Workbox Fever!

I can't wait to start school with James! Our first day will be next Monday, August 17th. I have cleaned out and organized our dining room and made it into our official schoolroom. Last year, I started out in the playroom but that never panned out...too many toys to distract...and we usually ended up on the living room couches or kitchen counter top. I pulled the desk into the corner of the dining room, which I will now call the school room during the day, and dining room at supper, hehe... and I set up all his supplies and books needed. I turned our "food pantry" cabinet into our "craft/school supplies" cabinet.

I ordered our curriculum, My Father's World and Hands on Character Building. I got a great deal on both on an Ebay auction and am waiting on it to arrive this week...hence the later school start date!

I have our new workbox system all set up. Click here to see a quick overview of what workboxes are all about from the creator Sue Patrick. Well, almost all set up. I am not doing it EXACTLY like the creator has it, but it is pretty close! I set up a lightweight plastic bookcase for the system, added all the plastic shoeboxes to the shelves, secured the numbers on them with velcro... but I still have to print out our schedule cards and schedule strips, then I will be done. I think I can finish those up tonight. Mark got a new (to us) printer that I can try out! Our current one is not cooperating with me, and we can't figure out what's wrong...so that has been holding me up!

Here's the TONS of great info I have found about workboxes on blogs and such. Wow, this site covers it all! And it gave me so many great ideas to go for! I am so glad I found this system before the school year started. I think that it really will be so good for James (and me!) as it says it does wonders for ADHD kids.

Now that I have this great system, I didn't want to go blank and have a "brain fart" each night and not be able to figure out what to put in each box. I am a forgetful person. (understatement of the year!) When I see an idea in a book or blog, I think to myself how great that would be to try with the kids, but then when it comes down to the ends and outs of the typical school day... I forget about them. Or if I remember an idea, I can't remember where I read it...so I can't go back there to look up all the details/directions/materials I need.

So, I have been setting up a mini file box (index cards) for all the ideas I come across to fill up the boxes. The file box is divided into different sections; Curriculum/Bible, Math, Science, Language Arts, Outside/PE, Art, Recipes, and Just for Fun. Each index card has a different idea that I can use in a workbox. I will keep this box on the workbox bookcase or on James' desk.

For instance, behind the curriculum section, I have cards that read: MFW (of course), Spanish videos/flashcard reviews, Character book activity, Music Theory Book...etc.
In Just for fun, I have playdoh, bubbles, Candyland, audiobooks, etc.
In Recipes, I have a combination of food recipes that James can help me whip up (for fun treats or a meal) and creation recipes (like playdoh, gook, silly putty, etc.)
I have tons of resource books for Phonics/language arts, Math, Science...all with tons of great ideas to supplement with the kids curriculum, but I never get them out regularly, so I devoured each book one sleepless night : -) and wrote out each of my fav. ideas onto index cards along with all the directions/materials needed, which workbook it came from if I needed patterns or copies made, etc. and then I filed it under the proper section.
So now when I go to fill workboxes each night I can whip out the filebox! My goal is to try doing at least one card from each section a day.

Can you tell that I am excited about the upcoming school year???!!!
Next post I will write out our Weekly School Schedule, and have a sort of Homeschool Open House with pictures!

Tomorrow (Lord willing...if everyone is feeling better-Bella's had croup and me with a cold). we will take a "field trip" to the library. They have been closed for a week putting in new carpet, and they will reopen tomorrow with a brand new updated children's section. I have been having library withdraws! I love free stuff, and there's nothing that beats free stuff like the library!