I love the workbox system. It is nice to know that as I m homeschooling my daughter, I am also teaching her to become independent in her studies. One of the points that Sue Patrick brings out in her book, “Sue Patrick’s Workbox System: A User’s Guide” is that often times, children become dependent on their teacher/parent to hand hold them each step of the way. Using this system, our daughter is gaining independence from that.
In our home, we have small rooms. A drawback to the workbox system is that the system takes space. Homeschoolers learn quickly that space is a premium. You have storybooks, reference books, curriculum, educational games & videos, etc. that all need to be stored in a manner that is easy to mnage and access. We are just beginning and I already see the potential for storage problem issues.
At a bookstore that I go to each month, they have a large educational/teacher supply section. In the back of that area, there is a teacher prep room where customers can photocopy and laminate their class materials. Poster-size heat laminating machines cost only 25 cents per foot for the laminating. I have been checking the sizes of our daughter’s workbooks. Each one is smaller than the large catalog size manilla envelopes. This is the beginning of my version of the workbox change-over. Instead of workboxes I will start using work-pouches.
I already have been making pouches fom the large manilla envelopes to hold learning center activities. Each pouch is a separate activity to be completed. The work-pouches will be similar in presentation. Here are some possible methods that I am considering:
Option 1: Decorate 12 pouches numbering them 1-12. I will have my daughter help decorate them since so she can personalize them. Once they are decorated, I will take the pouches to the bookstore and laminate them. This will make them more durable. I am considering having 3 baskets or containers. One will hold the work-pouches to be completed, another will be the basket to place the work-pouches into as they are finished, and the third will hold over-sized items. Crooked Creek Farm Girl’s blog inspired this method.
Option 2: This method is one that I saw first on another blog, Homeschool Creations. In her blog, she demonstates how to turn comb-bound portfolios into “work-folders” for the school assignments. This method also has it’s advantages. First, the system takes less space, yet is well-organized. Second, it is portable for times when we are taking our homeschool to go.
Option 3: a method that I have heard of others using, but not seen pictures of is using the wall chart pockets. These are the one designed to hold file folders. In place of file folders, you put the child’s schoolwork in the pockets.
Of the 3 methods, I am leaning more towards using the manila envelope pouches. I haven’t decided yet. If I can make enough space available to continue with the bins, then I will do so. Lukily, I have a couple of months to decide.