The girls new Workboxes

I originally made their workbox covers a few months ago. I used contact paper to cover everything. This didn't hold up well. Later I purchased a laminater and LOVE it. I let the girls pick out new scrapbook paper to do their new workboxes.

I also scrapped the schedule strip which seemed to be too much to keep up with and just added more Velcro dots to the hanging file folders so I could add their extra things like piano, keyboarding, snack and lunch without having to use a file folder slot or use the schedule strip. Since there are several Velcro dots on each folder I can switch around what order we do what at any time. This is working for us and has produced good independence in the girls. I still have to go over lessons with the girls but they at least know what to do next when they finish their current work.

They love to see the front of their boxes all filled in which tells them all we have left for the day is quiet reading, Astronomy or Galloping the Globe, and an art project or something fun.

Where oh Where have we been???

We've been prodding along...doing school. Is it possible to have burn out in August? I am so feeling that way. I do believe I've been putting too many irons in the fire so maybe that is why I am feeling so run down.

We have been very busy with our school days. We've kind of gotten into a bit of a rhythm with school so that part has been good. Our schedule looks like this on most days:

Get up (about 9 or so)
Breakfast
Get dressed and brush teeth (hopefully we don't zoom by this one)
Get our Work boxes and schedule strips out:
Scedule strip: 10 Min of quiet bible reading time
Scripture memory work (Charlotte Mason Style) and working on memorizing the books of the Bible. We do this together.
Start on File folder 1 (Normally Calender work-Christian Light Education-Each month we work on a different aspect of the weather. This month we are working on the 3 basic types of clouds in thy sky and recording them each day.
File Folder 2- Reading-CLE
Piano
File Folder 3- Language Arts workbooks (spelling, writing, phonics rules...ect...)
File Folder 4- Math workbooks, flashcards, speed drills
Typing
Snack
Writing (Hannah is using Writing Strands 3 (alternating with) Aeosp's fable's Rewrites. This has been interesting. Mikayla is still using Writing with Ease. I really like it and am concidering swtiching Hannah back to it.
Lunch
Break/chores (cleaning out the dishwasher)
Reading History 10 min
File Folder Game
Reading A child geography of the world (Earth Science) for about 10 min
Quiet Time Reading - 30 min

Clean up then free time.
Done by usually 3 or so...where does the day go...I guess we slept most of it away...but I LOVE not having to wake them up! They are rested and ungrumpy!

We are finishing up our last chapter in the geography book that we've been working on all summer. This last part has been about latitude and longitude....it has great explainations of it all.

We are soon to start Galloping the Globe back and Astronomy as well.

WE will be meeting weekly for co-ops with Astronomy, Art Appreciation, ASL, and Piano.
We are also in 2 other co-ops that meet monthly- American History and PE.

Busy...busy girls are we! Hannah and I started a 4-H sewing class too. This is once a month. We stay so very busy. The girls and Chad have been taking karate...we are so proud of them. They've been working hard to learn all the moves.

Workboxes and Schedule strips

So my dear friend introduced me again to workboxes. I read about this when we first started homeschooling but it seemed so overwhelming that I quickly forgot about it.

When she sent me an email about it this time though...I was all over it. I love to be organized....doesn't always happen...but when I can find away to make it doable-I do.

So here are some pictures. I was able to make these in one night. The schedule strip was a more invasive project for me with lots of cutting of circles. So wishing I had a circle cutter after cutting all those buttons out.





There are a lot of great blogs out there with more information on this if you are interested!

Color Me Orange

Heather Preckel

GingerSnaps

A modified workbox approach-like mine

Ruby Slippers-mine is set up almost identical to this.

Homeschool Share's Workbox section-this is growing!