Amy loves Bud Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Seriously, I've looked at the threads and clicked on some of the links to pictures of how people have set them up. It just looks like a whole lot of unnecessary work pulling all the work every. single. day. My kids have a couple of shelves with all their school stuff on them, and when I tell them to do math, they pull it off the shelf. Am I missing something here? I love organizing as much as the next homeschooling mom, but why the extra steps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pip Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Yes, I agree with you, to a point. However, for some people this is a good way to organize. We all have our methods. I am going to try it. I am not a good list maker, lesson planner, whatever (boy, I sound like mess). I think it just depends on your house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenniferB Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 It depends on the type of kids you have. If you have kids who will take their work from the shelf, open it to the page they need to work in, do the work, and put it away and move onto the next thing without prompting, then of course you would not need this system. For us, most of my children are fairly young. A shelf full of books, workbooks, binders, and activities is overwhelming visually, but a box with one activity in it is easy to visually process. The one activity per box is really helpful in keeping my kids busy while I'm working with another kid or working on the computer. I am a work at home mom, and soooo super busy that I can't take up all my time keeping my kids on task. The workboxes do that for me. I've been using it for 3 weeks now, and it's AWESOME! My kids do more work than ever. I have them do 3 boxes then take a break. I let them break for a while, and if they start to get into it with each other, "back to the boxes". It keeps them busy while I work, and while my oldest does her schooling. I have yet to see how this will work with a full fall load of school, but so far for the summer, it's heaven. However, the work to set them up is definitely an investment of time. I've gotten it pretty organized so that I can set up 48 boxes in about 1/2 hour. It's worth the time investment in our home. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Seriously, I've looked at the threads and clicked on some of the links to pictures of how people have set them up. It just looks like a whole lot of unnecessary work pulling all the work every. single. day. My kids have a couple of shelves with all their school stuff on them, and when I tell them to do math, they pull it off the shelf. Am I missing something here? I love organizing as much as the next homeschooling mom, but why the extra steps? I know what you mean about the extra work. In my case this would never work because I would fall behind on having the work ready to go in the drawers or boxes or whatever is being used. My dc might like it, but I would have to do some major tweakingto make it work for me and then it wouldn't be "workboxes" anymore. :) I do think it could be a great system for some, but I know myself and I know that I wouldn't be able to keep up with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 You're not the only one. I love organizing as much as the next person, LOL, but they seem like a lot of extra work! Of course, I create a weekly schedule for each child in Excel which is easy for me, but others think is too much work. To each their own, I guess. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jujsky Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 It IS more work, but that's been good for our family. The system has really helped me stay organized for the sake of my kids. Instead of looking at the work we need to do that day, it really forces me to look at the whole week. It also helps me add extra things that we never seem to have time to do. The original purpose was to help kids who need more of a visual. My son would ask from the moment we cracked the first book, "Are we almost done? When are we going to be done? What do I have to do next? I don't want to do that" and on, and on, and on. Having the workboxes has cut down on that A LOT! Now the kids check their boxes every morning before they start. They know what's coming next. They can actually see how much work they have left. If they have something that is going to be difficult, I try to follow it up with something fun. It really has been a ton of work for me -- I won't lie to you or try to sugar-coat it. I'm spending several hours more/week in planning and filling the boxes. I spend a ton of time creating file folder games. Even though it's a lot more work for me, the kids' stress level during school has decreased, and their interest has increased, so I find the extra work it puts on my shoulders well worth the effort. I'm not trying to sell you on it or anything. I don't think there is any one-size-fits-all system, but this one has been working well for our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 :iagree: They seem to suit kids who are visual, who like to see what is next, that there is a fun xyz after abc, and I imagine it suits parents who can spare the time or brain power in the evening better than the day. Probably really handy for those with lots of kids who are looking to streamline the school day a bit better. But I understand what you're saying. We're not doing workboxes simply because my dd is going into 5th grade, and I'm keeping my eye on the long term goal: independant work. She works well with a hand written schedule and we're working on lessoning the reminders for independant work periods. To go to a workbox system would be a step backwards for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyingmommy Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I am attracted to work boxes because I have been told by several people that they no longer get the "how much more do I have to do?" type of questions. I'd be willing to try almost anything to eliminate those! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Seriously, I've looked at the threads and clicked on some of the links to pictures of how people have set them up. It just looks like a whole lot of unnecessary work pulling all the work every. single. day. My kids have a couple of shelves with all their school stuff on them, and when I tell them to do math, they pull it off the shelf. Am I missing something here? I love organizing as much as the next homeschooling mom, but why the extra steps? :iagree:B U T, when DH asked me to start including more in our day many my reasons/excuses for not being able to stay on schedule and get things done in a timely manner were things that haveing a workbox system could potentially resolved. Lost books, workbooks, readers, Lost pencils Not enough sharpened pencils missing supplies kids working at different paces but waiting for me to tell them what's next That's why workboxes appeal to me. I'm really hoping that the organization, visual/kinesthetic schedule, and momentum of the process will help eliminate kids wandering off while I'm working with one of the other 4 kids in our homeschool. AND that their attention will be more focused on getting their work done rather than day dreaming while I'm doing a one on one with another of my babies, or if the doorbell rings... I'm also hoping that it will help reduce my daily stress in the classroom. I sometimes feel like I'm pushing a 5 wheeled grocery cart with each wheel going in another direction. Hopefully school can go on in a productive manner even when I'm feeling burned out. I opted for using a 7-drawer sterilite cart, $20 @ Walmart. Still getting it all set up. Praying that this works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Seriously, I've looked at the threads and clicked on some of the links to pictures of how people have set them up. It just looks like a whole lot of unnecessary work pulling all the work every. single. day. My kids have a couple of shelves with all their school stuff on them, and when I tell them to do math, they pull it off the shelf. Am I missing something here? I love organizing as much as the next homeschooling mom, but why the extra steps? You're not alone. I don't really get it, either. I do have those plastic-carts with the drawers next to each child's desk, for storing their textbooks, binders, materials, etc. And I do use magazine files to keep floppy things all together (i.e., NOEO Science TM and Science Kits). But my kids use planners to know what they need to work on and when. It would drive me completely bonkers to try to sort everything out in a numbered order and then don't you still need to have something written to tell them how long/how many pages/chapters/whatever they need to spend on a given subject? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 That system would never work for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I agree! Daily sorting the work into boxes would mean we'd NEVER get anything done. I file all of our work into weekly file folders before school starts. Then I just pull each week on Monday and sort the work into pocket dividers in their notebooks. Our goals is to finish everything in the notebook by Friday, or they are stuck doing school on the weekend. Typically, they know how much is required in each subject for each day in order to finish by the weekend. They also have the option to do whatever they want each day, as long as it is all done in time. Way less work for me and we get everything done in plenty of time for summer. As it works for us, the only subjects we get behind on are the ones that I reserve for us to do together as a group. It's me getting us behind, not the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I only have 2 kids and when we started K work the youngest would sit and watch tv and play with toys and then we were done. I don't have 8 kids in varying ages to entertain while trying to school other kids. So workboxes do not make sense to me. I see it as an organization method that doesn't call to me. It does seem like work. I see some benefits...like the grammar games we have but never play might get thrown in the mix, lol. But for me personally it seems like too much work. My kids are close in age and we do school together and I don't need to get one to go away with instructions on how to stay busy while I need one on one time...they just get that. But if I had more kids who knows what I might try! And for those with one...maybe they just like organizing. I agree with you. For me it would be more work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicole M Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 My children are too old for workboxes, though I did peek at a couple threads, out of curiosity. I have to tell you it wasn't the work part that put me off, it was the aesthetics. I am way, way, way too A.R. about plastic in my home (as in, I don't like it) to be able to use this system. Okay, if Martha Stewart came up with products, yes. But I can see that I would spend so much time obsessing over beautiful boxes and the right font and illustrations for the various subjects and all that, I'd never get to the actual content. In fact, just thinking about it, I think I need a Mike's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I am way, way, way too A.R. about plastic in my home (as in, I don't like it) to be able to use this system. :lol: I do get this! I have plastic storage drawers, because they were the most economical option, but for certain one reason I don't want a 12-drawer tower or a nine-box plastic bin system or whatever is that it's really just kinda ugly in my eyes. :blushing: Especially if we were talking a system for each kid! That's just way too much plastic for my eyes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I considered it for us. The idea appeals, but I realised that there is no way I'd actually get around to refilling the drawers each day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I really admire the kind of person who could pull these off (I think) but it aint me babe, oh no no it ain't me babe...:D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I really admire the kind of person who could pull these off (I think) but it aint me babe, oh no no it ain't me babe...:D Bill Leave it to you to throw in Bob Dylan lyrics in a thread about workboxes. :p :D hehe ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Leave it to you to throw in Bob Dylan lyrics in a thread about workboxes. :p :D hehe ;) It's sad to say but I do a pretty mean Bob Dylan. Hey, I like his voice :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 It's sad to say but I do a pretty mean Bob Dylan. Hey, I like his voice :D Bill hehehehe Dylan's awesome! I have Knockin on Heaven's Door in my playlist on Youtube. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I linked to "Every Grain of Sand" on your favorite praise music thread. Do you know that one? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I linked to "Every Grain of Sand" on your favorite praise music thread. Do you know that one? Bill I didn't know that one til I saw your link. It was beautiful. :) Thx. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I didn't know that one til I saw your link. It was beautiful. :) Thx. :) It's pretty obscure. But one of Dylan's most beautiful and spiritually moving songs IMO. I'm glad you liked it. So what do you think about work-boxes? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 It's pretty obscure. But one of Dylan's most beautiful and spiritually moving songs IMO. I'm glad you liked it. I did. :) So what do you think about work-boxes? :D hehe. I know right? Ugh, I should have made my screen name "Thread killer" instead of Ibby girl. I seem to have that effect. Sorry OP about the slight hijack. And for the record, I'm not altogether certain of what a work box even is, which is why I clicked the thread in the first place. I was hoping to learn, who knew I'd see Dylan lyrics. :) hehe So in answer to your question, my answer is "I don't know" hehe :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 My DS can't keep up with his assignment sheet to save his life and gets very overwhelmed by a full sheet of assignments. The workboxes are a very visual sign of the work getting done throughout the day. Watching the boxes "disappear" is a very satisfying and motivating feeling. (This is why we're using the actual boxes, rather than other variations of the method.) They worked wonderfully well for us at the end of the year! If what you are doing is working for you, there's no reason to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I hate crafts. Workboxes sound like one big neverending craft to me. All the gathering and shuffling and labeling....gak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 We used workboxes this spring till the end of the year. It definitely helped my older ds. It was work for me and I definitely got burnt out on it. However,it did push me to plan details I might otherwise have not bothered planning. On the flip side, I think both dc got bored with it too. So, for the fall I am trying to decide how/if I will use them. I am considering two possibilities because I just don't think I want to do it EVERY school day all year. I may have one or two days a week that are workbox days. Or I may just plan to only use them when our school needs some freshening up now and then. Woolybear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woolybear Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 I have seen this done different ways. I think it is possible to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Baskets, perhaps? Anyway, ds (8yo) who has often not liked school for one reason or another said about workboxes "School has never been this much for fun or this easy." So that is motivating for me.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 For me, it's not really extra steps. When my kids turn in their work to me, I correct it and stack it up. I used to return it to their drawer (or leave it on the kitchen table for them the next am). Now I return it to a "tutoring time" drawer in our "workboxes." After we go over their stuff the next morning, I let my kids put it in their drawers! My kids were already deciding what order to do things in, and this is just a way for them to structure their own schedule--it's really just a 3-D schedule. I could decide it if they were younger, they can decide it now. I think it's less work than making up assignment sheets for them. And if they don't have to turn something in (like a reader), they just return it to their drawer--no harder than returning it to a shelf. I don't do the "full" system--I don't really do "centers" with my kids (maybe I'll feel creative next fall!) and I'm more apt to put "free" with a snack in a drawer than something educational (I did try some short little educational type "fun" things the first week or two, but my kids just viewed them as extra work rather than motivators, LOL!). Maybe the "fun" things work better with the younger crowd, or if you are doing them instead of their LA workbook, for example, LOL! We already had a pretty good routine to our day, so that didn't change much. What HAS changed for us because of workboxes: 1, no more lost books! Every day they either return them to their workboxes (Bibles, readers etc...) or turn them in (math etc...). 2, I have to grade daily! I needed this accountability, sometimes I skipped a day. Can't do that now (well, I COULD but don't want to & this makes it more obvious to me), because the books are in my in-box, waiting to be graded & then loaded back into drawers. 3, I have to think about the next day a bit--I think our day has a slightly better flow & I'm slightly better prepared--not so much "winging" it. 4, we are less likely to look at the clock and say, "that's enough for today." If we need a shorter day, I am more likely to plan for it the night before now--and otherwise, we just do the boxes, and no one wonders what we'll do. 5, it was the impetus to finally create an actual box for them to turn their work into. Such a simple thing, but a great little improvement! Merry :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlmullen Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 What attracted me to it was the idea that we can work in all those things we WANT to use, but somehow forget, like specific craft activities or library books on a subject we're studying. (I tend to clean out the section when we're studying a particular topic.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverfront Headmistress Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I hate crafts. Workboxes sound like one big neverending craft to me. All the gathering and shuffling and labeling....gak. Yes! This is my thought as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I think that if they help folks get the work done they are a great thing. They are probably one of those methods that work really well for some but others just wouldn't relate. Personally, I'm in the 'wouldn't relate' category. That is probably because my children are older and know what they need to do based on a chart I keep. The chart is probably the 'evolved for older students' workbox system. When mine were younger I think I did something very similar to workboxes yet without as many boxes. To do it now with my kids as old as they are wouldn't be very helpful and since I'm in my minimalist phase (lol), the boxes I'd need for two kids would create serious internal conflict requiring LOTS of chocolate. Hummm...chocolate..maybe I need to rethink those boxes afterall. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tohru Posted July 4, 2009 Share Posted July 4, 2009 We absolutely love the workbox system. It is not only for younger children. My 12yo has been an independent learner for several years now. I am very organized and love structure (previous accountant-lol). My 12yo ds, on the other hand, leans towards my dh's artistic temperment. Before finding the workbox love, I would write up a schedule and lesson plan for him with all the assignments for the week. He'd check off the assignments in the planner, but it was always a struggle for him to actually get done with everything. Now he finishes all his work, plus does extra stuff that I toss in there. It is so much easier for both of us. He loves being able to see the work decrease, we've added lots more fun stuff we never had time to do before, and I like it how it forces me to stay on top of everything. After the first day he was hooked. One day I didn't put anything in his boxes, he was pretty upset that we were taking the day off. The work is exactly the same as before, but for some reason seeing it decrease, having all the supplies to do each assignment on hand, and getting to do those fun things has him super-motivated. My friend has a 14yo ds, 11yo ds, and 2yo dd and they love their workboxes too. She's the one that got me hooked because I thought it was ridiculous before too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkgumby Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I'm on the "love them" side of the fence. :D I don't consider them "crafty" at all, other than maybe the initial setup where I made labels and laminated cards. All optional, as far as I'm concerned. The way I view Workboxes is that they are a visual planner. Instead of writing out the day for my kids (and me!), it just goes into boxes (in my case - Sterilite 12" drawers - but those of you that hate plastic could easily find a wooden alternative). I am easily distracted and also get fatigued, so this is perfect for me. I can set them up the night before, and it's ready to go in the morning. It's a visual reminder to plan ahead, which I'm not always good at doing. As many people have said, it has completely eliminated the constant questions about "When will we be done today?" :001_smile: It helps keep us from getting derailed during the day, and it does help us fit in those extras that otherwise are easy to put off. Just like homeschooling, though, I don't think this is for everyone . . . but I'm very glad I have them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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