We’ve used workboxes since we began homeschooling. I love them because it is a great way to stay organized and know what we need to accomplish for the day’s work! I don’t use workboxes in the traditional way of filling the boxes up nightly with the next day’s work. To me, that is too much work for me, the teacher! I don’t want to have to remember to fill workboxes up every single night!

I’ve tweaked the way we use workboxes and it works very well for us. Instead of filling the workboxes daily, I fill them weekly.

First, I make the lesson plans for the week. Then I gather everything needed for the week and lay it on the table.

Then, with my lesson plan book in hand, I go through and put all of Monday’s work in one box, all of Tuesday’s work in one box, etc., for each girl.

Little Bug’s Monday Box: This includes her AAR lesson, handwriting page, Math lesson and flashcards. It’s everything she needs to complete her school work on Monday. (Besides basic supplies like pencils, crayons, glue which is kept on the table.)

Sweet Pea’s Monday Box: This includes her AAR lesson, handwriting and math activity.

When I am finished filling workboxes, the week’s work for both girls is all organized and ready to go and I don’t have to think about preparing lessons again until the next week!

Purple boxes are for Monday, Blue is Tuesday, Green is Wednesday, Orange is Thursday and Red is Friday. The top box of each color set is Little Bug’s while the bottom box is Sweet Pea’s.

My Top 3 Reasons for Using Workboxes

1. Organization – Half the battle of homeschooling is having everything needed for lessons prepared and ready before you begin teaching. If I am having to search for the manipulatives I need for a lesson, I lose the attention of my captive audience if I have to waste time trying to gather materials mid-lesson! Workboxes keep everything needed for the day in one location!

2. Easy Prep – It is so easy to spend less than 30 minutes a week gathering everything we need for the week and then organizing it into the 10 boxes. Part of this is due to the fact I purposely choose “easy prep” curriculum.

3. Smooth(er) homeschool days – Workboxes answer the question of “what are we doing today?” for my girls. Especially, in the beginning of our homeschool, I had the “problem” of Little Bug coming into the homeschool room and wanting to do what she wanted to do. That’s fine. There is a time and place for that type of learning however I knew I needed to train her to do her “school work” first. Now that she is in 1st Grade she knows we do a phonics lesson, math lesson and handwriting. Then later in the day (during her Room Time when the little ones are taking their nap), she is free to do as she pleases and can choose her own activities.

- Elaine