Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



Active Topics || Favorites || Member List || Search || About Us || Help || Register || Login
Living Learning
 4Real Forums : Living Learning
Subject Topic: Where should I keep these books? Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message << Prev Topic | Next Topic >>
MommyD
Forum Pro
Forum Pro


Joined: Nov 15 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 272
Posted: July 16 2007 at 3:38pm | IP Logged Quote MommyD

I'm trying to get things organized this summer and one of the things I've been going back and forth about are the kids books. Right now, most of our books are in the office. Each child has a bookshelf with books in their own room. I have room on the shelves in the office for their bedroom books but I haven't convinced myself yet to move them.

Right now we have *educational* books on a shelf, Usborne books on 2 shelves (I used to be a consultant and recommend it to anyone that wants to collect Usborne for their kids!!), kids books (a large collection of twaddle but they really love them) in their rooms and a shelf of adult books. I could mingle them all together by catagory and keep them in one room but haven't brought myself to do that yet. It makes sense to do that, doesn't it? I don't know why I can't get over this hurdle .

Melissa
Back to Top View MommyD's Profile Search for other posts by MommyD
 
Schoolrmacres
Forum Pro
Forum Pro
Avatar

Joined: Feb 09 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 153
Posted: July 16 2007 at 5:59pm | IP Logged Quote Schoolrmacres

Here is how we have our book organized. I have two shelf units that are only resource books,and these are seperated by subject. I have one book shelf that has all of the FIAR/BYFIAR bboks that we use for that program and all of our other novels and other books that I want to use more just for school are shelved alphabetically. In the living room I have a shelf of my dd's favorite picture books and other books that I am not ready to part with but she can read anytime she wants (these are in no special order).(The other shelves are "off limits" to her as far as for free reading books.) In her room she has all of her beginning chapter books,Pony Pals, Junie B, Amber Brown and Boxcar Children. I do not necessarily like her reading some of these series but she likes them so they stay in hiding in her room.(This is my hidden secret as a Charlotte Mason mom.)
I do not know if that helps or not.

__________________
Darlene, wife to Shawn and mamma to Haleigh Elizabeth, our Gift from God through adoption.
Peace be with you

http://achampionfamily.blogspot.com/
Back to Top View Schoolrmacres's Profile Search for other posts by Schoolrmacres Visit Schoolrmacres's Homepage
 
cathhomeschool
Board Moderator
Board Moderator
Avatar
Texas Bluebonnets

Joined: Jan 26 2005
Location: Texas
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7303
Posted: July 17 2007 at 9:06am | IP Logged Quote cathhomeschool

We've done a variety of things over the years. Right now we have an office with desks, computers, a large table and bookshelves. Almost all of our books are kept in that room. I keep some "Mom" books (spiritual and curriculum/CM philosophy) in my room. Tim's spiritual and some other extra books are kept in another room. Library books and books that we're currently "working on" are kept in the living room (and are often carted off to other areas). We make heavy use of the library, so we don't have as many books as many homeschoolers.

For a while I did put the Magic Tree House, Hardy Boys and Star Wars on a shelf in their room, but moved them out really more because they have too much stuff in that room already and we need to keep it semi-clear for allergy/dust reasons.

I think that where you keep books has a lot to do with what makes sense in your home. If your dc will read more of what you want them to read if those books are in the bedrooms, then keep them there! If you want to discourage reading of certain books but don't want to get rid of them altogether, then put them with everything else and put something else (or nothing at all) in the bedrooms. Around here, if I want a book to catch someone's interest, I set it on the coffee table. I can't tell you how many times one of the kids has said that they aren't interested in ____ book. I check it out from the library anyway and set it on the coffee table. Eventually someone gets bored or fascinated enough to look at it and they snatch it up. If that doesn't happen, I "assign" the first chapter as school reading or I pick it up and read aloud (to myself) the first few pages.      Generally does the trick if it's an engaging book.

A question about the "off limits" books (for Darlene): Are they off limits because of questionable content for her age or because you want to save those books to cover at a certain point during the school year?

(Edited for clarification because I'm half brain dead and to add:) In the office we do group books by category: science together (and divided into general subject area), history, literature, picture books, craft books, art, poetry, etc.

__________________
Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
Back to Top View cathhomeschool's Profile Search for other posts by cathhomeschool
 
humanaevitae
Forum Pro
Forum Pro
Avatar

Joined: May 31 2005
Location: Minnesota
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 411
Posted: July 17 2007 at 12:28pm | IP Logged Quote humanaevitae

In the hall between the children's rooms we have 2 large bookshelves filled with mostly picture books.(a bit of twaddle, doubles, and other choices that we have found 2nd hand.)
The kids each have their own plastic bin that they fill with books for the night and then can put back and choose again the next night.

There is a basket of board books next to the toddler's bed.

Our media room holds the majority of our books. We have four cases where the picture books are seperated by subject. (Animals, physical science, math, art, music,etc...) and a few shelves of picture books that I don't want handled casually.

Chapter books are stored on our basement shelves as we only have one child reading them currently. He also has a tall case in his room that holds the ones he is currently interested in reading.

Next to our family room we also have a case that contains great picture read-aloud books. Our shelves with religious themed books are also in the same room.
A basket of board books is next to our couch.

I guess they are spread out all over but it makes sense to us! I really wanted most of the books to be easily accessible to the kids and for myself not to be caught up in to strict of a system.
Good Luck!




__________________
Nicole-Zane 10, Elizabeth 7, Xavier 4, and John Patrick 2
Back to Top View humanaevitae's Profile Search for other posts by humanaevitae
 
katilac
Forum Newbie
Forum Newbie


Joined: June 24 2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32
Posted: July 19 2007 at 9:27am | IP Logged Quote katilac

Nope, doesn't make sense to me!

We have books in all of our bedrooms, for easy browsing before bed or when relaxing.

Unless you really need the extra room in their rooms, I wouldn't bother with moving the books. You'll fill those extra shelves in the office soon enough.
Back to Top View katilac's Profile Search for other posts by katilac
 
nissag
Forum All-Star
Forum All-Star
Avatar

Joined: Nov 23 2006
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1511
Posted: July 19 2007 at 12:08pm | IP Logged Quote nissag

We have four bookcases in our office (not enough - we could easily fill four more) that are sorted by category.

Parenting/teaching/health
Classics
Modern literature/Biography
History
Social Studies (culture, geography)
Religion
Children's classics
Reference (the Encyclopedia)
Children's literature (picture books, series, twaddle)
Science
Math
Art
Life Skills (crafts, homesteading)
Kits, manipulatives
Homekeeping
Binders

We also have two matching chests of drawers that contain the art supplies (lots and lots!), paper, completed work and portfolio items (one drawer for each child)

I just picked up a set of Harvard Classics and Great Books of the Western World as well as a collection of books by Thornton Burgess from our local used book store (a HUGE blessing). They were so reasonable that I jumped at the chance. But now we have to find room for them!



__________________
Nissa
Deacon's wife, mother of eleven, farmer, teacher, creator, cook.

At Home With the Gadbois Family

Back to Top View nissag's Profile Search for other posts by nissag Visit nissag's Homepage
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  [Add this topic to My Favorites] Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Hosting and Support provided by theNetSmith.com