Do piles of paperwork drive you CRAZY? Me, too! I especially dislike piles of paperwork that just sit there, begging me to put them away…somewhere…anywhere! I like to think of myself as organized, but in reality it’s a struggle! It is especially hard for me to stay organized when I don’t have a specific place for something.
Last school year I struggled with my girls schoolwork! Where do I put? Should I keep it or toss it? Do I keep everything or just some things? About the middle of the school year I realized that the piles of paperwork was causing me STRESS! I decided that this was NOT working for me and so I made a change!
I need to set myself up for success and that is where my month by month files come into place.
I created a very simple file box that works for me. It is ready to go at the BEGINNING of the school year so I don’t have to think about it later! Everything has a place and that place is ready to be used!
I started off by getting a file box and some hanging file folders. You can get them anywhere, but I picked mine up at The Container Store. I have a little obsession with The Container Store right now 🙂
I write each name and month on a file, so it’s ready to go!
I only file the papers once a month. I like to paperclip each subject together and add the stacks to the files.
It’s ready to go and there are no more piles of paper just laying around! I have to admit…I don’t keep everything. Some papers find their way in the “round” file 🙂
I also like the fact that at the end of the year I can close the box and put it away in storage. Our paperwork is easily accessible and you can see the month by month progress! I only have a few things from childhood, but my girls will be able to physically see how much they learned!
I think you can adjust this method to fit your need and make life a bit easier!
Annie Moffatt is a former elementary school teacher and homeschool mom with a passion for helping young learners thrive. With a background in early education and a heart for making learning fun, Annie designs engaging, low-prep resources that build confidence and success in the classroom. Her hands-on, kid-friendly approach has supported thousands of teachers and parents around the world in creating joyful learning experiences for their students.
Great idea! This system can be applied to your household bills as well. I put all my bills in manila envelopes by the month. Thanks for sharing. You are right it is an excellent way to track progress!
That is beautiful! I was an organized freak before marriage and children. LOL! I'm going to use this method to plan our work and then move the completed work that I'm keeping to the back!
Hi, I also live in S Cali and I am wondering why you keep so many papers please? Is it for your own use or is it for a school please? I just started homeschool and the "rules" in each state are very different. I love this idea as I currently have about 50 "piles" of work lol
This is BRILLIANT! I've been struggling with what to do with my kids' work too.I am going to use this system for next year. Right now I have everything in a box and it's a mess. I love this idea. 🙂
Such a great idea! Right now I just have everything saved in a big box (and tell myself I will sort through it later…..0_o). Funny thingis, I live in Nevada, where there is ZERO reporting or accountability. There is just that nagging what-if as a military family though! This seems like it would make putting an EOY portfolio together much easier!
I wanted to ask a question about your office products…what kind of spiral binder do you use? And what size spirals are found to be most common? Also, I know this isn’t and organizational question, but do you teach your grammar packets in a specific order? I bought your 1st grade pack and I am not sure which one is best to start with. Thank you so much! You are truly inspiring!
Hi Keri!
I purchased the Alpha E-Coil machine and I find that the medium size coils work best. You can get the coils on Amazon.
As for the grammar bundle, there is no right or wrong way to introduce the packets. However, I do recommend that you start with the basics such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, ABC order, etc. I wouldn’t use the entire packet right off the bat. Instead teach a few pages, move onto the next subject and then revisit the packets for review and mastery. I hope this helps!
Kindly,
Annie
I prefer to save everything in organized folders via the computer 🙂
Great idea! This system can be applied to your household bills as well. I put all my bills in manila envelopes by the month. Thanks for sharing. You are right it is an excellent way to track progress!
That is beautiful! I was an organized freak before marriage and children. LOL! I'm going to use this method to plan our work and then move the completed work that I'm keeping to the back!
Hi, I also live in S Cali and I am wondering why you keep so many papers please? Is it for your own use or is it for a school please? I just started homeschool and the "rules" in each state are very different. I love this idea as I currently have about 50 "piles" of work lol
This is BRILLIANT! I've been struggling with what to do with my kids' work too.I am going to use this system for next year. Right now I have everything in a box and it's a mess. I love this idea. 🙂
Such a great idea! Right now I just have everything saved in a big box (and tell myself I will sort through it later…..0_o). Funny thingis, I live in Nevada, where there is ZERO reporting or accountability. There is just that nagging what-if as a military family though! This seems like it would make putting an EOY portfolio together much easier!
I wanted to ask a question about your office products…what kind of spiral binder do you use? And what size spirals are found to be most common? Also, I know this isn’t and organizational question, but do you teach your grammar packets in a specific order? I bought your 1st grade pack and I am not sure which one is best to start with. Thank you so much! You are truly inspiring!
Hi Keri!
I purchased the Alpha E-Coil machine and I find that the medium size coils work best. You can get the coils on Amazon.
As for the grammar bundle, there is no right or wrong way to introduce the packets. However, I do recommend that you start with the basics such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, ABC order, etc. I wouldn’t use the entire packet right off the bat. Instead teach a few pages, move onto the next subject and then revisit the packets for review and mastery. I hope this helps!
Kindly,
Annie