Workbox users...how many drawers?

[diaperjoys]

I'd like to give the workbox system a go! I've enjoyed browsing the different discussions on the forum & various blog links. I'm wondering if those using the drawer system can quickly chime in and help me with these two things... (This year we have 1st grade, K, & PreK)

 

 

1. How many drawers do you actually use? (vs. how many you anticipated and purchased when you first started out...) Is 7 drawers a realistic number??

 

2. What brand/size drawers did you purchase, and where did you purchase them?

 

Thank you so much!

Edited August 26, 2009 by diaperjoys

[my2boysteacher]

I have 6 drawers for each child, one drawer for each of the following:

Math workbook, Grammar workbook, writing notebook, Geography workbook, history binder/science binder (these alternate), and art project/music instrument-recorder (also alternate).

 

I use Sterlite 3-drawer mini organizers. Each drawer is appox 8 1/2 by 11 inches. I found them at T*rget for around $8.00 each.

[woolybear]

I think 7 for a first grader or younger should be fine, but it really depends on how many subjects/activities you want to include in your school time. This year I plan to do it a little differently than last year. I think I will have about 3-5 shared boxes and then 3-4 individual boxes.

 

Woolybear

[christielee7278]

I have 12 set up for my boys but I'm finding that my k'ner consistently needs at least 6. We have separate cards for history and science (no boxes) though since we do them together.

 

I don't have a lot of space here so I use a hanging file box and hanging files for our workboxes. Each has two expanded file folders for bulkier items. I will probably use those Sterlite three drawer organizers for my youngest boys when they are ready so I can fit all their daily art projects in one drawer. I plan on getting the big 12x12 ones. Probably two each so they would have six drawers each to start. I can easily fill 10-12 or so files in my 6th grader's workbox.

[Samiam]

My 6th grader has 12...but three of those are not really "school", but add-ins, the fun things that keep him motivated to move to the next box, type thing.

 

My 1st grader has 10, but again 3-4 are not "school" but little fun things.

 

I think alot of people who have not read the actual book miss some of the more subtle points of the workbox system. First, the author talks about breaking up the work into smaller chunks. For example, if the math program includes flashcard work, and a worksheet, put these into seperate boxes. Same with phonics. Maybe you do a phonics flashcard, practice reading a small book, and then a worksheet.....all seperate boxes, and they don't even have to be consecutive boxes.

 

The other subtle point was to include the fun things that often get pushed aside to "get through" the school work. With three children, this was often us. Now, because I put into into workboxes, the fun things are getting done as well. Fun things can be as simple as a little snack, ie granola bar, or 30 minutes on the computer, or painting at the easel, or 30 minutes with Legos.

 

So my point is, if you think you would only need six boxes for actual schoolwork, consider having a few more to add in the extra's or seperating the work into smaller chunks.

 

hth

K

[Samiam]

Oh, one more thing, I wanted to plan in advance, as I wanted everything to match (quirk of mine :). So I bought rolling carts from Office Depot. Each one has 10 drawers. I knew I wanted 12 for DS11, so I use two bins on top of the cart. I knew DS6 wouldn't always need 10, but eventually he will, and eventually even 12. I also bought a cart for DS3, because I know he likes to do his "me too school", so he has his own drawers, but also because it will only be a couple more years before he has legit schoolwork and now he has his drawers all ready and waiting for him. I won't really need to buy more drawers for the long haul or worry about what I have now no longer being sold, in stock, etc.

 

Another subtle hint in the actual book talks about early training in the system for the younger siblings, which makes the transition that much easier when it's time for real schooling to start. So DS3 is already practicing his workbox system, moving the box numbers to the matching spot on his wall chart (ie find the match).

[kim.4dogs]

I just bought three rolling carts from Office Depot, too. (Maybe the same ones.) I felt exactly the same. I wanted them all to match, I really liked the look of them, and I felt they would look fine in my dining room (our schoolroom). I bought one for my youngest child, too, because I figured I'd be all set when he was older and doing schoolwork and it would be good to get him used to them now. For now, they'll just contain fun projects to try to keep him busy while I work with his sisters.

 

Oh, one more thing, I wanted to plan in advance, as I wanted everything to match (quirk of mine :). So I bought rolling carts from Office Depot. Each one has 10 drawers. I knew I wanted 12 for DS11, so I use two bins on top of the cart. I knew DS6 wouldn't always need 10, but eventually he will, and eventually even 12. I also bought a cart for DS3, because I know he likes to do his "me too school", so he has his own drawers, but also because it will only be a couple more years before he has legit schoolwork and now he has his drawers all ready and waiting for him. I won't really need to buy more drawers for the long haul or worry about what I have now no longer being sold, in stock, etc.

 

Another subtle hint in the actual book talks about early training in the system for the younger siblings, which makes the transition that much easier when it's time for real schooling to start. So DS3 is already practicing his workbox system, moving the box numbers to the matching spot on his wall chart (ie find the match).

[MamaSheep]

My kids have 10 each, but we don't use them all every day. We've modified the system so that I don't have to empty and refill the drawers every day. Each day I just stick the drawer numbers for the items I want them to use that day on their velcro "list", and there are generally at least 2 or 3 drawers we skip on any given day. After they do the assignment in the drawer they move the number from the chart to the front of the drawer and when their chart is empty they're done-- so that's how we do the "visual" part of seeing how much is left, instead of taking the boxes off the rack.

 

My 2nd grade dd has been doing about 6 or 7 drawers per day, though, so if you're swapping out contents I would think that would be enough.

Edited August 26, 2009 by MamaSheep

[MerryAtHope]

I'd like to give the workbox system a go! I've enjoyed browsing the different discussions on the forum & various blog links. I'm wondering if those using the drawer system can quickly chime in and help me with these two things... (This year we have 1st grade, K, & PreK)

 

 

1. How many drawers do you actually use? (vs. how many you anticipated and purchased when you first started out...) Is 7 drawers a realistic number??

 

2. What brand/size drawers did you purchase, and where did you purchase them?

 

Thank you so much!

 

We use 8 drawers, which is about what I figured when I was purchasing. What I did was to sit down & figure out what things I would want in drawers (I do their independent work & their one on one with mom in drawers, but things we all do together like a read-aloud I don't put in. I know some people do though). The author recommends 6-15 drawers.

 

We bought tower-drawers from Staples. Link to pictures in my signature! They come in 6-drawer towers (and if you watch, you can get them on sale for around $20, normally they are $30. Also, if you sign up for their teacher-rewards card, you can get coupons via email and 10% back).

 

Merry :-)

[mom2denj]

I have a 12 and 3 yr old. Six boxes have been plenty! We are loving them too!!:)

[1GirlTwinBoys]

We have 12 and that is enough for us because mine do so many lessons together. You can see from my siggy that we combine several things.

[Closeacademy]

I am finishing up our 3rd week of workboxes and bloging about what I put in it and reviewing how it went each week.

 

We are using the hanging file system and each child has 12 files. It has worked really well this week. I have it set up so that the first 6 "boxes" are things we do together or with mom's help and the other 6 are things that they can do on their own.:001_smile:

[Stacia]

Originally (last spring), I used milk crates & lined up the work for the kids that way. After deciding that the 'workbox' system worked for us, we just bought a Trofast (from Ikea) bookcase w/ bins for each child.

 

Each child has a bookcase w/ 9 bins, plus a shelf at the top. (You could put 3 more bins instead of the shelf, but I like having a shelf to store extra/reference books, their pencil boxes, etc...). Nine bins seems fine for us & I just put more than one thing in a bin if I need to.

 

If you're on the workboxes yahoo group, check out all the photos there. There are a ton of ideas. (Our setup looks like the photos posted there which are titled "Christina's Ikea Workboxes".)