How to Organize and Enjoy Your Child's Schoolwork

I have always loved school, from elementary school up through law school.  I sat in the front row, took copious notes, and probably reminded the teacher when she forgot to assign homework.  (Yes, I was that kid.)  I still get excited when new notebooks and binders and pencils line the aisles at Target in late August.

So I am truly enjoying having a little one in preschool.  "Sissy" loves school and is learning so much.  And she brings home lots of her schoolwork -- pictures and work sheets and crafts, with scratch-n-sniff stickers (remember those?!) and smiley faces and immense pride in her hard work.

At first, we hung up the school work, but we quickly ran out of wall space.  Then we started a file folder, but it became thick, and I felt bad just tucking away her awesome creations.  The solution was simple and has been more rewarding than I could have anticipated: I bought some clear page protectors and put them in a bright pink binder.  She decorated the spine (glitter and rainbows, rather than the practical labeling that I suggested ... her idea works much better), and we have quickly filled the binder with her creations:

The worksheet on the right is from preschool.  The one on the left is from "home preschool," i.e. the worksheets (mostly from Education.com) that we do together at home. 

We keep the binder on a bookshelf in the dining room, next to other keepsake albums:

Sissy loves getting out her schoolwork binder to show guests, and she proudly flips through and explains every page.  I also look through it frequently, just for fun.  I love this binder.  It's much more organized than a folder or box, it looks nice on the shelf, and - most importantly - we can enjoy her schoolwork and look back on how much she has learned in just a few short months.