Clutter seems to have become a way of life, and homeschoolers have a great excuse to collect anything and everything vaguely related to education. This is ironic because, as Dr. Montessori discovered, a cluttered and/or chaotic environment hinders normalization/education. This problem can arise when the materials 'take over' and the attitudes and method fall into second place. An orderly, inviting environment is more important than a large variety of trays and/or materials, especially for young children. It is better to have one or two that demonstrate each concept well.

Vernon Library Supplies has lots of items that can help you organize your homeschool materials and protect your books. From shelving to desk, book jacket covers to magazine protectors, they have everything you need to organize, repair, and protect your supplies.

A binder system with logs and forms that can be customized to suit your family's needs. This system can be used for multiple children and offers a simple way to meet any applicable state record keeping requirements.

This article offers a smattering of simple ideas to help keep homeschooling materials organized.

The National Association of Professional Organizers did a study and determined that the average person spends 80 hours per year searching for papers they need but cannot find when they need them. EZ Pocket lets you quickly and easily organize all those household paper items that need action on a certain date. EZ Pocket keeps papers in view, and sorted, while waiting for the "to-do" date to roll around.

More organizing tips from Katherine Von Duyke. How to use Velcro, slip-in report covers, and large plastic containers to tame your homeschool supplies.

Stuff! For homeschool families, it's everywhere. Books and papers. Art supplies. Math manipulatives. Science projects. Record-keeping demands its own set of materials: attendance forms, correspondence, testing, student portfolios, and piles and piles of paper! Find out strategies for storing kid's stuff, using color coding, organizing your desk, and more.

A binder system for the Christian mother. Covers all the facets of homemaking including grocery lists, errands, goals, correspondence, and more. Provides for planning home maintenance, meals, bible study, and medical checkups. Includes a special section for homeschooling planning.

Homeschool organization is a constant challenge. Like most households, homeschoolers deal with the everyday accumulation of laundry, dishes, toys, trash, and mail. In addition, we manage a multitude of school supplies, books, papers, and ongoing projects. A well-organized homeschool allows us to save time, energy, and money so that more of those resources can be utilized for the important task of educating our children.

Join the fun as sidetrackers from all over commune to help each other get organized. Along the way, we have a lot of laughs and make a lot of friends.

A look at an unschooling family's approach to managing chores around the house. Although this approach may not work for everyone, the emphasis on flexibility and respect for each others needs and inclinations is enlightening.

If you are suffering from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome), then this is the place for you. Start with Babysteps and learn to set up routines, get rid of clutter, and put your home and life in order. Once you join up with the Fly Lady, you'll receive daily emails filled with FLYing Lessons to guide you through the organization maze.

Record-keeping is an important part of your homeschool. Barbara Edtl Shelton lists the benefits of keeping good records, including the greater ease of evaluating progress, helping to set the direction for your homeschool, helping to preserve memories for the future, and more.

Time. It's a homeschool family's most precious resource--and the claims on a homeschooler's time are many and vociferous. Time management is a homeschool parent's most pressing challenge. Includes tips on using a planner and how to get the most out of scheduling.

If clutter and outside activities are taking over your life, you need a plan and some routine in your life. Get tips on how to plan and prioritize your work, and to respond appropriately with flexibility when life gets hectic.

Find out how to manage life so it doesn't manage you. Organized-Living.com is a rich resource of information, tips, and advice to help create organized lifestyles for the home and workplace.

This website has a wealth of information on running a smooth and organized home. Includes articles, recipes, organizing tips, message boards, and much more. You'll also find information on creating your own household notebook, along with free printable forms to organize all the information your family needs.

Susan Franklin reveals some basic concepts that empowered her to create an organized home and homeschool. She talks about how doing housework first thing in the morning, paying attention to small details, scheduling, and regular habits help create order and cleanliness. Includes her top ten tips for others with messy tendencies.

An example of an organizational system for a large homeschool family.

This article includes great organization tricks and tips for getting organized, including organizing around themes, how less is more, how to plan in blocks of time, and a discussion of storage solutions.