How We Use Workboxes

Workboxes! Love em. Here's how we are using them. First, check out Sue Patrick's book ~HERE~. You can download the ebook for detailed instructions on the entire system.

Here is a photo of the boys' workboxes...N~ in red, Q~ in green. This is a day's worth of work for them. (Yes, that is my dishwasher open in the background, hey, I'm just lucky it was empty!:)

As they finish boxes, the work they "see" diminishes...thus encouraging perseverance,,,the end is in sight! Also, having twelve boxes allows me to put in wonderful things that were just sitting on my shelves because I could not fit them into our day. (ignore that stray red label on Q~'s box:)

After they finish with a box, they put the labels away, put the work in the 'to be graded' pile, and then stack their box. They stack the finished boxes in a corner...they like seeing how 'high' the stack can get...

At first I was having the kids put all the used labels in one basket, but then in the evenings I was having to sort through every label to find what I needed...Soooo...I used velcro on the inside of their school cabinet.


Now, in addition to the regular labels that Sue recommends, I have added time labels that I found ~HERE~. I also added XOXO stickers to some blank labels so that when the kids see these, they will come up and give me hugs and kisses! I love those... My SIL also recommended having a box for a snack. Prizes, books, toys, in addition to regular schoolwork, the sky's the limit for ideas of what to put in these boxes.

I am still working on tweaking this system to fit our family and our method of education...at first I was trying to have the kids do twelve boxes of individual work, then the together work as well...that was total craziness...so we have switched to boxes 1-6 being individual morning work, then 7-9 or so being together stuff after lunch, then back to individual work after that.

We have been using this system for about a month now, and I really like it. It is a little more work in the evenings, as I still have the grading and recording to do, plus filling the boxes...BUT, the day runs much smoother because of the many benefits...those being: fewer questions on when we are finished, the schedule for the day is VERY clear, encouraging independence, plus they also hold me accountable to make sure that I am working one on one with every child when they need it most.

Such a simple, yet clever system!