workboxes

I am so excited about workboxes. About two weeks ago I was reading another blog and they were talking about them. Well my curiosity was peaked and I started "googling" away. Sue Patrick developed this system. Be sure to visit her site and I would recommend buying her book. I bought the ebook for about $18.00. I always do ebooks so I can have it instantly . It is a quick read and very informative. Also when you buy the book you then get access to forms and such on her website.

I love this system because it is very similar to Worshop Way which I used in my class room when I used to teach and also used some with Anastasia. The best thing about the workboxes is that you can use them with any curriculum you have and it allows to add in all that fun extra stuff that we tend to never get to.

Here is the set up:

I got two shoe racks (found in an orange box in laundry/storage area at Target) 12 clear plastic shoe boxes on each shelf. Joshua will have 12 activities each day and Savannah and Alexa will share a shelf for now and each have six. Anastasia really likes the way we already do her lesson plans and will be using Switched on Schoolhouse next year so she is not going to use this system.

This is the cards on their lesson plan.

Sue also suggests having the students "clock" in and out each day. I thought this was really neat and would motivate the kids. (Sue has clip art already done for this but I made up my own) I used Library pocket cards and made two for each child. One is Time for School and the other is finished. Then they each have a book mark with their picture and cute clip art on it. I laminated everything and they move their mark from one to the other.

What I like about the system is the break up of activities. Joshua has 12 boxes and for example here is what will be in each one on Tuesday:

1. Handwriting wkst.

2. Two Wrap N learn cards (This is an activity we have had from discover toys)

3. Math workbook with his lesson marked

4. File folder game (math)

5. Computer disk to play a phonics game for 20 min.

6. Practice cutting worksheet

7. Reading book with pages marked (this box will also have a work with mom card)

8. Phonics worksheet

9. Color in some of his Dinosaurs

10. Lap book activity for Dinosaurs

11. Phonics Center game

12. Activity bag.

The boxes vary from sit down work to fun activities that he can see and will keep him motivated. When all the boxes are done he is done with school for the day.

I also just got some books from our local teaching store:

Take it to your seat Phonics Centers Level A by Evan Moor. This has 13 full color centers that I just have to put together and laminate.

Take it to your seat Science Centers PreK-K

and File Folder Games for Language Arts and Math.

I am so excited to start this. The girls will each have 6 containers and Alexa is not quite three yet but she wouldnot want to be left out so she will get puzzles, activity bags and tracing activities and some file folder games to do with me.

Here is another blog Walking by the way of a mom who is using this system and she has links to other blogs. So check out her blogs, Sue's site and then just google workbox homeschool.