TOPS Lentil Science - how to organize it?

[Spryte]

Anyone else use this? How do you keep it accessible for the kiddos? Any tips on organizing it to make it more user-friendly?

 

I ordered it last year, then realized that the set up required enormous amounts of work. Plugged through it slowly, and at last - we have it all set up.

 

My kiddo (6) loves it. It's a nice supplement.

 

I'm finding that since we have it as a supplement - I often forget to pull it out. I would like to find a way to keep it more accessible for the kiddo.

 

At the moment, I have all of the pieces stored in an Ikea Trofast drawer. The "job box" is in a different location, and I think that's one stumbling block. Having all the pieces jumbled together in a drawer might be another.

 

If you've used this, would you share some organization tips?

 

Thanks!

[redsquirrel]

My friend put each exercise paperwork in an indivdual folder. She put the check list of all exercises in it's own folder. Then she found a box that held all the folders. They were labled and very easy for the kids to get one as needed. One of those boxes that hold hanging folders would also work very well.

 

She put all the bottles, jars, etc, etc, ETC into a milkcrate type box. Each item was grouped by like item. She used larg ziplock bags to keep small items together.

 

The lentils were kept in a dishpan.

 

She had a low table. On top of the table was the box with the folders and the milk crate with all the materials. I think she put the dishpan of lentils under the table. There was enough room for the table to serve as a workspace.

 

When I did lentil science I did it the same except I used an old changing table to hold the milk crate, files and lentils. It all fit perfectly. We took stuff out as we needed it and used the kitchen table as our workspace.

 

So a child will find the appropriate folder that holds the instructions etc for the exercise. The child then looks in milk crate for the necessary items for the exercise. The dishpan with the lentils gets pulled out. The child completes the exercise and fills out the paperwork as needed. The child check off the exercise in the list of exercises. The child puts the materials and the lentils away. The folder with the exercise that was used is put in the back of the pile.

 

I hope this is clear enough.

[Spryte]

That helps a lot - thanks so much!

[mom2boys030507]

I am in the final stages of setting mine up. It is an insane amount of work but the joy and learning that is happening is making it worth the effort.

 

I have each Letter Section in a Labeled box containing the supplies and all the activity cards.

 

All of the boxes are in wire basket drawers that are in the boys reach. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19876454

 

We have two of these units, one is for Lentil Science and Manipulatives and the other is for each of the boys daily school books. This has lead to my boys learning independance and responsiblities with their school supplies and books.

 

My plan is on days that are Lentil Science days I will give each of the boys their job card for the day in thier stack of books. Then when everything else is done they will go and get the supplies to complete their job card for the day. They will also be responsible for putting their supplies way when they are done.

[rafiki]

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[cschnee]

We are using TOPS LEntil Science Intermediate and I bought the set up package wehre all I have to do is tape on labels and buy lentils; not much work at all. We actually do it together as our main math curriculum from time to time and we mix up the sections.

[Spryte]

I have each Letter Section in a Labeled box containing the supplies and all the activity cards.

 

A ha! There it is! Just what I needed. Thanks. Sounds do-able for me, and more importantly, for my little guy.

 

Keeping the lentils in the job box will be a big help as well. Easier than funneling them back into 2 liter bottles each time we get them out.

 

Would the IKEA Trofast shallow drawers be big enough to be a job box? http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60094072 (Silly me, I can check the Lentil Science book myself.)

 

I love Lentil Science, and now I'm dying to know about Lentil Science Intermediate. I'll have to check out the package next time. This time around, I had a package, but it required a ton of copying and a surprising amount of set up, even with the supplies that came in the package.

 

Happy Lentiling everyone! :)

[Guest]

My friend put each exercise paperwork in an indivdual folder. She put the check list of all exercises in it's own folder. Then she found a box that held all the folders. They were labled and very easy for the kids to get one as needed. One of those boxes that hold hanging folders would also work very well.

 

She put all the bottles, jars, etc, etc, ETC into a milkcrate type box. Each item was grouped by like item. She used larg ziplock bags to keep small items together.

 

The lentils were kept in a dishpan.

 

She had a low table. On top of the table was the box with the folders and the milk crate with all the materials. I think she put the dishpan of lentils under the table. There was enough room for the table to serve as a workspace.

 

When I did lentil science I did it the same except I used an old changing table to hold the milk crate, files and lentils. It all fit perfectly. We took stuff out as we needed it and used the kitchen table as our workspace.

 

So a child will find the appropriate folder that holds the instructions etc for the exercise. The child then looks in milk crate for the necessary items for the exercise. The dishpan with the lentils gets pulled out. The child completes the exercise and fills out the paperwork as needed. The child check off the exercise in the list of exercises. The child puts the materials and the lentils away. The folder with the exercise that was used is put in the back of the pile.

 

I hope this is clear enough.

 

This is pretty much what we did. It was essential to keep everything together, and for the most part to keep it out in the open, fully visible and accessible. Otherwise it wouldn't get used. And I'm glad we did use it.

[The Bobby Soxer]

Lentil Science is awesome! The set up is not!!! LOL!

We have each section in a plastic shoebox and pull them out as needed. It works for us.

Hope you figure out what works for you! :grouphug:

[mom2boys030507]

Keeping the lentils in the job box will be a big help as well. Easier than funneling them back into 2 liter bottles each time we get them out.

 

We put all the lentil back into liter bottles. If my guys tried to move the job box with loose lentils they would be all over our house :) We also have 3 job boxes out at a time.

[woolybear]

I don't have lentil science yet. (Though I've been thinking about it or Get A Grip for well over a year now, lol.)

 

I had been thinking that one of those big plastic under the bed storage boxes might work well as the job box. I have no idea about the rest of it, because I didn't really even know there were so many separate components till reading this post.

 

The set up has definitely held me back. I'm glad to hear if I get the set up package all I have to do is put on labels and buy the lentils. Cschnee, promise that's all there is to it?:D

[Guest]

The set up has definitely held me back. I'm glad to hear if I get the set up package all I have to do is put on labels and buy the lentils. Cschnee, promise that's all there is to it?:D

 

Not cshnee,but that is pretty much about it. My dd, who was around five at the time, was able to help me do the labels. I remember it going quite quickly and not being at all a pain.

[cschnee]

So far we have worked on the dividing and search sections and all I've had to do is add labels for the pill bottles in the dividing section. Looking at the book, looks like if I hadn't bought the prepared kit, I'd be cutting pill bottles to height and doing a lot more work! In the search section, we've been fishing for pinto fish in a lake of lentils, by hand and with a net (screen). Then we talked about renewable resources...

 

BTW I purchased Get a Grip and Intermediate Lentil Science complete already prepared kits. The Get a Grip containers are included in the Int LS box, so you only have to buy the Get A Grip book, not the compete kit, if you order or already have Int LS.

Edited November 9, 2010 by cschnee