Julie Morgenstern describes the Kindergarten Model of Organization:
"The beauty of the kindergarten model is that it can be applied
to anything: from a whole home or office to just one room or a
single drawer. By following this model, you will design your space
for easy access and retrieval of any item. The space will be
inviting and enjoyable to use and allow you to concentrate
on one activity at a time. Your surroundings will give you visual clues as to what
there is to do, and when life gets busy and priorities get confused,
a glance at your very environment will help keep you focused on
who you are and what is important to you."
Keeping these principles in mind, I decided to fill our shelves with only those books
and materials which we actually plan to use this year-- a big Hat Tip to
Karen for that radical notion. I used our bookshelves to define several learning zones.
Here are a few photos:
Nature Notebooks & Watercolors
Math, Latin, and Writing
Each child has a basket to hold materials...
easy to bring to the table and easy to put away.
Bird Watching & Natural History
Books, binoculars, compasses, etc.
Paper, Pencils, and Art Supplies
plus a large basket to hold Kevin's steady stream of creativity
Notebooks
We keep adding to these each year.
Knitting Supplies and Books For Creative Inspiration
Building blocks are also kept here, near the table, for creative play
during read-aloud times.
For Momma
Just a simple shelf for my things next to my favorite chair.
At last, a place to set my teacup......
next up:
Part 5: Dining Rooms Are For Dining, Too!
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