I don’t know about you, but I seem to have gathered quite the collection of therapy materials over the years, especially with my go to resource, TpT! Finding ways to store them all can be challenging, and I have tried several different storage solutions over the years.
Today, I’m going to show you some of the ways that I store my printed TpT materials. Clearly, everyone has their own space to use with different limitations, but this is what works for me!
I prefer to store different materials in different ways. For my progress monitoring tools, monthly homework packets, no prep packets, and other seasonal full page materials, I use binders. I keep these on a bookshelf that I found at a used furniture store and painted black – this shelf is next to my therapy table, and within easy reach of my rolling chair.
For materials that have stimulus cards or other small pieces, I store them in either my converted toolbox (check out the makeover HERE) or plastic drawers (makeover HERE).
I have each drawer labeled with a general target area (categories, fluency, phonology, etc.).
I use this metal set of drawers from IKEA right next to my therapy table to store student copies of materials for the week or month (such as pages from my monthly homework packets or articulation coloring pages). It takes me some time each month at the copier, but I find if I keep in mind how many students I have working on what goals, I can get it done pretty quickly. (So, for example, I know I have 5 students working on the /l/ sound, I’ll make 5 copies of those pages.) Each drawer is designated for a specific area – phonology, younger articulation, older articulation, lower level language, and higher level language.
I keep each packet together with paper clips, with post it notes on each packet to keep track of which packet is for which student.
(And for those of you that travel and don’t have your own space, I know what it’s like! Here are some of my best tips to surviving as a traveling SLP!)
How do you store your different materials?
Thank you for the wonderful suggestions, Natalie!! I recently got a small file cabinet for my office so I plan to store materials in there. For cards, I also like using binger rings so everything is pulled out in order and together. Another idea I’ve seen in the past to label binder clamps on top so you can see what’s what if items are stored standing up.
Thanks for all the great ideas! I'm always looking for new ways to organize my TPT goodies!