Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau

Educator, Coach, Life Strategist

Storing homeschooling memories

There isn’t a parent around that doesn’t have at least one box of priceless keepsakes from when the children were little.  Baby shoes, first teeth, refrigerator drawings, greeting cards, photos, hand-prints, and you name it…these are the things that families are made of.

Homeschooling households, however, need to store more than just the usual number of family memories.  Particularly in larger families, after homeschooling for a few years, the number of papers and projects can really begin to add up. 

That is, if they aren’t tamed right from the start.

The key to taming the paper piles and clutter is two-fold: regular sorting combined with clever storage.  The sorting part is up to you, since nobody else can tell you what to save and what to throw away.  The storage part, on the other hand, has been perfected by many families before you.  That’s where this post comes in.

With so many solutions on the market today, there is no excuse for not finding just the right container for saving and storing homeschooling memories.  By shopping the retail stores, home improvement centers, and even dollar stores, it’s easy to find something for every style and budget.

Not only can storage be functional, as in these kinds of containers:

But it can also be attractive, like these:

You can get creative with storage:

 

And even downright funky:

 

Storing homeschooling memories can be fun.  Have the kids help choose what to save and where they’d like to keep it.  Purchase matching containers to create a whole storage system, or scatter containers throughout the house, wherever they fit, or anywhere they look great.

Do you have any great storage ideas to share? 

[The photos in this article are all public domain, except the last one, which was borrowed from Target online – I hope they don’t mind!]

Student portfolios

Some states require that homeschooling families maintain a portfolio for every child in the home education program.

In other states, even if it’s not required, many parents do this anyway.

What is a student portfolio?

Simply put, a portfolio is a compilation of materials that represent a student’s learning over some period of time – usually one “school year”.  The purpose of the portfolio can be either to satisfy legal requirements or to document and remember the kinds of activities that took place that year.

If a portfolio is legally required, the laws will dictate what must be included. 

If a portfolio is being used for any other reason, you can put anything you like inside.

Examples of portfolio materials include:

  • samples of student work, dated, from throughout the year
  • special projects, like artwork or term papers, that have been completed
  • photographs of places a student has visited, or of projects too bulky to fit in a portfolio
  • memorabilia, like brochures, postcards, ticket stubs, and anything else worth remembering
  • a photo of the child from that year
  • certificates and awards earned
  • a list of courses taken, grades, transcripts, or schedules if desired
  • a list of books read, videos watched, or other educational activities worthy of note
  • anything else you’d like to remember, or want to keep track of for future reference

Remember, if a portfolio is needed to meet a legal requirement, be sure that all of the necessary pieces are included.  If the portfolio is used more for record-keeping or as a family keepsake, the sky is the limit as to what you can place inside!

What’s in my busy bin?

Actually, I don’t really call it a busy bin any more. It was a busy bin when the children were very young. Now, it’s just a box of stuff that I keep in the car for keeping people busy whenever we go anywhere.

[If you want to read more about busy bins, click HERE.]

Our bin was getting messy and the family was growing tired of what was inside.  That’s the signal that it’s time to restock the bin for the next outing.

I thought I’d share with you what was in my bin, before I fill it with a whole bunch of new goodies again.

This time it had a science and math theme.

Here is what was inside:

  • math wrap-ups and science wrap-ups
  • Twist N Shout math electronic toy
  • two large U-shaped magnets
  • a bunch of smaller magnets and other metal objects
  • a rock and mineral kit
  • a set of glow-in-the-dark planets and stars
  • one large and one small magnifying glass
  • a set of color paddles
  • a book of science experiments
  • a set of “fraction circles” (too many pieces for the car, big mistake)
  • a couple of magic tricks
  • a bag of rubber bands
  • 2 pairs of safety goggles (hey, how’d they get in there?)
  • flash cards, both store-bought and home-made
  • a variety of other little things like paper clips, eye droppers, arrow heads and more

Here it is, spilled all over the floor:  

I have done all kinds of themes over the years, like the seashore, not-messy art supplies, and Mad-Libs, brain-teasers and puzzles.  And sometimes I just gather up a bunch of little toys and throw them in there, too.  I plan to fill it with a variety of books this time. Anything goes, as long as it keeps hands busy and minds working.