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What method of assignment organization do you use, if any? 

In the past, I have done a modified work box system with my DD - Workbags in gallon sized Ziploc baggies filled with little assignments.  They were FUN of course since she was in prek/K last year and she ADORED this.  I'm thinking the filing system might be a bit simpler, especially if I get the hanging file folders with the box bottom so I could put books in there easily....

What are you ladies doing?

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I like this question Radish4ever. Shamelessly awaiting ideas  ...

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For things that are finished:

Reusable items go back on the shelf to use with the younger one later (or get rid of if we didn't like them).  Consumable items get filed by subject into oversized envelopes with the name, grade, year, and subject written on them.  Those envelopes all go into a box for at least 2 years in case we ever need proof of work.

For current items we're using:

The week is laid out by spreadsheet (because that's how my son thinks ... everything is a calendar or clock in his mind!  a little OCD there).  The weekly assignments are posted on the wall, and the daily assignments are placed in stackable trays on his desk.  The top tray is for completed work, so when all the lower trays are empty, he knows he's either finished or needs to look at the spreadsheet for anything extra (like computer work, that obviously doesn't go in a tray).

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I use a lesson plan book per child... It has a folder in it . I put in the weeks worksheets/quizzes/tests in there. I also have a binder for just my paperwork. Each child has a folder that they keep their completed worksheets in for the week. I grade all worksheets/tests at the end of the week usually. too busy for everyday. They each have desks for their books.
All completed worksheets get filed in the school filing cabinet. Each subject has a folder per child. At the end of the year, I make their portfolio from these files. it is really easy and quick since everything is already organized. I start school Monday and hope to post some pics next week   

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We just do the next thing.  I tried workboxing and it wasn't for us.

I do flip through workbooky stuff to decide how much to do per day/week to get through it, and divvy up other subjects by day/week/month or whatever, then we plug along until it's done.  If the school year (as we determine - we don't have a required number of days) ends before we finish, we just leave off or finish as desired, depending on our interest and time... 

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We use three ring binders for the subjects and hole punch everthing and file in the binders by month. Then we take one year an put it in a handy rubbermaid container of some sort and stack it up with previous years.

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We use three ring binders for the subjects and hole punch everthing and file in the binders by month. Then we take one year an put it in a handy rubbermaid container of some sort and stack it up with previous years.

What would we do with out those rubber maid containers?!?!  I use them for everything.

I use the 3 ring binders also.

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Since I have had to do my homeschooling on an all free basis I got creative. I asked the local shoestore for the large boot boxes with the lid attached. (It's great to live in a small town.) I glued typing paper to them for a "blank canvas". My DS then cut things out of magazines that went along with the topics for each box. (Science = test tubes, animals, etc. Math = Numbers and symbols, you get the idea) What I love is that the boxes stack, we can see what the subject is, and the books fit inside.

On the inside of the lid I put his scheduled assignments, inside of a page protector. He lines through them with a wipe off marker when he is done. If I feel he needs to review the topic more I wipe it clean.

His completed worksheets go in the box and the boxes are restacked at the end of the day. I then look at the sheets each night and reload the boxes as needed. The completed sheets are placed in 3 ring binders.

Fridays are our discovery days. We bake, take hikes, work puzzles, go on field trips. Each thing we do I incorporate a subject or two. Measuring while baking is math if you increase or decrease the ingredients. So is paying for shopping if you add what you are putting in the cart each time. (By the way, it keeps my DH so busy he forgets to beg me for the latest game!)

Even the weekends we will keep an eye out for homeschooling opportunities. I just log them when we get home.


I have a ton of other things that we do. Maybe we need to start a daily tip page!

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I wish I could get some kind of organized system going. My hs area is such a mess, I waste so much time looking for stuff. I would love to get some bookshelves, but I know my 2 y/o will just tear everything down.

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Well I'm finally sitting down and getting my school year organized.

For me, I will have a file box and the WPD planner.  In my file box, I have 36 numbered hanging files (1 per week) and I'm going through subject by subject and putting each week's assignments in there.  I have a little library pocket on each folder and I'm going to write on an index card the library resources I will need for each week, the art supplies I will need, any field trips we will be taking, etc.

For my DD, I will be doing workbags.  Similar to workboxes, workbags are gallon sized Ziplocs in which I put one activity PER bag.  What I did last year (and I'll probably do again this year) is print out and tape on numbers 1-9 on some bags.  Then I made a chart with corresponding 1-9 on it and put it in a page protector.  Each day as she would finish the contents of a workbag, she would mark off the number of the bag on the chart. 

Once each day's work is complete, I will write what we accomplished in our WPD planner so that I can keep track since I don't like to keep a lot of artwork or papers around.  This will be more for my information than anything since my state doesn't require that I keep records.

I think this will be the best plan for us.  This will keep it fun for her each day ("Ooooh!  What will be in the bags today?!?!") and I can feel good about it because I'll know that once we have completed 36 weeks of instruction, she's completed a solid curriculum for each subject.

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We use our diningroom as our schoolroom. I have everything basically hidden until you walk right up almost into the room. So we have a tall bookshelf that I store books on that we are planning on using in the near future.  Reading books are on the very top shelf, curriculum on the next shelf and the bottom shelf each of my four kids have a differant colored plastic bin. In the bottom doors, I keep extra magazines and curriculum that we are planning on using but not for a while. I have another Small bookshelf that I keep all my teachers manuals in along with printer paper,cardstock,and file folders. The printer also sits on this. this is how I organize my books and other homeschool materials.

 I organize the kids curriculum using the bins I mentioned before. I have all the kids assignments in there for the day. Basically we just move forward in whatever book we are doing. If there is a change in that plan, like they need to do more work, I place a note on the book. My dd7 gets her things changed up more than my olders. If we are doing handwriting, One day we may use the workbook and that will be in her box. The next time, the lined chalkboard or the wipeoff tablet may take it's place. Differant reading books are also placed inside these boxes. I started out wanting to use the workbox system so that's where the boxes came from. I just changed it up. We don't use the cards. BUt I do try to have all the subject they will do that day in the boxes so there is no questioning how much they have to do before they are finished. I look over their work either at the end of the day or the begining of the next mornign when th kids are still asleep.

As far as record keeping goes, I have a "homeschool journal" that I write in every day. I use it to brainstorm along with plan if we need to do more review on a particular subject or skip something because they have already learned it. My state doesn't require records or portfolios. I just write in my journal  and make sure the kids date all their papers just in case we're ever questioned.

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Great organization!Our state just requires cover schools for attendance. I miss TX sometimes because there were no laws there. Oh well. I hope to do work boxes as she gets older. Right now I use a three prong pocket folder. I prong the lesson plan and put the worksheets for the week in the pockets. Works well and works for Letter of The Week...I just put the week and Letter on front of folder!

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We use a modified workbox system. I heard about it about a month before school ended last year. I thought I would like to try it but I didn't want to spend $ if it wasn't for us, so I kept my eyes open and our local costco had strawberries in stackable open top boxes that they were giving away. I got enough of those to try it out. I made my own numbers, etc. and thanks to $tree only spent $2 on velcro dots. We tried it out for the last month of school and loved it. I keep their books in the trays and the worksheets etc. just add up until I want to file them or need a sample for the charter school. We do a lot of card and dice games for math and those fit in just fine. Some of our board games don't fit so I just put in a post it note of what to go get. The kids like that they know when they are done. I like that it forces me to keep on top of their assignments, and get out the "fun" stuff. The kids like that they get to do more fun stuff. I like that they get to do more fun stuff. Over the summer we decided that the strawberry boxes were too big and I found at 99cents store office trays that most of their books fit in, bought a few more velcro dots and we were in business. Their trays are black so they "disappear" on the shelves in the family room, they also stack so they only take up a small space. Plus we can take them with us when we need to "carschool" or go to grandmas. I really love this system.   Jan

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I heard about workboxes for the first time last year, but wasn't interested because I had visions of all these boxes stacked everywhere and my 2 year old just going crazy getting them out. 

Shortly after that, I found a Rubber Maid style 12x12 craft drawer system.  It has 7 drawers that pull all the way out and have an attached lid.  We LOVE it!  It stays neat and my daughter doesn't mess with them.  I have a drawer for each subject and my son chooses a drawer to do at a time.  At the end of the day I just put all the assignments in it for the next day and we're ready to go.  Right now I have to help him with most of the assignments, since he's in 1st, but I have visions of him being able to do the drawers on his own eventually. 

It was a little pricy.  I had to save up my money for a month and then find a sale, but it was worth it!  I'm going to have to get another one when my dd starts "school" officially.  She just has a 2 dollar pink box I found at Wal-Mart right now and we do her 1 box every day. 

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That sounds like a great idea!  I will be setting up 'centers' for my baby soon, because he's fast outgrowing our current system of schooling while he naps.  And I was looking to find a way to set them up without having tables and cabinets everywhere.  That might work well to have a little drawer system!  Thanks!