Different Ways to use Workboxes

When we started using Workboxes I began by setting them up like I had seen on different websites and blogs. Each child had his own set of workboxes on his part of the shelves. I posted last fall How Workboxes Work in Our House.

My first big innovation was to create "sister" boxes. This is where the older kids have a workbox that has a "sister" tag on it (kind of like a "mom" tag that means take this box and work with mom, only it is take this box and work with your little sister).


I have two boys ages 9 & 10. There are a lot of things for school that I like to to together: Read aloud, Social Studies, Science, a board game, to name a few. I found that if I didn't put something into a workbox, it often didn't get done! I'd tell myself "When they finish their other work we will play a game of Scrabble." When the time came around and they had finished all of their other boxes I'd tell myself, never mind, I'm too tired. Also, when it is in a box the kids seem to go along with it without complaint for some reason. When I have a book I want to read to both of them, whose box do I put it into?

Most of the workboxes have two velcro dots on them, room for two tags . I was very proud of myself to decide to put 3 velcro dots on a few of the boxes. This gives me a place to put a number tag for each boy, plus a "mom" tag. It would be easy to add a couple more dots (though you will start to run out of room!) for more kids. This is a box for the three of us to do together.:


Now the boys have some shelves with their individual workboxes:


On a separate shelf we have a few "group" workboxes. With their toddler sister running around, what usually works for us is to do these boxes when little sister takes her nap. Meanwhile, the boys can work on their individual boxes.

I use these tags (and created a sister tag to match):


Download your copy at http://www.spelloutloud.com/2009/08/cassies-workbox-graphics.html