WORK BOXES - TODDLER TO MIDDLE SCHOOL (AND BEYOND?)

Work boxes?!  What are those?!!  They are a neat little idea a women name Sue Patrick developed.  I discovered them our first year of homeschooling and was so excited!!  The original system calls for those boxes that are plastic and about the size of a shoe box.  We didn't have room or, at the time, the money to do all that she had.  BUT.. what we did have was those Sterlite little plastic three draw things.  So, that is what became our workboxes.   I put a number on each drawer, gave the older two each a strip (just like the ones Sue Patrick came up with).  I created "fun boxes" for each subject area which were supposed to be a break from the normal work but also educational in some way. They were centers.  I went center crazy!  I even created and laminated clip on cards for each box.  They've come in handy even though right now we are not using them.
 This was our first set up with the workboxes. In case you're wondering - where are all of the numbers?  Well, before I had gotten these up where they are.. they were at the mercy of our then toddler -Jojo.. need I say more?!  We still use these drawers, but I place each three drawer set in a cubby box in the shelves, it gives them much more stability and looks nice too.  To the left of the boxes are the sign in cards.  If you look you see the top two the way Sue Patrick made hers (I printed them offline after purchasing her book, which included these printables).  At the time J was too  young to do the clock in cards like the big kids.  I created separate ones for him.  The first one is red (stop, or end), the next one is green (go - or begin) and then there is an orange one with a clock, this is where he would find his card for each day.  I did have to put it up after he "clocked in".. or it would disappear.  As you can also see, I used the same color scheme for the big kids.  I wanted it to look as closely to their's as possible.  We are still using his, but i've had to add a velcro dot!  The big kids don't clock in anymore. I could  have them do that still on the inside of the cupboard door, but they'd probably complain it was a dumb idea.  :)

  Our second year homeschooling I redid our school room, each child had a desk, and a set of workboxes.  I loved the way it looked!! I actually still miss how it looked, mostly because they each had a space to work at and "own".  At that time we had three children.. we now have four!  If I could fit a desk for each and do that set up.. I would.. maybe soon.. we'll see. This is two pics of when I was in the process of redoing our school room. You can see the one on the top picture has the workboxes, a tray for finished work a desk.  I really did like this. The other picture was just another view.  I thought I had a nice picture of this room when it was finished, I know I do someplace!   If I had a place to store all of our things..I'd do this set up again!


 Now, in the present time, I've got a high schooler, a middle schooler,  a pre-k and a toddler!  The high schooler does not use the workboxes, but easily could.  He'd have a drawer/box for each subject and his work for each would go in there.  We now use a shelf for his books, a paper tray for a folder which contains any worksheets to be done for the week on the left and completed and needing filing on the right.  That gets placed back in the tray at the end each day.  He puts any new work needing to be corrected on top of his folder.  I take a look at the end of the day.  Some things I just need to see that they're done, but others, like math, I need to correct.  I will mark the ones I only need to see and put them in the filing side of the folder. The papers needing checking and grading, I put in a separate tray and correct as  get a chance.  Any work needing fixing goes back in the to be completed side!

 I use the tray for the middle school child too.  Her books are kept on a shelf as well, where do the workboxes come in?  Each subject that can go in a box does.  BUT.. we don't have 12, so I combine both geographies into one box. We are currently using My Father's World ECC (Exploring Countries and Cultures).  We have gone back and forth with using and not using the boxes.  I've decided tomorrow I'm making copies, if I can, for the rest of this school year.  I have plenty of file folders, one for each week.  The copies will go in there and I can just plop them into the boxes. This is how you're supposed to do it, but I've gotten behind on that!  Sometimes you just need to take a little break!  GET REFRESHED! Then .. full steam ahead!  :)
This picture shows a good view of our workboxes over there in the corner, one is pulled out and in use!! In this picture are our little's making their own Creation books.  Also seen is a picture of Jojo's workbox chart where the numbers from each completed box go.  We had only just begun here, so only one box was completed ( the last one - a puzzle)

Pre-K - Yes, we use them the way you would.  He has drawers too. Although we now have the space to give him the regular way.  Why don't we then? Well, mainly because of our Teeny Tot.  She is only two and even having her own, seeing his she wants what he does.  So, the drawers are  nice because you can't see inside of them.  I've created a literacy/writing center and a math/science center with the boxes and shelves though.  This way they have activities they can do all day and then the workboxes are "school work".  I have three for Teeny.  I need to make her chart for her...hopefully this weekend!  Lots of plans this weekend!!!
In this picture you can also see J's chart for putting his numbers that he's completed on.  He likes this part too!! In addition to the numbers I added cards that are on there for him to visit the art area ( try to have a separate art activity out each day), science center, math center and a new one starfall.com.  I can't remember where I found these,but I need to revisit.  I have it someplace!! This is box (drawer) #1.

This is box 3. This is a handwriting/coloring page.  He traces the word and colors the picture - he likes doing this, worksheets are not my favorite thing, but dinos seem to be fun no matter what you do!!!  He has had days he just traces, other days just colors and still others he's done both. Box 2 had a gluing activity.


What I placed inside boxes 1, 3 and 4 are here pictured just to see an idea of somethings to put in preschool boxes, they would also work well for kindergarten.  Box 1 was a My First Book of Bible stories bible book, a Bible time line for children and pages I wrote Day's 1-6 on.. he created his own Creation book.  The fourth picture above is him working, but if you look behind him to the right you can see our work boxes.  The ones with red are his.  Up above his are our Abby's - the middle schooler. Abover her boxes, Nick has three for storage of personal items he doesn't want touched by the littles. Teeny Tot's boxes are down next to Joey's to the right of his.  I don't have hers marked yet though, so she doesn't realize they are hers.  Box number four to the left of Joey has dinosaur stamps, ink and a grid to stamp on.

I hope this is helpful for anyone wanting to know more about workboxes!  Feel free to leave a comment! I try to check my blog everyday, if not,  at least twice a week or more!