I don't have built in book shelves.
I don't have a homeschool room.
I don't have walls and nooks and crannies to work with. (My house has an open floor plan.)
I don't like clutter. In fact, clutter makes me feel cluttered and causes even more clutter.
I believe that things are the way they are for a reason. If I find myself saying 'I just need more room' I am just ignoring the lesson. The lesson is that I need to live within the space I have been given.
How long would it take to fill up a new closet if I were suddenly granted a new one? A week? Tops?
These are my best ideas for cutting down the clutter and living within the space you have.
1) Limit the amount of books you buy
This idea stinks for book lovers. The reality is books take up spaces and if you are attached at the hip with them once they enter the front door...don't buy them in the first place.
We are currently at our book capacity. There isn't room for more until the kids grow out of some of the books. We'll then have to attempt to pick out some to get rid of.
Good luck to you too.
This idea stinks for book lovers. The reality is books take up spaces and if you are attached at the hip with them once they enter the front door...don't buy them in the first place.
We are currently at our book capacity. There isn't room for more until the kids grow out of some of the books. We'll then have to attempt to pick out some to get rid of.
Good luck to you too.
2) Teach and learn using multi-age units and tools
There are so many cool, fun, unique 'age appropriate' books, toys and games available to purchase.
I could buy.them.all.
But that means your space fill up with items that are only good for a small amount of time and a small age range.
50 beginning readers, no matter how cool they are and not to mention the fact that they are on 6 different book lists...well it might not make sense to own them all.
Every Little People set ever made does not need to live in your home. I'm saying this from experience.
Multi-age means multi-fun. Everyone is playing and learning together.
There are so many cool, fun, unique 'age appropriate' books, toys and games available to purchase.
I could buy.them.all.
But that means your space fill up with items that are only good for a small amount of time and a small age range.
50 beginning readers, no matter how cool they are and not to mention the fact that they are on 6 different book lists...well it might not make sense to own them all.
Every Little People set ever made does not need to live in your home. I'm saying this from experience.
Multi-age means multi-fun. Everyone is playing and learning together.
3) Utilize the library to its fullest
Books
CDs
Movies
Activity Time
Book Clubs
Crafts
Magazines
Summer Reading Programs
Take advantage of it all. You'll save a lot of room at home by not buying all the things you can take advantage of for free.
Books
CDs
Movies
Activity Time
Book Clubs
Crafts
Magazines
Summer Reading Programs
Take advantage of it all. You'll save a lot of room at home by not buying all the things you can take advantage of for free.
4) Use a 'small' curriculum
Ok, I bet this is not a criteria you have used before to choose a curriculum to work with.
There are simple curriculum. They are not flashy or snazzy. They are probably not the newest thing skipping down the sidewalk.
Because they are simple...they have fewer parts.
Because they have fewer parts you can fill up the rest (whatever the rest means to you) with unit studies.
The 'rest' means to me:
I don't have to buy certain books. Instead I can borrow tons of books for our unit studies.
I don't have to heft around huge teacher's manual. Instead I can follow some simple ideas to put together a unit study.
I don't have to follow 6 schedules with one for each subject. Instead I can make up our schedule for the week, the month or the semester. Maybe even the year.
I don't have to have separate grades. Instead I can just plan activities for everyone to do together.
I don't buy curriculum every single year. Instead I can selectively choose things that we can re-use for many years.
Did I mention that I love topical unit studies? They bring a lot freedom to our home. And they free up a lot of space.
To your unit study success,
Suzanne
Ok, I bet this is not a criteria you have used before to choose a curriculum to work with.
There are simple curriculum. They are not flashy or snazzy. They are probably not the newest thing skipping down the sidewalk.
Because they are simple...they have fewer parts.
Because they have fewer parts you can fill up the rest (whatever the rest means to you) with unit studies.
The 'rest' means to me:
I don't have to buy certain books. Instead I can borrow tons of books for our unit studies.
I don't have to heft around huge teacher's manual. Instead I can follow some simple ideas to put together a unit study.
I don't have to follow 6 schedules with one for each subject. Instead I can make up our schedule for the week, the month or the semester. Maybe even the year.
I don't have to have separate grades. Instead I can just plan activities for everyone to do together.
I don't buy curriculum every single year. Instead I can selectively choose things that we can re-use for many years.
Did I mention that I love topical unit studies? They bring a lot freedom to our home. And they free up a lot of space.
To your unit study success,
Suzanne
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