How to Organize Digital Homeschool Curriculum
Imagine how your homeschool book shelves look at the end of the year. What if you could reduce some of that by using digital homeschool curriculum.
I love saving on shipping and extra duty charges as a Canadian homeschooler. But when it’s out of sight, it is out of your mind. You may forget what you’ve purchased from previous years and end up wasting money and buying something else you already had.
Organization is the key to making the most of your digital homeschool curriculum. It’s a big deal, if you can’t find that grammar workbook you just purchased, it’s a waste of time and money.
Then you have to find something to use with your child which means more time and money wasted. After homeschooling for 9 years, I have a huge collection of freebies and purchased products that I need to organized.
This means I don’t have to buy very much at all each year except for my oldest because he gets the first of everything.
This post may contain affiliate links meaning I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Read my disclosure policy here.
How to store files
You need a back up for your back up. Think of it as a precaution just in case your computer dies. I like using an external hard drive paired with a cloud storage system like Dropbox or Drive. Dropbox gives you 2 GB for free while you get 15 GB for free with Drive. I use it extensively so I purchased the 1 TB storage for Dropbox to hold all of my pictures and videos.
Folders are your friends
Create subject folders to house your freebies and products so that they are easy to find. Within those folders you can organized them again. You can create folders by topic or grade levels. I also have folders for large purchases like bundle sales so I can see what I bought asap.
Name files accordingly
You know when you make a new curriculum purchase and it has a file name like pl23246, well that won’t help you find it again. Make sure you rename all of your file downloads so that they clearly state what they are and even add in grade levels if you forget. After you’ve been collecting a library of material, you’ll thank me later.
Where can you get digital curriculum?
Curriculum vendors may have the option for a PDF format such as Peacehill pres or Writeshop. Or you can take advantage of the large bundle sales. The 2020 Build Your Bundle sale is happening May 11th-18th.
More Homeschool Planning Tips
Thanks for such a thoughtful list. I love organizing on the cloud because I can access so many things no matter where we are or if we have a device break and have to move to a new one.
I would love the elementary bundle or the unit studies one. They’d fit well with our plans for next year.
I would go for the Charlotte mason, or one of the elementary school ones.
love the human body printables! Thanks for the mother’s day giveaway opportunity:)
Oh, and I would like to win the build your own bundle….
I’d love the Charlotte Mason bundle!
What an awesome moms day giveaway thanks!
I would love to win them ALL! Haha Probably the most beneficial would be the Elementary Bundle, so I’d definitely like to win that one.
I don’t know how I could pick just 1! So many great resources.
I would love the middle school and high school bundle
I would love to win the unit studies or elementary bundle! It would be a huge blessing to win anything though!!?
Thank you so much and Happy Mother’s Day! I have to find a way to get organized, that works! I am in a state that currently doesn’t require a portfolio or oversight, but I had a thought, what if they change their minds?! It happened in the state I grew up in and I remember we all had to go get tested and we were crying and beyond stressed. I don’t want that for my children, ever. I have a 2e gifted 4 year old, and a 2 year old, so o would probably choose the elementary bundle.
Thank you for arranging such a great mother’s day bundle giveaway.
I would like to win the Unorganized Mom Homeschool Planner. Thank you for offering the giveaway!
Probably Elementary or Charlotte Mason bundle.
Awesome giveaway!
I would love to win the Elementary bundle.
Thanks!
Great tips! What an awesome giveaway! In Build Your Bundle I am interested in the unit studies
I would love to win the Elementary and C. Mason bundle.
Thanks for all the great information on Digital Organization. I felt so prepared, but now it is just overwhelming.
“Unorganized mom”…That’s me!
From the referral link’s giveaway, I need the Character Building Bundle. From this one, I can’t wait to read Homeschool Planning for the Unorganized Mom.
Learning Lab looks amazing
The Homeschool Help Bundle sounds amazing!!
Thanks for posting this! I would like the Elementary and the Unit Studies Bundle.
Character bundle
Early Learning bundle
Charlotte mason bundle
I am most interested this year in the character bundle.
I’m not sure which bundle I’d want.
I would love the Charlotte Mason bundle 🙂
The Elementary pack.
I could live to win the elementary pack!
Thank you for offering this! They all look amazing! I’d like the unit studies bundle if I win. ?
OOh this would be super helpful for my homeschooling journey!
Thanks for the opportunity to win! I am looking forward to the sale starting and seeing if I am able to afford new curriculum this year.
I need this so much, its not even funny 😀
i would love the character building bundle
Homeschool Helps I think would be the one I would pick.. maybe another, I don’t know really. lol 😉
The Special Needs bundle, Elementary bundles and the High School bundles in fact they all look terrific. Thank you.
Build your own bundle, looking at the nifty fifty, branches of government, skilltrek, just to name a few ?
I have my eye on Homeschool Helps #1 and the Brother and Sister bundle.
The thematic units, unit studies bundle and the elementary bundles fit the best with our school plans for next year, but I’m also debating on buying the Parenting bundle and the brother/sister bundle.
The Character bundle and Parenting bundle are tied for #1 on my list. But I know I can’t resist building my own, too!
Unit studies or Elementry bundles! Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
The Charlotte Mason bundle
I’m looking to get the Charlotte Mason or Elementary 2 bundle!!!
I’d build my own bundle–and I already did! Some elementary curricula, and some character training.
I would like the middle school and high school bundles.
I would like the upper grades bundles
I am thinking about the Upper Grades #2 Bundle and the Special Needs Bundle
I would like the Elementary Bundle or Character Building Bundle, as my eldest is in grade 3 now.
I’m going for the Charlotte Mason bundle.
I would purchase the elementary bundles.
I would like to purchase Charlotte mason or one of the elementary school bundles: 1 or 2. Thank you for the chance to win.
I would like the pick your own bundle of five for $39.
I would choose one of the Early Learning bundles but don’t know which one. Might have to build my own!
I’d love to purchase all early learning bundles for my preschooler.
I would love any of the 3 Early Learning bundles
I would enjoy the Character Bundle and the Brother/Sister bundle. I also like the elementary bundles and the upper grades bundles.
I’m interested in all the early learning bundles!
Thank you for the chance to become a more organized homeschooler. Some days I feel like I need all the help I can get.
Ha! Tell me about it.
Would love to get the mystery bundle!
This was very helpful! I have a lot of digital curriculum and I’ve recently been trying to figure out how to organize it more efficiently.