Aug. 10, 2009 - Workboxes

Considering how popular workboxes are in homeschool circles right now my Site Meter counter is sure to get a workout with a title like this one!  We aren't using workboxes as many people do, getting a days work laid out in them to be completed one by one until they are all empty.  Instead, I fill three boxes (and make it so they can't see inside!!).  If either Big Man (9) or Little Monkey (7) are done with their work for the moment and are ready for more, but I am occupied by someone else, they can pick a box.  Now, I must say, Big Man figured out right away that these things still contain schoolwork (most of the time, more on that in a minute).  He doesn't mind the boxes, but would be just as happy without them too!  Little Monkey, however, falls for the boxes hook, line, and sinker   He is eager to see what he finds and is willing to do anything that is sitting in the box.  Now, to be sure that they are getting what we need to fit into our days, they are each required to complete two boxes every day.  I always make two copies of whatever I'm putting in a box so it's ready to go for both of them.  If it's a worksheet, they know to look for the sheet with their name at the top.

I have found filling the workboxes for our 9 & 7 year olds much more challenging than filling the ones for our 4 year old.  I think a big part of this is that I don't have O.T. things for these two like I do for Peanut (4), but I have many things for them that will get lost along the way if I don't find a way to fit them into our daily routine.  Enter workboxes! 

Both of these boys are dyslexic, and they each have other "special needs" as well.  Our boxes are designed to fit the extras in that don't really take long, but there are so many extras that it's easy to forget to do them all consistently.  The majority of our boxes are filled with these things:

HELP books for Processing problems

McCall Crabbs book for comprehension

Writing Skills Activities for Special Children

Summarizing Page

Main Idea Page

Fine motor practice page for art

Mind Benders book

Interactive Metranome pages -- homemade

Tying shoes (they need all the practice they can get!)

Auditory Processing Game (my kids are not thrilled with these games, it is more of a chore to get them to play these....therefore it is not in the bonus box section)

Time Bingo (same as above)

BUT, a couple of times a week, I throw in a "Bonus Box".  These are the fun boxes:

Books on tape (but also great for auditory processing work--my kids should listen in their left ear only)

Get a bone for the dog, then 10 minutes of free time.

Equilibrio from Timberdoodle.

"Grab your brothers, run outside.  Jump on the trampoline for 10 minutes."

Play a math game on the computer (like Timez Attack, or something from a site like this)

Multiplication War (my kids love this game, which is why it is in the bonus box section)

I'll come up with other ideas during the year.  If anyone has any other suggestions, I'm all ears

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Aug. 12, 2009 - Untitled Comment

Posted by NissaRae

Great ideas :) I'm new to homeschooling and just started my blog over here. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to add you to my friends (if I can figure that out) LOL...

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