Workboxes and More Workboxes

Checklists... a great idea, in theory. However, for my 8 year old boy, the checklist really consists of boxes only being checked when Mom reminds. Mom does not have a minute to spare for reminding. Enter workboxes from stage left. After seeing several posts from other Workboxers, I decided to download the book by Sue Patrick and read it for myself. Encouraged, I decided to give the workbox system my full effort and see if it might just organize our homeschool, allowing everyone to work simultaneously.

Workboxes are an organizational tool; not a curriculum. Our physical workboxes are simply plastic shoe boxes with numbers on the front. I load our current curriculum in each student's boxes. While loading, I also put together their schedule strips - see below. These are attached with velcro - to be changed daily. I have "extras" on their schedule - Snack, Nature Walk, Computer Time, Lunch, Sewing, etc. For example, on the blue set below, Budding Author knows that he will do boxes 1-4, followed by a snack (which you cannot see), boxes 5 & 6 and then a Nature Walk. No more questions such as "how much longer until lunch" or "when can we go outside." It is all spelled out on the schedule.

Another huge benefit to this system... always several surprises in the boxes. We love Professor Noggin games, puzzles, Carmen San Diego, file folder games, etc. Sometimes I forget to include those in our day. With this system, it is a breeze. I just look at what we are studying the next day and pop the game into one of the boxes. For Little Mommy, I can put her 'Centers' card on her schedule and she can do 2 or 3 file folder games of her choice or she can look through lapbooks she has completed.

Lest you think our tots are excluded from this new endeavor... I bought 4 boxes for each of them. What a great way to keep them on track with their Preschool Activity Bags! Plus, they do know what a picture of popcorn or pretzels mean... EAT!