Homeschool Organization

In the past few weeks a lot of homeschoolers have been caught up in an organizational system called workboxes. It's based on a book written by Sue Patrick. (Here's someone else's blog. She writes a lot more about the workbox system and why it works well in her family: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/walkingbytheway/667481/) She suggests that you have twelve bins (shoe box sized) and place the kids work, games, fun activities and so forth in them. Much like a Montessori school, the kids then can see what work they can/need to do for the day. It also helps the parent get out some of those cool homeschool activities hidden deep in the back recesses of their cabinets.

While the bin-method wouldn't work for me (because Elora would just help herself to the contents!), the system itself made a lot of sense to me. It helps kids to be

independent: because they can see what needs to be done and can learn to work independently

motivated: the kids are excited the fun they see waiting for them

creative: it helps you add more variety to their schoolwork; the kids can "run with" whatever items you have out (For example, Logan wanted to add a coconut to his basket so he could open it and see what the insides looked like!)

accomplishment: it helps you accomplish more throughout the day. Kids see things they can do and do it! I've been amazed at all the things we manage to get done now since things are at hand and I don't have to go searching for this or that.

So, after a lot of thought, here's what I've done. As you saw in the picture above, I have three hanging baskets where I can place the day's activities. I have a schedule strip (using blu-tack) of the activities for Logan to work on. As he finishes things, he pulls them off and drops them into a basket on the dining room table. Most activities take about 10-20 minutes. These include things like reading, card games, a craft idea (if they're interested), copywork (writing practice), Montessori activities (in Delenn's basket), file folder games, a drawing book, mazes, dot-to-dots, our lapbook project, etc. I also have a file folder of activities and games -- one on each card that I can thumb through and pull out. For example, I wrote down ALL of our board games, extraneous homeschool activities we have, craft ideas I have stashed away or have come across over the Internet, etc.

I also have a tray set up on the craft table where I put out a new board game, puzzle and preschool activity games most every day. Even if they don't play the game, I rotate a new game out for the next day when we clean up at the end of the day.

Books: We are great book lovers here at the DingoDen. If you haven't read Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook I highly recommend it. Anyway, he suggests displaying books with the cover out. We've always had a bookshelf designated for displaying books. I change those books most every evening. I also have a napkin holder on the dining room table where we display books. We read often read aloud during breakfast/snacks/lunch.

With this same principle in mind I decided that a book display would add to our homeschool display system. That way i can display school books that I hope will grab the kids' attention (history, science or whatever). I gathered our limited tools and put together a book display that fits neatly below the baskets. Take a look at the next entries to see the end results!

These pictures below are a little out of order, but you'll get the idea of some of the things that have helped organize our homeschool days/materials.

Oh, and not pictured here is a calendar that hangs near the dining room table. The kids (Logan mainly) changes the date each morning. We have any outside activities posted there (dance class, soccer practice, Kindergym, library day, etc.)