Charlotte Mason Meets Workboxes ~ Part 2

Part of being a good home schooling parent is acknowledging that our children are individuals with different learning styles. Each has his own challenges, each has her own strengths. It's our job to help them love learning, and reach their full potential using all their gifts. Workboxes have addressed the individuality of our kids, in a wonderful way.

One of our students is hands-on, loves "stuff" and is constantly shuffling things. This child is creative and needs lots of freedom to spread out and experiment, but only truly thrives when things are visually organized. Things that are out of sight are out of mind for this student, so keeping everything neat and at hand is important for morale and productivity. This child also needs well-timed breaks, but tends to get distracted if the daily goals are not very easy to follow. This student enjoys all the family learning we do together, but also loves some self-directed activities, and (gasp!) even really enjoys a good workbook or worksheet every now and then. Lengthy assignment lists depress this child even before the tasks are started. This child always likes to know where we stand in our day, and does best if our plans are outlined and easy to see, right from the start.

Another student in our family works long and hard, and does so tirelessly. I am required to provide large amounts of materials, because this child moves through books and assignments steadily and thoroughly. It is challenging to even keep up with this student to supply everything needed for the nice, lengthy school day this child enjoys. This child does best when all materials are easily found. If a project is assigned, but the glue is not the in drawer where it should be, then this child may improvise, rather than ask for help. And that means messes for me and a less-than-optimal project outcome. This child needs breaks assigned throughout the day, because this dedicated student gets engrossed in tasks and forgets exercise and playtime completely if they are not required. This child loves to see a pile of work ahead, because that means loads of mental stimulation await!  

My third student is very smart, but easily overwhelmed. The child can complete a lot of work in a day if carefully planned, but a daunting list alone can cause this kiddo to grind to halt in frustration. Assignments must be given in small bites, so short activities work best. For this child reading is a joy, but eye strain is a concern. Lengthy reading assignments work fine, as long as they are interspersed with other activities (like breaks, play, snacks, exercise.) This child also has a very high metabolism and requires frequent breaks to fuel up with some healthful snacks throughout the school day. This student feels great pride in a job well-done, and craves mom's approval as we move through our school day.

So, how can we make school work well for all these diverse learning styles and personalities? We put Charlotte Mason in the box, and we are finding she fits quite well.