Workboxes for the older child

Cyan - who is currently 10 - also uses the workboxes just like Logan and just like Logan, they have been very successful with helping her be more independent with her work.  I wanted to show an example of a typical day.  Her’s is a bit different due to the fact that I use an actual box curriculum and I have to break it up into workbox sized pieces.  But the concept is the same.

Cyan is working in the Science Curriculum Habitats & Homes from Winter’s Promise.  This is how her workboxes look most days:

Box #1: Decorate with mom (same day as Logan got that in his first box.)

Box #2: Explode the Code book 6.  She does one lesson per session. 

Box #3: An observation page from her curriculum.  It requires her to find information in the unit reading and write it down under the questions.  Because this requires quite a bit of work, I only put one sheet in the box along with a clip board and anything she would need to complete the work.

Box #4: One Small Square: Swamp.  One of her reading books for her curriculum.  She reads 3 - 4 heavy word pages each day.

Box #5: A logic worksheet.  This one is from “Think-a-Minutes”.

Box #6: Zoobooks: Ducks, Geese & Swans.  She reads this and does the activities in the small book.

Box #7: More required reading for her curriculum.  It tells which pages to read with which lessons.

Box #8: A recipe to make.  Today it was gingerbread cake. 

Box #9: Take a look at flamingoes!  His is an information page that goes with one or two worksheets.  This is all directly out of the curriculum.  I copy it so I can keep it for my other children.  I also put her finished pages into her Animal Science Notebook. 

Box #10: A division review worksheet.  This is easy to her now, but I have her do as many as she can in 10 minutes. 

Box #11: Write a letter.  Today she wrote to her friend Abbie who is at her grandmas for 10 days while her mama goes to meet her newest niece.

Box #12: Math 4 from Teaching Textbooks.  She does two lessons per day right now.  As it gets harder she will slow down to one, but this early in the year it is review and she can move super quick.

And that’s one day!  We get a ton done in a short amount of time with the workbox system.  She usually is done with all of this work in 3 - 4 hours and is able to have time for creative pursuits (of which she has MANY).  Today she made a house for her Littlest Pet Shop animals out of cardboard, complete with a fence, pumpkins, and a street lamp.  She gets to be a kid most of the day and still gets a ton of learning done.  I consider her having free time to be amazingly important so if the day seems to be long or she stops enjoying school then I adjust, but this is what works for now.

Other things I add on a regular basis:

Knitting work

Art supplies

Coloring books (Usually from Dover)

Wet on wet painting supplies

Blank postcards & coloring supplies

Games

Logic puzzles

Needle felting supplies

Cursive writing practice

Copywork: Prayers, poems, or quotes

My camera to take pictures of a field trip

field trip notes and pictures to write about

journal

current interest activity

post it with a webpage like BrainPop or National Geographic Kids