Simplifying Homeschool - notebooks and crates

So earlier this year I came across this article on spiral notebooks to simplify your homeschool.  I thought it was brilliant.  I modified it a bit, and have been using them for three weeks in our school, and it works wonders, so I thought I'd share.

My independent workers, Savannah (6th) and Charlotte (4th) use one notebook for all of their written work.  At the beginning of the week I hand write each day's assignments onto the first page available.

Monday:
CLE- ch 4
CC-day 4
ELTL
FMoRome - ch. 7, written narration
xtramath
Latin lesson 2

Tuesday:
LoF ch. 8
R&S 7, odds only
Apologia, day 1
Read 30 min.


...and so on for that week.


The girls mark it off as they complete the list.  They put their written work on the following blank pages in the notebook. So for instance, Monday's CC work will be written on the page after the assignment paper, then ELTL written exercises next, then the written narration from FMoRome, and then Latin work on the following page.
When I meet with them one on one every morning, I look at their assignment list, check their work right there on the next few pages, and write in additional notes on the assignment page if they need to correct something.  When the written work is correct, I put a big happy face at the top of the page so I know it is checked.  Then the next week, the new assignments go on the next blank page in the notebook.  So by the end of the year I will have a few notebooks with all of their work in one place, separated by weeks.
I think after their current spiral notebooks are filled I will switch to composition books to see which the girls prefer to work with.

I used to use a spread sheet of their week's assignments that I would print out and put in the clear front of a binder. Each subject would have its own section in the binder on loose-leaf paper, but I much prefer the spiral bound sheets.  I still use the spreadsheet, but I hand-write it into their notebooks once a week. I do feel like I am more aware of how much work I am giving them and it's easier to keep track of where they are at with their work on the following pages instead of in separate subject sections.


Another way I have simplified homeschool is by using crates for their books.  We homeschool all over the house, so keeping their books all on one shelf just wasn't practical.  I bought the sterilite large file crates that are at Walmart right now.  I have a crate for my teacher books, one each for my two oldest kids, and one for my three youngest.  I put three cheap plastic magazine holders (not the one in the link, but a cheaper version from walmart) in each box to keep the books upright, as well as a zipped pencil case.  That way we're not constantly looking for books and notebooks and pencils every time it is school time, and we're not confined to one spot.  I teach one on one in my bedroom and teach in a group in the office.  My girls then take their crates to their bedroom and do their work on their beds.  It works for us!

Curriculum 2015/16

After tweaking a bit after three weeks of school, here's this year's curriculum plan:

Savannah, 6th grade

Christian Light Education Math 6 
Life of Fred, Fractions - Pre-algebra
English Lessons through Literature 4 
R&S English 5 (grammar lessons, odds)
Classical Composition- Fable & Narrative 
First Form Latin
Apologia's Zoology 3 w/ notebook journal
Tiner's History of Medicine, then Planet Earth, written  oral narration
Story of the 13 Colonies and the Great Republic w/ workbook
Famous Men of Greece, written narration
The Trojan War, oral narration
30 min. reading literature
Old Testament seminary student guide (old version)
Scripture mastery copywork
Gospel Principles
German


Charlotte, 4th grade:

Christian Light Education Math 4
Life of Fred, intermediate series
 English Lessons Through Literature 3
R&S English 4 (grammar lessons, odds)
Classical Composition - Fable
First Form Latin
Apologia Astronomy w/ notebook journal
Tiner's Planet Earth, then History of Medicine, oral narration

 Famous Men of Rome, then Famous Men of Middle Ages, written narration
The Iliad for Boys and Girls

30 min. reading literature
Gospel Principles

German 

Madelynn, 2nd grade:

Christian Light Education 2
Life of Fred, elementary series
English Lessons Through Literature 2
Reading Lessons Through Literature 1-3
Read aloud McGuffey Readers
Gospel Principles
maybe German

Zachary, Kindergarten / Caroline, Pre-school:

Phonogram Workbook (reading & handwriting)

Counting on the abacus
Mom read-alouds
AoF and Scripture Stories

As a family: Prayer, scriptures, song, memorize a scripture and poem, geography, composers

As a family: LDS Family School (history, geography, science, music, art)