HFClassicalAcademy Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Well, workboxes sound fantastic and all...but I don't like that you have to fill them every day. I am looking more for a weekly system. I also don't want to put books and things into plastic bins (and I hate to have all that plastic around...I'm trying to really get away from it and replace what we have with pretty boxes). I have 3 kids I need to organize things for. Anyone figure out a way to do this without utilizing the workbox method?? I have enough space in terms of bookshelves, but I feel like I'm coming to a blank with this. Thanks, Liz in NC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I'm with you on this...have you seen this thread? http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113346 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in OK Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I am formally schooling three of my four. Each of them has a shelf on a tall bookcase. The youngest has a small space too for puzzles, crayons, construction paper, etc. The girls keep their school books and a box for pencils, pens, markers, etc. on their shelf. They are responsible for having things kept neat, know where things are, and have the necessary items for getting their work done (i.e. a pencil). Each of the girls has a 3-ring binder. It has dividers for assignment pages, completed book reports, and other available tabs because I haven't figured out what else they can put in there. LOL But the most important thing is the assignment pages. It's something I put together in Excel and has a space for each day (along the top) and each subject that they do independently (down the side). On Sunday afternoons I sit down and fill in the week's lessons. Then they know that when it's time for school after we eat lunch, they get their binder, find the week's assignment page, and get started. If they ask, "What am I supposed to do today?" all I have to say is, "Look in your binder." When they complete something they mark it off (checkmark, big X through the box, pretty pictures....lol...they each have their own way). For things we all do together (Bible, history, science, etc) I have a weekly assignment page that I hang up on the bulletin board. It's more for me to have up so I know what to prepare for the week or next day. But of course the kids can look up there and see what we'll be doing that morning/week. These pages I fill out when I do my yearly planning so I can prepare with putting library books on hold, gathering supplies, and know when we'll be finished with each book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in the Country Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) I'm still not entirely sure I "get" what workboxes are so what I say next may not help you if I am just totally off base. To organize our day's work I print out an assignment sheet in Homeschool Tracker for my two kids who are school-age, and we check things off as we accomplish them. They each have a "shelf" for their books and workbooks ( a link to what we use). I label spiral bound notebooks with subjects and my dd writes the answers to her assignments in these so I can check her work from day to day in her notebook without worrying about loose papers. I have a separate shelf with my Teacher's Manuals for when I need those. Without a program like HST you could just write up assignment sheets or put assignments on Post-Its inside the books. We also have a loose, informal subject order for what works for us. That's not written down anywhere but it doesn't change from day to day so it's easy to remember. Is that the purpose of the workbox? Just to organize the day's work? Does my bookshelf count as a workbox? I'm really confused. Edited July 9, 2009 by Shelly in the Country Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 Shelley in the Country-not to be a thread stealer-I was so surprised to see you use Suffer Little Children and Show Me Thy Ways-you never hear of anyone using these and they are so good, aren't they? I have Suffer Little Children. Anyway, just wanted to give a shout-out to another Hoeksema user! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muffinmom Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 I'm still not entirely sure I "get" what workboxes are so what I say next may not help you if I am just totally off base. To organize our day's work I print out an assignment sheet in Homeschool Tracker for my two kids and we check things off as we accomplish them. They each have a "shelf" for their books and workbooks ( a link to what we use). I label spiral bound notebooks with subjects and my dd writes the answers to her assignments in these so I can check her work from day to day in her notebook without worrying about loose papers. I have a separate shelf with my Teacher's Manuals for when I need those. Without a program like HST you could just write up assignment sheets or put assignments on Post-Its inside the books. We also have a loose, informal subject order for what works for us. That's not written down anywhere but it doesn't change from day to day so it's easy to remember. Is that the purpose of the workbox? Just to organize the day's work? Does my bookshelf count as a workbox? I'm really confused. I know...workboxes seem like a lot of work to me. I want to have a shelf for each subject. Then I want a shelf just for my son's workbooks/notebooks, etc....the ones that he is responsible for...he needs to keep up with those, put them away on his shelf when he's finished. If he needs to get something from the subject shelves (these would include read-alouds, reference books, etc.) to complete an assignment, then he would go there (or I could pull it out for him). Still trying to work out just what would be best for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in the Country Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 HappyGrace, I love the Suffer Little Children/Show Me Thy Ways series! You are the first person I've run into who uses it too! (Other than the one person who posted about it on the old boards here years ago....the reason I looked into it in the first place.) Hijack over, back to your regularly scheduled, scheduling tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 If it makes you feel any better, I've never used a workbox with my dd's. I had one for my ds when he was in K. Each of my dd has a shelf with all their school books on it. Each dc has their own coloured pencils, and I have a shelf for art supplies. I write out a list of what they have to do for school and it gets checked off as they do it. I'm very much a do what comes next homeschooler. I spend an inordinate amount of time choosing curricula, but am not someone who sits and plans out lessons, either. How has it worked? Well, overall. Right now, my dd's use notebooks for their work, but to save money, etc, I'm going to have them use binders with looseleaf paper next year. The first year we homeschooled, I put all their work in binders and labeled them with the year to keep in case I was ever asked to show that we'd done our work, but since then I've just kept any work or workbooks in boxes in the attic since I live in a state with accountability requirements (but it's rare to be asked to show all their work.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) At our house, we stay organized this way: each DS has a weekly schedule and a plastic stackable crate with the week's worth of books/supplies/spiral bound notebooks/etc. in it. Books used less frequently, kits not currently in use, teacher manuals, etc. are kept out of sight in the cupboard portion of the hall bookcase. The 2 plastic crates are stackable and are stored in the laundry room when not in use. If you prefer pretty boxes to plastic crates, how about sturdy, stackable cardboard storage boxes that you cover with wallpaper or fancy wrapping paper, and change it every so often? One box per child, plus one box for all the joint supplies -- colored pencils, markers, extra pens/pencils, pencil sharpener, stickers, art supplies, science kits/supplies, etc. BEST of luck finding what works for you! Warmly, Lori D. Edited July 10, 2009 by Lori D. added info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melabella Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 They have a weekly assignment sheet at the front and then a divider for "reference" (Latin vocabulary and chants, multiplication table, conversion charts, poems they are memorizing exc.) and then one for each day of the week. Every worksheet they will need goes into those notebooks. I have the bindings cut off of handwriting books and spelling books and anything else like that. Once the bindings are off I have the pages 3- hole drilled and keep them in binders. I include notebooking history pages, Latin, everything I can think of pretty much. Every Friday afternoon (or Sunday night or Monday morning..... :001_huh: ) I clean out the binders, file the papers I want to keep into archive binders, toss the rest, and re-fill the binder for the next week. Wow! This is exactly what I need to do. Exactly!!! Thank you so much for posting this because you just made everything so clear for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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