Step Six: How to Homeschool - Organization

Household Notebooks and Homeschool Planners

Let's get down to the details on how to homeschool as far as organization is concerned. Most families would agree that if you know WHAT you are doing (the homeschool planning); HOW you are homeschooling (with your unique approach in mind); WHERE you are doing it (organizing your supplies and materials); and WHEN you are homeschooling (your homeschool schedules and routines) ... it will help to determine the peacefulness and smooth running of a home. Whilst not all things are under our control, actively putting routines and systems into place help us prioritize our lives and pursue our goals.

We're looking at how to get your home organized with these Household Helps.

Some helpful household E-books to help you organize your homeschool:

Household Helps for the Homeschool Family

Household Planner

Household Management Notebook

Menu Planner

$3.95US

I Dream of Clean

Practical cleaning guide

$5.95US

Homeschool Planner Options

Homeschool Planners - Become that organized person you'd love to be and create a peaceful home... Not sure what is best for you? Read more about the Homeschool Planner Options here.

Setting up Homeschool Organizational Habits

Need some home school ideas on how to get organized? Helpful advice can be to develop strategic habits to help organize the day to day running of your homeschool.

The first three habits which Stephen Covey addresses in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People", are

Be Proactive
Begin with the end in mind
Put First Things First

Although I will not be addressing these habits in detail, it is amazing how you can learn how to homeschool by applying these habits. Are you a homeschool organizer? If not, this is what you need to do:

1. Homeschool Organization: Be Proactive!

Firstly, being proactive - means that you look for solutions and methods to solve problems.

Not sure which homeschool curriculum to use - first decide on the subjects you want to teach, then, research, ask around, find out what others use and make a plan according to your homeschooling goals;
Unorganized messes in the home - set up the work areas; get rid of clutter; make a clean desk space; Have one place where all the mail gets put and dealt with; deal with messes as they happen;
Chores not getting done - chore training; make time to teach how certain chores get done and make it a part of your day as a subject;
No one knows what to do next - Get a routine or home school schedule going; Write a list of what you really want to do in your day and prioritize the most important things; Begin with your "important" list and work your way down; Set up schedules for older children to work on their own; Set time to do 'family' things and help younger ones establish their own routines;
And so on....

2. How to Homeschool: Begin with the End in Mind

The second habit of beginning with the end in mind, is also another favorite of my homeschool and life philosophy.

My whole website is built around this one: When a person knows where they are headed and what long term homeschool goals they are pursuing, it is much easier to keep focused. The homeschooling family should have an idea of where they want to lead their children - making it easier to develop short term (yearly, term by term) goals once the long term (big picture) goals have been discussed and agreed upon. Writing these out will help you visually see how to homeschool in your context, in your family and according to your values. You'll find out more about this on the Homeschool Planning Page.

3. How to Get Organized for Homeschooling: Prioritize

Thirdly, once you have the end in mind and you know your homeschool goals, it is easier to prioritize in your life and Put First Things First - get a routine going which matches your family's goals. Read some more about Homeschool Routines and Schedules on this page.