Workbox System

This summer, I learned about the latest trend in organizing your Homeschool…workboxes. While there are many variations of  this system, a homeschooler by the name of Sue Patrick is the originator of this concept and you can read about her system HERE. 

The Workbox System basically consists of 12 “workboxes” on a shelf. Each box has a number velcroed to the front of it, and the student’s daily work is sorted and divided into the boxes.  The student works through the boxes in order.  As a box is complete, the number is moved onto a scheduling strip or card (see photo on right). This gives the child a tangible way of seeing exactly how much work he or she has completed, as well as how much there is left to do.  The goal is that by seeing the work in this way, the child’s motivation and focus are improved. The organization reduces distractions such as looking for pencils and books or waiting for instructions on what to do next.  Additionally, fun activities are spread throughout the boxes, keeping the child enthusiastic and eager to keep working.

After reading about this system on hers and many other Homeschool blogs, I decided to share the idea with Princess.  She was so excited about it and we decided, along with my husband, that  it would be a great addition to our Homeschool, especially with Super Tot in the picture now.  However, like many other homeschoolers, I also knew that I wanted to personalize it and change it up a bit to meet our needs.  Rather than the plastic shoeboxes on a cart that Sue Patrick recommends, I opted for these lovely IKEA Trofast shelves that work perfectly for us.  They are just the right size and fit our schoolroom and taste perfectly. 

Princess loves them and is so excited to begin school each day.  While some kids like to sneak a peak in each box at the beginning of each day, Princess is all about the element of surprise and waits until she gets to each box to see what is inside. Princess has always loved school and been very diligent, but we have found that she is actually accomplishing more work in less time using this system.  This allows time for supplemental activities that we have often not had occasion for in past years.  Whether it is reading a magazine article, doing a craft or playing an educational game, we are thrilled to have time for these extra activities and know they are adding so much to our Homeschool.  By implementing this system, we have also been able to divide our primary academic work into 4 days, leaving Fridays available for projects, field trips and supplemental activities to enhance and further improve our educational and academic instruction.

To sum it up, we are thrilled with the addition of the Workbox system to our Homeschool and plan to use it indefinitely.