Family Workboxes for Young Children: Part 3

(continued from earlier post)

Workbox 2 contains a Bible, scripture memory box, and lyrics to a hymn. In addition, we sometimes add a character building story or a Bible storybook. These items are always in the workbox, so I just take it from the “completed bin” and put it back on the shelf for the next day. 4 days per week, 20 minutes

Next, we hit Workbox 3: Math, our most difficult subject. We love the RightStart math program but it requires me to work for 20 min. with each student. This workbox also includes a file folder game and worksheet for one child while I teach the sibling. After 20 min (set a timer on this or you can go over!) we swap.

Charlotte Mason said, “A change is as good as a break.” I find it helpful to choose a topic other than math for the file folder game and worksheet so that when they come to their math lesson, they are rested and ready to exercise that part of their brain. It takes some effort on my part to make sure these activities are not busy work. I have a good geography workbook for my 2^nd grader and Kumon workbooks for my 1^st grader. 4 days per week 40 minutes

Seventy minutes of school in a row is a lot, even if it is enjoyable. Now we take a break. Workbox 4 can contain ingredients for a snack or just a note telling the snack of the day. Snack, 4 days per week, 15 minutes

The baby works on a sorting activity while big brother does a craft.
In the cage is a frog that hopped into our house this morning.

Follow up the break with Workbox 5: Reading, which contains an easy read book at each child's level along with a picture book I'll read to them. The first child plays StarFall.com while the second child reads his book to me then I read to him (20 minutes). Then we switch-- first child reads with me while the second child plays Starfall.com (another 20 minutes). 4 days per week 40 minutes


The contents of Workbox 6 is determined by a schedule for each week. Monday: Art appreciation, Tuesday: Music appreciation, Thursday: Hymn study, Friday: New Testament Greek. I try to find a living book to go with the topic of the day or maybe just a fun worksheet/coloring page. We follow up with review throughout the week. For Hymn study and Music appreciation, we listen to the selections in the car. The art piece is displayed in the bookshelf and sometimes I’ll ask a child to go look at it for a time and make observations. The Greek alphabet is reviewed in a few minutes per week with flashcards and matching games. 1 day per week,  20 minutes

Workbox 7: Spanish is the last subject we work on as a family. We use La Clase Divertida along with some supplemental books. 4 days per week, 20 minutes

The rest of the subjects are mixed up throughout the week on a schedule. Science and history are optional for my 2 and 5 year old boys but required for my 7 year old.

At this point in the morning, my toddler is feeling neglected even though he is welcome to join our studies. While my older two children are working 
Workbox 8, copy work or special household projects (“How can I help, Mama?”), I play a game or read a story to the little guy. 4 days per week 20 minutes

By now, we have covered a lot of material for the day and hopefully everyone is feeling cheerful and ready to do more! (this leads me to a post on wisdom I have gathered from others on attitudes and children :-)

If the 5 yr. old chooses to hang around for grammar, history and science, wonderful! Otherwise, he is free to go play nicely with this little brother.

From about 11:30-11:50, my 2^nd grader works with me on Workbox 9: Grammar (Monday/Thursday) or Handwriting (Tuesday/ Friday) using Linking Blocks. 4 days per week

Workbox 10: History or Science, depending on the day. Each gets 2 days per week. For follow up on other days, we listen to his history lesson on CD in the car on the way home from soccer practice or learn more about the science lesson during literature time with a living book on the topic. 4 days per week, 20 minutes

Making a Roman standard for Story of the World Volume 2

At this time, they are free to play outside until 4pm when we clean up the house for Papa to come home and prepare for evening outings. Most of their play time is outdoors, but depending on the weather they can play inside as well. Hopefully the toddler will take a nap, but you know how that goes…

Workbox 11: Music practice must be done in the evenings so that my husband can watch the two little guys while I teach my oldest son violin. 

Workbox 12: PE is actually a “workbag” that contains the items needed for PE that day: bathing suit, cleats, etc. It is also done in the evening with sports practice and swimming at the YMCA.

Family Workboxes for Young Children: Part 2

The 2^nd step  in creating a successful learning environment was to read about Sue Patrick’s Workbox System. I went over and over the idea in my head and couldn’t figure out how to make it work with a Charlotte Mason style education and children who cannot yet read well. My solution is a Family Workbox System. We have one set of boxes and work through them together. Sometimes we work on a lesson together and sometimes there are two sets of materials in the box like copywork for one and a math lesson for the other. Regardless, all materials for that time period are included.

Which brings me to the 3^rd step—organization. I bought a shelf for $20 and use it to store books and manipulatives that we are working with this semester. Math books, file folder games, glue, crayons, even current library books. When it is time to prepare for the next day’s lessons, everything should be right there, ready to be placed in a workbox.

We start our school day with morning chore charts. These are in a page protector and paired with a dry erase marker. At first the kids checked off jobs as completed but since the lists are short, they now know what to do and only needed to read over the list to make sure nothing was forgotten. I have two for each child for alternating days of the week. This keeps them from arguing about who gets to fill the cat's water bowl or the dog's water bowl and if they have to put away clothes or dishes.

Today's special kit is a shape pattern puzzle.

Hopefully they have already completed everything but as they look over the list, they have a chance to catch up on work that they missed. Anyone who is already done with morning chores at 8am gets to work on the special kit included in the Workbox 1. I try to mix it up and surprise them—pattern blocks, magnets, holiday craft, a new Kindle App, maps. Something to help them have fun learning.