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homewith3
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 10:02am | IP Logged
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Ever heard of this system......Check it out...
Homeschool Workboxes
Looks neat doesn't it? Just wanted to share this with everyone.
Debbie
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CandaceC
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 11:09am | IP Logged
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Debbie, do you post on the FIAR or HSS boards? I have to ask, there is a thread over there about these workboxes and it is HUNDREDS of posts long! 
Anyway, we are doing a variation of these. I have 1 box per child and 5-6 activities in gallon size ziplocks for them. It is going GREAT for us.
The main reason I did it was to actually DO some of the many things I have around the house that we don't get to on a normal day. We are getting a lot done with these things!
Check outAmi (creator of HSS) her blog has several entries on these: why to use them, how to get started and a LIST of ideas to go IN the workboxes!!
HTH!
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
His Mercy Is New
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homewith3
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 12:14pm | IP Logged
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Hi Candace, yeah it's me from FIAR(momspunkins)....I do visit HSS just don't really post. At first I didn't think i would use the idea but I have decided to give it a try.
Deb
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 12:25pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the links! This might just be what my tired, uninspired brain needs to power through the summer (we've taken off so much time this year that we need "turbo-school" for the next few months). Hmmm...
Please chat it up here. I'm listening 
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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homewith3
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 12:31pm | IP Logged
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I really think it will help ME to be more organized and help the kids not be so "lost" while I am working with my oldest on something.
From what I have seen...the neatest thing is there are so many variations of it.
Oh here is the link to the actual book...i don't think it was posted in that original link...
Sue Patrick's Workbox System
Deb
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 12:34pm | IP Logged
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How would this work if two or more children share a resource or do the same activity? I'm thinking about picture book read alouds and certain crafts...
Candace, your plan sound more reasonable to me logistically. I couldn't wrap my brain around the number of boxes and carts I'd need.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Bethany
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 1:27pm | IP Logged
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This does look interesting. I'm thinking maybe I could do this only a day or two a week just to break things up. It would be good to keep the younger ones busy while I work with my oldest.
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Bethany
Wife to Mike, Mommy to Amelia (6/02), Sarah (10/03), Martha Grace (10/05), Rebecca Anne (12/07), Laura Catherine (3/10) and Reed Michael 7/4/14.
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Anne McD
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 2:08pm | IP Logged
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I'm listening and mulling, too, 
My only problem, is I envision my sweet, sweet 19mo old getting his sweet, sweet hands on those boxes, and well, Mama won't be feeling so sweet anymore
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CandaceC
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 3:09pm | IP Logged
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Elizabeth,
My 2 girls are very close in age and share a LOT of the same resources. Here is what I did...
For instance with Draw Write Now books...one day I put the book in Hannah's basket of activities with a note "please turn to p. 15 and draw a sheep, then write 1 sentence about a sheep."
The next day I put it in Emily's with a simliar note, but she didn't have to write the sentence as that is beyond her skills right now.
Does that make sense? So I alternate...it really works well that way, as they have enjoyed having DIFFERENT things for once (!!) in their boxes! So, they end up doing some of the same things, but on different days!
Anne, I have mine on a shelf and though I don't have a wee one, it would be hard for a small one to get to them. (also, I'm not doing 12 boxes per child! I COULD NOT HANDLE ALL THOSE BOXES) so I don't need quite as much shelf space.
But having 3 baskets on a shelf is more do-able for me! :) Then in those baskets I have as many gallon sized ziplocks as I need for activities.
I did label the gallon bags 1, 2, 3 and tell them to go in order.
Anne, I have to say...after reading your ADD post I thikn these boxes could really benefit you (and others like me) who have trouble being consistent. This helps me be consistent b/c I put the activity in the baskets at night and then when the kids see them they get excited and WANT to do the activity...there is no way for me to get out of it then! LOL! It has been REALLY helpful in doing some of the many things I Have on my shelves that we don't get to. (Like Draw Write Now for example!)
Another great thing is all those math manipulatives I have! AND the preschool activity bags are PERFECT to stick in the younger kids baskets!!
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
His Mercy Is New
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Anne McD
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 3:35pm | IP Logged
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That's what I was thinking, Candace! I have shelving in our learning room, those Ikea bookcases that are split into boxes, with one "box" per child. Maybe I could put a box in there with their things for the day in it, and they can pull the box out and get thier own work.
Hmmmm, still thinking, still thinking....
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Anneof 5
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 4:36pm | IP Logged
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I saw this system on a special needs board last summer and Sue Patrick was a featured speaker for their conference last August. (GIFTSNC)
I am wondering how this would work for kids who have ADHD, need a LOT of mom's help with the work itself and to stay on task. I am finding we spend so much time just on the basics that we are not getting more than that done but at the same time I feel we are "wasting" the time they have when waiting for their turns with me. Does she address this in her book? I am very interested in a way to make our time more productive and to have my kids actually doing something valuable outside of the time they spend one on one with me. Her consulting looks like a good deal, too.
Thanks.
Anne
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CandaceC
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 4:59pm | IP Logged
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Anne,
What I am doing at this point is giving each child 1 activity to do "with mom" and then the rest are independent.
Now, I will say, I have to put a few "fun" things in there too so that my kids are motivated to keep going! I can't just put all writing or math in there or they would have no interested in getting to the next activity.
As for allotting time between the kids, what I have done with my 2 girls is put Hannah's #1 activity to be done with mom and/or Emily's LAST activity to be done with me...so that means I'm not "scheduled" to work with both of them at the same time.
I am always in the room, though...and they can ask me questions if need be, even if I'm helping the others.
Oh, one other thing...some people are putting the 3 R's in their boxes, I am not!
We still do our morning routine: Bible time, morning prayer, reading our unit studies books on the couch, math, spelling. THEN we do our activities in the box.
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
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CandaceC
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 5:13pm | IP Logged
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I also wanted to show you a different way that a mom with a larger family does this...it might be a different way to go about doing it.
Jessica's Workboxes
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
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Angel
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 6:28pm | IP Logged
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This looks a lot like what I have been *planning* to do at the beginning of the past couple years for my younger kids - only a little more Montessori-ish. When I was pregnant with #6 I thought I would make themed boxes for everyone so when the baby was born, the kids could just go get a box. The only bump in the road - I actually had to put them together. (Would you believe I've never put together any theme boxes yet? )
I think my 3 yos and 1 yo would push a cart like that shown in one of the links all over the house, but -- maybe I do need to re think the boxes. My boys are tearing up the house and we can't get outside yet.
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KackyK
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Candace thanks for the links. I like in Jessica's post how the kids put the tag on the front of the box when complete, nice visual!
This is a great idea (the one without all the boxes ) for us I think.
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: March 12 2009 at 11:17pm | IP Logged
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Linky Fairy visited..... 
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Nedra in So. CA
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n/a
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CandaceC
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Nedra...what do you have on the shelf?
Do they do all the things on their shelf? Is it independent or do with mom?
Do you feel like you have trouble doing all the things you'd like to do activity-wise or school-wise?
These are things that are helping me with the boxes...I"m putting things in the boxes that we weren't getting too --- drawing in our nature journal, math manipulatives that haven't been touched in months, Draw Write Now lessons, etc. For me, that has been the biggest help.
The other advantage is I'm putting NEW things in the box each day. So, it's new and different each day...I mean, sometimes there might be an Explode the Code lesson 2 days in a row, but it's something different. This keeps it interesting and exciting for the kids...
What I'm trying to do now is make a MASTER list of ALL the activities we could put in the bags/boxes and then just pull from that list daily, cause right now it is taking me a bit of time to think of things to put in the box.
Anyway, those are my thoughts so far...this is the first week we've done it.
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
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JuliaT
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I spent last night and this morning reading over the 'ginormous' thread on FIAR and relating blog posts about these workboxes. I think I am hooked!
I have been having problems in keeping kids on track while I am working with a child. I do have a shelf for each child with activites on it but they never go there (despite my reminding.) I think if I had specific things for them to do in a specific order then this might help my dilemma.
The workboxes aren't feasible for me right now but I can see Candace's system of one box with ziploc bags per child working for us. I have been making a list of things that I can put in the bags and I am getting quite excited about this. I think I will put the 3 R's in the bags but will leave the activities for our unit studies for the afternoon. We have an appt. in town today so I am planning on buying the boxes and a huge supply of bags to get us started.
I would never have known about this system if it hadn't been posted here, so thanks for the heads up!
Blessings,
Julia
mom of 3 (9,8,6)
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CandaceC
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| Posted: March 13 2009 at 11:36am | IP Logged
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Elizabeth,
I just went back and re-read your question and realized that I TOTALLY didn't answer it. I thought I did, but I didn't!
I, personally, do not put read alouds in there. We kind of start off our moning on the couch - "circle time," bible time, and we read 2-3 books aloud together.
After all that we do the activity bags...so I don't put read alouds in there.
If you were wanting 2 of your kids to work on a craft together...I would put the materials in one box/bag (for one child) and in the other child's box, I would say "work with Emily on this craft together." or something along those lines...
You might need to put something where they work together in the first bag/box...because otherwise they might not "arrive" at the craft instructions at the same time. Am I making any sense?!?!
I'm sure there are many ways to go about it...but that is just how we're doing it.
Oh, I did see where one family put a read aloud in the older child's bag/boxes and told them to read aloud to the younger child...those were their directions in the box. I think that is a great idea!!
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Homeschool Workboxes....
