Monday 10 January 2011

Workbox Folders?

I have been a member of the Work box yahoo group for about six months. I have bought and Sue Patrick's book and spent many hours looking at everyone's systems trying to figure out how we can incorporate it into our school day. My biggest obstacle is we are currently living in a rental and just don't have room for 2 sets of 12 boxes. Here is an earlier post of what our school room looks like! I am bursting at the seams so I needed another plan. After searching thru many, many blogs I decided to try folders. I even color coded them yellow for my daughter and green for my son. Unfortunately the magazine rack that holds the folders are not the same color. That will teach me to buy items at two different stores during two different shopping trips:)













The first folder the kids work on is their calendar/copywork folder. I know they aren't the right color (I really need to be more organized in my shopping trips) . I have been reading about copy work and never really figured out a way to include it in our day but then I saw this idea a while ago (sorry can't remember what blog I saw it in):( It is a fast and simple way to include calendar time independently and includes quick copy work. This is the first folder the kids get as they both can now do it independently and it gives me a few minutes to wash the breakfast dishes or put a load of laundry in:).


The Calender and copy work folder takes less than 15 minutes and includes the following:
A calendar and a page where the kids write out the date and the code date for example 1/9/11. It is helping them to remember the month and the number of the month.




It also includes a weather graph and at the end of the month the kids construct a weather bar graph using their data. The kids are also using a Indoor Thermometer to document the temp in C and F. I have been meaning to construct a monthly C and F line chart but haven't had time. It is on my never ending to do list:)





Next they each get one copy work page to do per day. They are to write on the dotted lines first then reprint on their own. My daughter should be working on cursive by now but she isn't interested in that at the moment and to be honest she still needs to practice her printing. Since we have started I have noticed a difference in both children's printing skills, but we have work to do:).



What I love about this folder is that is that I don't have to change the papers until the end of the month. I just put enough of each paper inside and enough copy work pages and leave it there until the end of the month then I swap the papers out at the end of the month, file away and refill with new forms. Huge time saver:) and one less folder to fill every day.

I am slowly putting the other folders in order as we begin our unit on the solar system. I found a great free site for a which I have put together our Solar system unit Learning pages.com. I am having both kids complete similar topics but this site had pages geared to younger and older children so I was able to give each child individual worksheets. They have worksheets geared to math, science and language arts on this topic. We of course will not be doing only worksheets but again all the pages can be put into the folders and I only have to swap out and file at the end of the month.

In addition we are doing lots of hands on learning going to the Cambridge Observatory, making models of the solar system and the moon phrases. Last night we took the kids outside to see the International Space Center cross the sky just above the moon and Jupiter. Already my daughter is able to pick out certain constellations in the sky. I have even caught my son reading the books I have set up for our school which makes me so excited to see them excited about this topic.

I am expecting to spend at least 4 weeks on this unit more if the kids continue to be interested. I will stop when they seem to be no longer interested in space. I think I have gathered enough materials to go two months of study. My goal is the cover all of the planets at the start and then if there is still interest tackle stars, comets, asteriods and more:).

22 comments:

  1. WOW! I never realized how much work has to go into homeschooling. It sounds like you are doing a great job though and it is awesome that you can really focus things that your kids will enjoy. (Space was always one of my faviorite things to stuby, but in public school, once the unit was over, we HAD to move on.) :( Anyway, I hope everything works out. I like the different colored folder idea. I do that for myself in college and it really helps.

    AubrieAnne @ http://whosyoureditor.blogspot.com/

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  2. Hey again! Thanks for grabbing my button! Here's the link where you can get the code to the official button (the code is right below the picture)...

    http://whosyoureditor.blogspot.com/2011/01/introducing-official-wye-blog-button.html

    Let me know if you have any problems. When I redo the layout of my blog, I will make sure to have to code more available.

    PS> Sorry, I can't just place the code here. The comment box won't accept the html for some reason.

    Thanks again and I will see you around!

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  3. I love your calendar/copywork folder idea! We also use folders instead of boxes for space and cost reasons. :)

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  4. Hi Anna-Marie!
    Great post here! I wish I could say I've kept up with my workbasket/workbox schedule, but like most things I started off great and now have not kept up with it :(. I am going to have to rethink some things in our homeschool day to make things not so chaotic all the time! Glad the folder system is working for you and thanks for the link to the site! I clicked a vote for you!
    We enjoyed a snow day here today so no school and played outside and drank hot chocolate :)

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  5. We were using a very similar system last year but Ih ave finally taken the plunge and gotten us drawers for our workboxes. THey are sitting here staring at waiting to get them ready, hopefully I will post about them over the next few weeks. :)

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  6. Would you believe I have all my homeschooling things stuffed in my pantry...yeah!

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  7. Great post Anna-Marie! We have not used our workfolders since we changed curriculum. I don't know how but we have really streamlined our work. Thank you for the link, and I voted for you.

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  8. Hi Aubrie Anne I got your button on the blog:) Thanks for the help. I seem to have trouble with buttons I am still learning. I read the first part of your book and it sounds good. Can't wait till you finish writing it!

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  9. Hi Tracy,
    I am still working out the the system for work boxes it sounds like such a great system but I just don't have the space or the patience to file every night and refill boxes. I hoping to do monthly folders and see how it goes. I seem to always be revamping my system:(

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  10. LizyBeth,
    Thanks for stopping by and commenting. We are getting alot out of the calender/copywork folder. I am happy with it so far.

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  11. HI Kylie,
    the hardest part of the system is getting started:) I have stopped and started several different systems. I am hoping this one will work but who knows down the road

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  12. Hi Laughingwithusblog:
    Where do you keep your food;) Most of my stuff ends up on the floor is piles. I have a thing for piles I organize often but my piles never get smaller:)

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  13. Hi Lynda,
    Great that your new system is working out. It feels good when things go smoothly:) When I get some spare time I need to check out your new curriculum:)

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  14. Hi Anna-Marie!
    Stopping in to say Happy Tuesday to you and I voted for you :) Hope you are having a great day and I need to do something different in my school days to make them run smoother, but I just don't know where to start????? :)

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  15. Stopping in to vote for you, and I wanted to let you know I am posting about a "Paper Project" that another bloggy friend is doing for January. I am so excited about it, and I hope it helps me with my paper piling problems. Maybe it will help you too. Have a wonderful day and try to catch my post tomorrow. =)

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  16. you figured out what will work for you and that is so awesome. That is also the joy of homeschooling! Thanks for joining in the Hop!

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  17. Hi Anna-Marie!
    Happy Wednesday! Clicked a vote for you and I'm looking forward to reading Lynda's paper project post :) Papers, papers and more papers :)

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  18. I still don't get the fuss about work boxes. Maybe it's because I haven't read the book... I always have had lesson plans. That was difficult before I had Homeschool Tracker Plus. Now, HST+ does such a good job of keeping me organized, I can't imagien trying another system. Of course, Gohan is not able to work very independently, due to his learning disabilities, and the older three are all in college now, so it's not so much of an issue anymore.

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  19. Hi Anna-Marie!
    Happy Thursday and clicked a vote for you :) I hope you have a great day in school today!

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  20. Thanks Lynda, Tracy, Joy and Maureen for commenting and stopping by. We have had an extremely busy week which is why I haven't been on the blog much this week.

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  21. Hi Anna-Marie. Just reading up, from the workboxes group. The calendar folders came from: http://www.jmeacham.com/calendar/calendar.math.journals.htm

    :-) Leann

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  22. We started out with folders. It worked well, except for the boys larger textbooks/workbooks for some of their subjects. Your system looks great!!! Great JOB!!!!!

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