Well, we are now at the end of our second week using the workbox system. We are still refining it to suit our family. Next week I will work on getting our group time more coordinated.

The kids have responded well to this system. They like having it all layed out. I think the schedule chart is excellent. I agree with Sue Patrick, it gives them a sence of progress. Seeing their boxes empty also motivates them to finish. I have been wanting to find a way to bring more accountability into my highschoolers life and this system does that beautifully. I am finding that this system has really really helped us get more work done and in a shorter period of time. It helps us all to stay focussed on the task.

Filling the Workboxes

I will tell you what was in todays boxes.

Miss Seven


1. Copywork page

2.Own reader- Bertie and the Bear by Pamela Allen

3.Reader Rabbit computer game 20mins

4.Picture study -look at pictures from Whistler

5.Make an entry in notebook. I provided a page of Whistler's pictures. to put in her notebook. I also put glue and scissors in the workbox

6.1/2 piano lesson (the teacher comes today)

7.Math page Singapore math (work with mum-wwm)
8.Read chapter of reader (wwm)

9.Emma Serl -Primary Language Lessons (wwm). This is an example.

10. Check work over with Mum.





Master Nine

1. Chapter of Box Car children

2. Page of Copywork.

3.Address letter to Ma and Pa. Address (on seperate piece of paper to copy), envelope, card (from yesterday) and stamp all in workbox.

4.Music Ace on the computer

5.Page of Singapore Math (wwm)

6.Read 2 pages on Franz Schubert.

7.Put picture in notebook of Franz Schubert (provided) and write his name.

8.Emma Serl-Primary language Lesson. -wwm. We do this with his sister at the same time.

9.Clue Finders CD Rom-Monkey Kingdom

10. Bring work to Mum to check.


Miss Eleven

1. 1/2 hour piano lesson

2. Emma Serl Intermediate Language Lessons.

3. Life of Fred Fractions

4.Mark Life of Fred

5.Read chapter of When Science Fails by John Hudson Tiner

6.Mathletics for 20 mins

7.Read 2 pages of Franz Schubert

8. Make an entry in music notebook about Franz Schubert using information from previous reading. Picture of Franz provided.

9.Rosetta Stone-Spanish 20 mins

10. Bring work to be checked.

Master 13

1.Piano Lesson with teacher

2. Mathletics 20 mins

3. Wordsmith exercise.

4. Life of Fred Algebra

5.Check answers with mum

6.Apologia Physical science module test (1/2 of test)

7.Mark test

8.Picture study Whistler. Read life of Whistler and do a crossword from Garden of Praise.

9.Make an entry in picture study notebook on Whistler.

10.Bring work to Mum to check.

Here are the baskets brought back at the end of the day.

Drawbacks


I am finding less time for our read alouds but I am getting the children to do more reading on their own - something I have been wanting the older ones to do. Using this method I am allocating the reading to be done each session.


Less group time- before we did a large portion of our day together and I find that they are more confined to 'their boxes'. This is something that I will be streamlining more as the weeks go by.


Less time to escape for me. This is a negative and a postive. To keep things moving we are all in the same room and I am working with the kids as needed. I'm finding it harder to get the washing on or do a few jobs around the house. But then I also have all the work finished much earlier so I can attend to those things after they have finished (hence todays blog entry).

It has not been hard to fill the workboxes each day but it does require me to fill them. This is a discipline that I am working on and I am enjoying planning their day out and using things that I have but haven't been using.I refill as I check their work for the day. I have slacked off a couple of times and been sorting at night or like today getting up early but it is worth it!

Michelle