Work boxes give busy homeschooling parents a tool they can use to organize their school day. Using a system of numbers, pictures or colors helps kids see what they need to do in each subject area to complete the work for that given day. Fill each subject box or numbered box with the day’s assignments, instructions, worksheets and other learning manipulatives. Kids take one box at a time, do what is inside and return the box to its home. Consider using magnets, paper clips, sticky notes or clothespins attached to the boxes to remind children which boxes they have completed.
Set up your work box system to include a place for ongoing or long-term projects. Use this special box as a place for reading logs, science project notes, writing projects and field-trip reporting assignments. Have your child check the long-term project box once each day to keep progress steady. Include a calendar in the long-term project box with completion dates so your children always know how much time they have to complete the work assigned.
Work box systems are designed with kids in mind, so organizing them in kid-friendly ways is important. Determine what subjects your child does well in before lunch and what subjects are better left for after lunch or after recess time and organize your boxes accordingly. If your child’s attention span is longer in the mornings, consider scheduling mathematics first and saving quiet reading or writing time for the afternoon. Number your boxes from top to bottom or from left to right, depending on your unique set up, so children know what is to be done first, second, and so on. Homeschooling allows for flexibility to meet the unique needs of your child. Organize your work boxes in the same way.
Add a little creativity to your work box system by letting your children decorate the boxes in ways that are meaningful to them. Work boxes help children with independence and encourage them to take ownership of their learning day. Letting them decorate the boxes, drawers or crates in ways that are fun and meaningful helps them see learning as enjoyable.