Fun in the Box #16...

Why just do math worksheets when you can make it a little more fun. I save every milk cap that enters this house (which is a lot because we are a milk drinking, cereal eating family of 6). There are so many things you can do with them. For this workbox I wrote the numbers 1-9 twice and placed them in a bucket. Jackson was working on 3 digit subtraction so I took a piece of notebook paper and went ahead and drew the problems with blanks. By doing this he knew how many he had to do, how many digits, and it lined them up for him. Notice the paper is turned sideways. This is a great trick I learned teaching 4th grade. The lines on the notebook paper act as guides to help them keep their numbers lined up. That alone eliminates most mistakes kids make when writing their own problems.

Jackson had to draw out 6 caps which became his problems.

I recommend telling them they have to write the numbers down as they draw them for the top but allow them to rearrange the lower numbers to make sure the bottom number is smaller than the top (another important skill!).

This is also obviously great for addition as well. We'll probably soon use it for multiplication too since that is our summer focus!

Fun in the Box #2: Yellow Collage...

I was looking on a blog (and I can't find it now!) and saw a yellow collage and thought that would be a fun thing to throw in the workbox. I am always looking for good ways to incorporate art. So, first we talked about what the word collage means and looked at some examples in an art book. Then they were given free rein to create.

Jackson decided to create a car (surprise, surprise):

Ashton created a heart (even less of a surprise):

I decided that they were having too much fun so I decided I had to join in.

What do you think of my awesome sun???

Art is always a big hit and was even more fun when Mommy participates!

A Frequently Asked Question...

Whenever I tell people that I am homeschooling the most frequently asked question is "What do you do with the twins?" Now I am going to be brave and answer that question:

I put them in a box!

OK, before you turn me in I obviously don't really put them in a box. Last year I just did what I could. I was usually running between two worlds- in the kitchen was homeschool world where I was needed to teach math and answer questions while in the living room was baby world where I was needed to change diapers and comfort boo-boos. I'll not sugar coat it:it was hard and I didn't do my best at either. I had a lot of guilt that the twins got the shaft because they didn't get as much of me as they would've if the big kids had been in school. However, I realize they also got a lot of attention from their big siblings that they wouldn't have had either.

This year I am determined to do better. I am trying to be very purposeful in my planning and implementing "Tot School". My favorite go-to blog for ideas (and where I borrowed the title Tot School from) is Carissa's wonderful blog. She has lots of great Tot Tools and Tot Books I look forward to making for the boys.

As I get this more worked out I hope to share how I organize it and implement it simultaneously with the big kids' school. For now, I have decided to use the workbox system with the twins as well. I am using the shoeboxes and shoe rack that was Jackson's last year. It is portable so I can bring it into the living room with them or bring them into the kitchen with their siblings. Currently, we are only doing 6 boxes at a time. Ideally, I'd like to alternate 6 activities every other day for a week with different crafts worked in every few days.

I'm also planning to have themes like farm week where we do crafts and read books to teach them the different animals. All this depends on me. I'm a little overwhelmed right now between planning for a 1st and 3rd grader and then 2 tots. Not to mention the house keeps having the nerve to get dirty over and over!

Oh well, at least I have a plan that doesn't involve putting anyone in a box!

Fun in the Box #1...

In trying to get creative and fun with their workboxes I pulled out some file folder games I had made when I was teaching public school. This one was a silly one that teaches subject, predicate and prepositional phrases. I just made up a bunch on my own. You pull one strip from the 3 pockets of sentence parts and end up with a silly sentence. Then they illustrate the sentence. Jackson loved this and insisted I take a picture of his creation.

This was his first sentence, "The monster ate an apple in the principal's office."

I guess it makes sense that this silly boy would like silly sentences!

His 2nd one was "The cow danced a jig at the circus."

This was an activity that I should have had a timer card in so he would only be allowed to spend so much time doing it. He kept wanting to "do just one more" and "just one more". He liked this one so much that I have used it a few more times. Having an activity he loves really motivates him to finish one he doesn't love which means I usually put this after his Saxon math or Wordly Wise, his 2 least favorite things to do!

What's in the Box Today...

I just wanted to show a few pictures of what our workboxes look like on a typical day. Almost always the white binders are in box #1. That is the kids Bible they are making from their copywork of that days Bible story. At least one box a day is a reading box. I usually try to read with them because I enjoy it and to check for understanding. You'll also see dry erase boards a lot. We use them for games, spelling practice, practice tests and drawing. I try to alternate fun boxes with less than fun boxes and long boxes with quick boxes. I tend to put more "work with mom" boxes in boxes 7-12 (after recess) because that's when the twins are typically down for a nap. We also usually do our current lapbooks in the afternoon. These are things we all 3 do together as we learn about our current science or history topic.

These are Ashton's workboxes. Some of hers are the same as Jackson's and some are different. I also try to stagger boxes where they need one-on-one time with me like Saxon math and reading. She totally rocks the workbox system and loves to finish a box and pull it off the shelf and stack it on the floor. They're supposed to do that to feel a sense of accomplishment. Jackson doesn't care to take his boxes off, but it is important to Ashton to see what she has accomplished.

Having a Kindergartner and a 2nd grader posed a challenge in that I tried to have their boxes take about the same time. Obviously, kindergartners tend to have shorter assignments, but Jackson would be very upset if she was consistently done by lunch and he wasn't. To further complicate things, Ashton is a sit down and get it done worker while Jackson gets constantly distracted. It usually works out though. Besides we do most of our last boxes together which is my favorite part. Again, I love our workboxes and how it motivates them.

Workbox System...

While blog surfing I found several blogs raving about Sue Patrick's Workbox System.

I quickly ordered the book and impatiently waited for it to arrive. After reading it I rushed to the story to buy the shoe boxes and rack to hold them. The workbox system is basically 12 boxes you put all their work in for each day. They also have a number strip with extra stuff after they complete a certain number of boxes (see below). It's usually fun things like snack, play Wii, play outside and, their favorite, recess is always after box 6! It really helps the kids know exactly how much they have to do every day. It is really motivating for them because the sooner they get to work the sooner they are done. It has really helped cut out a lot of the "Do we have to do that?" They know it's in the box it's done. Another thing that makes me love this system is how independent the kids are. When I pack the boxes I put everything they will need to complete that task. Before I was having to stop whatever I was doing every time they finished a task to get them started on the next. Now they can get started on their next task by themselves. Most of the boxes are set up for them to work independently (which is really important since I have 3 other kids who also need me.).They do get 4 help cards daily that they can cash in to have me help them on their independent work. However, there are also "Work with Mom" cards (see the little pictures of me and Ashton on the outside of a few boxes.). These are placed on the boxes that I will be doing with them like their Saxon math or reading.

Post-It notes are must haves for the workbox system since I use them to mark the pages they are to do and to write the page numbers or other directions. At first 12 boxes seem like a lot to fill, but it has been great for me to encourage me to really use those learning games that I would usually not work in. I have really been working hard to make some new learning games and hope to share them soon in my "Workbox Fun" posts.

These are the strips I use that I downloaded from Carissa's blog. Then I went through old pictures and made my own cards using things they could do. My favorites are my "work with mommy" cards with pictures of me and them and the "read to the babies" cards with cute pictures of them reading to Will and Wesley.

This system sounds so simple, but it is truly amazing. It has made such a difference for me and the kids. In fact, the first few days we used it they were working on their boxes before I even got out of bed they were so excited! We used it about 2 months before school was out last year, and I look forward to how it will help to haveit all year this year. If you havem't already, you really need to check this system out!

I Love the Dollar Bin...

I always check the dollar bin at "TarJay". When it gets time for back to school time they always have some great finds and all for a dollar- come on! I got some great math manipulatives:

A book with science experiments and magnetic letters and numbers I can use for lots of things:

These great maps and things that they can write on and wipe out are workbox ready!

I was most excited about finding these pocket charts because I've been wanting some but the full size ones are so expensive. I'm having fun thinking of things I can use them for (putting spelling words written on cards in ABC order, putting up a poem for us to read and discuss, etc). In fact, I even went back and bought some more!

Always check the dollar bin :) Isn't homeschooling fun?!