher and parent. If there is something new I am wanting to try or a new teaching method, I make the goal.

I am always evaluating myself as a teacher and recalling what I have done in the past that has worked or did not work.

I have three rounds of children I am teaching. Sam, our highschooler is round one. I often tease him that he is my guinea pig because he is our first. I don’t think he minds.

Our middle children, Bella, age 10, Andy and Alex, age 9, and Randa, age 8, have all been taught together as a group. As they are getting older they are starting to branch off according to their strengths.

Nikki and Georgie Lou are my last round and I am teaching them a lot together. Georgie Lou is only three years old but she is determined to do whatever her big sister is doing so I take advantage of that.

So this is where I stop and refer back to what I have done in the past with the older siblings. I make goals to implement things that worked and they are developmentally ready for.

I keep these goals in mind for the entire year as I lesson plan. Very rarely have I navigated away from these goals. If anything, I have added an additional component but stayed focused on what I determined in the beginning.

How Often Do I Lesson Plan

I mentioned above that I do my schedule every Sunday on my iPad. This is the time I lesson plan as well. Keeping in mind the goals I made at the beginning of the year, I lesson plan for our group teaching time.

As the week moves along, I tweak it and move things around as our schedule allows.

Edit Yourself

I have found I have to edit myself. I have all these huge ambitions and then when they don’t get done I am very disappointed in myself. This is when the guilt starts and I begin to second guess myself. Am I really doing enough?

This is one of the reasons I have started to look at things and scale them back. Small steps toward a new habit every week will get me a lot farther than a huge amount of steps in one day and then I fizzle out.

Keep your goals in mind and keep looking at the big picture. It helps me to evaluate everyone once a month to see if I see any progress and take notes of improvement.

Time Organization

Intentionally organizing my time each week prevents us from wasting it. Having a start time and an end time helps me and the kids know where we stand. This way it’s not 1:00 and breakfast is not yet cleaned up.

Schedule

I plan a daily schedule for Monday through Friday of every week. I look at the following things:

• Family calendar
• School hours needed
• Household tasks that need to be completed
• Work time
• Church
• Friends
• Library
• Quiet Time
• Free Time

I plan for each of these to have a designated time slot into our days according to the amount of time they require.

Daily Visual Schedule

Once I have done the schedule, I communicate the daily plan on a visual schedule in our kitchen. This way everyone knows how long they have to complete each task.

They also know if they have free time or any other perks coming up which offers great incentives for them to stay on task.

Planning time per Subject

As I mentioned before we do not struggle to meet our hourly requirements. This is my goal for the amount of time we aim to spend each week to make sure we stay on track.

• Monthly Assignments (Language Arts and Math): 8 hours per week
• Reading: 2 hours per week
• Writing Instruction: 1 hour per week
• Bible: 3 hours per week
• Unit Study (History and Science): 3 hours per week
• Physical Fitness: 3 hours per week
• Latin: 1 hour per week
• Art: 30 minutes per week

Now I should clarify, we homeschool year-round because having constant structure is very beneficial for our family. We generally work four days a week because we have a homeschool co-op we attend one day a week six months out of the year.

I hope this has helped you and inspired you for your own homeschool. Reach out with any questions, I would love to hear from you!