I homeschool in Spanish as much as I can. So I used binder clips and tape to write the days of the week in Spanish and I placed one clip per space and one on the top ones for their names. I choose an activity that they can do on their own unless I know that that day we'll be home and we are not homeschooling.
Here is a close up of the activities we have. I print some things from Confessions of a Homeschooler and other resources that I find online. But mainly I use if for Practical Life activities, art, and math.
What's on the trays this week:
Umi:
Monday: ice cube tray with cotton balls and a tweezer.
Tuesday: Number tracing printout from confession of a homeschooler (COAH)
Wednesday: Letter A dot-a-dot page (COAH)
Thursday: Pattern activity also form COAH
Friday: Math-U-See math
I am still working on setting up Little Princess workbox. I only have now paper cutting. She loves using scissors!
I use it for both of my children. Little Princes has her spot next to Umi's. You can see in the picture above . The rest if the spaces are for papers and dry erase boards.
Montessori is about letting them do things by themselves by fostering their sense of independence, and self discipline. That makes children feel empowered. I think this workbox system does just that. They have activities that they can do by themselves when they want to without anybody telling them how and when.
Do you use workbox system at home? Does it work for you?
I love this! I've been trying to decide if I want to try and implement work boxes or not for my kids. I don't like the big boxes or rolling carts because they take up so much space, which I don't have. I saw some use folders on the wall but my kids are young and I just picture them getting destroyed fast. I think this is a great way to try it out and if it doesn't work out I can always find another use for that box.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thank you for stopping by! I think it was a paper sorter type of thing or maybe one of those things that people have at work to place memos? I bought it in a garage sale. It works great for us. I homeschool them using Montessori method, my own ideas and now I am waiting for the first volume of Five in a Row. So this workbox system is just to fill in the empty space if there is any. I know he can do any of the things I am going to put in there by himself so it helps to keep them busy when I am cooking or want a break. They really like it!
DeleteThis is neat! I LOVE the size of this one!
ReplyDeleteWe tried to do a Montessori/work-box combo when my son was younger, but I felt like it was getting us away from Montessori and even though it was stuff he was interested in, it was too much of me controlling things --- but then we're going for pure Montessori as much as possible. Every family has to do things differently (and I think if I had more than one at home, I might do something similar to what you have with a portion of their day).
But with that said, my son, now approaching upper elementary has requested and set up just one box that he has decided he wants to use to hold his daily or almost daily stuff, so it is all together in one place, rather than spread throughout our home on this shelf or that. So we made the work box work for us, rather than make Montessori fit the work box :)
Just another way of doing it ;)
http://montessoritrails.blogspot.com/2013/01/montessori-homeschool-schedule-and-work.html
I wish blogspot would email me or let me know I have a message!!! I love to see comments!! So thank you for it and I am sorry it took this l o n g to reply! I go through waves...it works out and I can put work they can do when I need to cook or clean...and they love it....and then other times when it gets forgotten....I agree with you you must do what works for you...I add to our homeschool whatever I think it work for us whether is Montessori or not...I really love the Montessori method....but it won't stop me to try something I like or think my kids would like. I like your blog and as a matter of fact I will pay you a visit right now!!! Thank you for leaving a comment!!! Monica
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