Charlotte Mason Meets Workboxes

Education is not the filling of a pail,

 but the lighting of a fire.

 William Butler Yeats

Years ago, we discovered that we are a Charlotte Mason (CM) family. We love the educational philosophy of CM, because we agree that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. We strive to have an atmosphere in our home that ignites learning, develops discipline, and encourages curiosity.

We believe education is real life ~ our everyday, living, breathing life! Children learn all the time, naturally. We desire for our children to realize that history isn't just facts and dates in a book. It's people, and the choices they made. Science isn't just formulas, it's all that our senses and our hearts discover in this amazing world that God created.

CM methods call for parents to be very involved in their child's learning. So, our days include lots of living books that we read together, narration, nature study, and short lessons on a variety of topics. We study the Bible and hymns and memory verses together. We read and discuss biographies together. We study artists and scientists and authors, and we do most of it together. In addition to working through math books, we also apply math to our everyday life in myriad ways, especially in the workshop and the kitchen. And we've found that we naturally establish a strong foundation in grammar during the younger years, simply by reading great literature to our students, and talking and writing properly with them.

So, when workboxes came on my radar over a year ago, I dismissed it as very un-Charlotte Masonish. To me the system seemed like it called for filling boxes with busywork and games to keep the children busy so they could do school without my assistance. I really couldn't see how such a system could help us pursue our educational goals for our children.

I'm so very glad we took another look at workboxes this summer. We've used the system for several weeks, and are surprised at just how complementary the workbox system is to the Charlotte Mason philosophy. We are hooked.

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.

Getting Set Up

I chose large, clear, flat boxes, because I did not want things hanging out of the boxes. Having books and games that stuck out of the tops of boxes that were a smidge too small would just remind me of that messy pile of books and supplies we used to shuffle around every day in the middle of our school table. Getting rid of the shifting pile of resources we used each day was one of the main reasons I chose to start using workboxes, so having very neat boxes was a biggie for me. The boxes I found cost me a little more than other choices, but they are so worth it to me. 

I also bought a Scotch thermal laminator for less than $30, a big pack of cardstock, velcro dots, and a round hole punch to punch out numbers and subject tags.

 

For the first week I just experimented to figure out what kinds of assignment/task cards I might need for the kids' boxes. I wrote temporary task cards on sticky notes, then took notice of how smoothly things went and what I needed to add to clarify tasks for the kids. The goal was to make the independent work boxes just that ~ pretty independent. Then we took the plunge and printed up the task cards, color-coded numbers for each child, and color-coded subjects for each child. Next we made a velcro dot chart for each student to track their progress through the school day. I then made a "Work Completed" box, and we were set. I found the boxes and laminator and pouches and cardstock at Walmart. I bought the 1.5 inch hole punch and the velcro dots at Hobby Lobby. 

Each child has up to 10 boxes. Some days I use them all, some days less. We also have a stack of boxes marked for "Family Studies." That's where I neatly keep all the subject materials we study together. At night I fill a stack of boxes for each child, fill the Family Studies boxes, attach the numbers and subject tags, place the boxes on the bookshelf in order, and shut the school room door. Everything is completely ready when we walk in the next morning. Nice.

How Does It Work?

The kids complete the boxes in order. If they need help and I am not in the room just then, they come find me and get help. When they complete a box, they take all the materials they used for that task and put them in the "Work Completed" box on top of the book shelf. They take the velcro number tag off that completed box and hang it on their own strip on the wall (they each decorated their strip with stickers they chose.) Then they stack their empty box in the corner of the room, with the lid on. It makes a tall stack by the end of the morning, but I like that better than having loose lids stacked around. They are finished when the boxes are all complete, emptied, and stacked.

What's In the Family Studies Boxes?

This summer, our Family Studies boxes include these sorts of things:

Bible Reading and Bible Study (We finished Egermeir's Story Bible, the gospels, and just finished the book of Acts. We also use Bible Study Guide for All Ages to reinforce.)

Scripture Memory (The children practice these during school time, then come find me to recite it to me. Then we review these memory verses together with Daddy during Family Time each evening.)

History (We listen to Mystery of History on cd every evening together.)

Science (We are finishing Apologia Zoology 1, plus we do lots of our own science studies based on nature around us.)

Real Life University (This is our own curriculum. We teach our children life skills; it covers things we deem important to becoming competent, productive, capable, and hardworking.)

Literature (We've enjoyed lots of great lit through the years by using this list as a guide. This is one of our favorite parts of home schooling~ read alouds!)

Geography (A Child's Geography and other resources.)

We have not started Shakespeare yet, so that will be added to our Family Studies boxes next fall. Also, Artistic Pursuits will be added back in then.

What's In the Individual Studies Boxes?

These are just a few of the color-coded subject tags.

The individual student's boxes may include things like these subjects or tasks:


Bible Devotional (This is their first assignment, every day. This is their alone time with God. They have a timer and their Bible in the box, and they read or pray alone quietly in their room for 20 minutes. Bible study is our most important part of school, and we want the kids to know that.)

Copywork (This may include a worksheet to practice certain letters, but more often is copywork or dictation, per CM methods.)

Math (This box might contain a pencil and their regular math book, or the laminated task card might instruct them to do Teaching Textbooks on the computer. It might contain a worksheet to practice skills, it might have a stack of flashcards with instructions to come to me for an oral quiz, or it may hold a math game.)

Geography (This is either a book that supplements our family geography studies {A Child's Geography}, or it may be the text of A Child's Geography, and the student is asked to review a previous lesson. Or, it may be a workbook or worksheet that covers map skills.)

Science (We use tons of supplemental science materials, like Christian Liberty Nature Readers, Moody Science DVDs, and many materials from Apologetics Press , to teach science based on scriptures.)

Literature (Each child always has a book they are reading independently. They read a chapter per day, or about 20 minutes. These books used to be a source of constant frustration~ they were never returned to the shelf, and when it was time to read them, we wasted time hunting them down. Now, they are dropped in the Work Completed box after reading is done, and I put them back in the workbox the next day. Whew.)

Poetry (We are blessed to have lots of great old poetry books, so in addition to the poetry we enjoy together, I also rotate these books through and give each child time to peruse and enjoy them on their own.)
Nature Study (Since nature is close-at-hand here at Pecan Bluff, I am thankful I can just assign a child to find something to study and they can do it fairly unassisted. We do some group nature studies, too, but individual nature studies happen much more frequently now, because their nature notebook, colored pencils, and the gum eraser are handy, right in the box!)

Picture Study (We discuss this together some, but I also want the kids to study great works of art and be quizzed individually. So they each get about 3 pictures and have to memorize the name and artist, then they come find me and are quizzed. I use a gentle approach, because I want them to enjoy studying the pictures.)

Hymn Study (This box contains a set of headphones and MP3 with lovely hymns from Wave of Grace. I also include our hymn book, so if they like, they can look up the songs and sing along, studying the music and the composer's name as they listen. I love this!)

Personal Development (This is a variety of resources that we chose. They may range from a biography of a missionary, to a book about another culture, a handbook on homemaking skills, or handicraft projects. Anything inspiring! We've particularly enjoyed the Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends DVD, and the Miller series of books by Martin. One student is working on knitting, and another is reading A Young Man's Handybook.)

Music (Two of our kids have instruments to practice during this time. If I want them to practice the violin and classical guitar together, then I place the boxes in their lineup so that the times coincide. Otherwise, they just practice whenever they get to that box. And they usually practice where the baby can watch and listen ~ she loves it!)

Foreign Language (This box simply has a card that tells the child to do Rosetta Stone Spanish on the computer, then put the disk away nicely.)

Play with Baby (This is a skill I'm intentionally building, because so much is gained by having siblings of all ages work and play together every day. This workbox holds board books, slates or construction paper and sticks of chalk, magnetic letters, or chunky puzzles. Each student spends some time alone with the baby, playing. It's precious to a mama's heart to see this every day!)

Timeline Figures (The student is to put up figures at the proper spot on our wall timeline in the living room. The tape is in the box, too. We use figures from History Through the Ages, and they are beautiful!)

Tidy (Student is to tidy up their school space, and choose one other space in our home and tidy that, too.)

Break (Some breaks are free time. Others are specific, like Legos, leisure reading, baking, etc.)

Snack (This is usually a small snack to be eaten at their desk while they read or draw. I also include a paper cup, with instructions to fill it with water and drink it all. I believe that water makes our brains work better!)

PE (Sometimes indoors, sometimes out. During the hot summer this is usually some indoor calesthenics to get the child moving and work out the kinks.  They do lots of other farm and house work during our day, so this is kept short.)

"How can I help, Mom?" (This is a character-building task that we use sometimes. The child is supposed to find me and ask this question, just to bless Mama. Sweet.)

We take care of group hymn studies each night during Family Time (our daily family devotional time), and in the car, and at various other times of the day, because we love to sing. We do poetry as we like, whenever the mood strikes, but not always during "school time." We study composers periodically. 

In addition to all the normal subjects, we can add in resources as we like. I have one student that is particularly interested in anatomy and meterology, so that child sometimes gets a box that covers those topics for a change of pace from our usual science studies. One child loves maps beyond what we would normally cover in geography, so we are able to feed that interest.

I'm finding that the boxes help me work in lots of things that used to be too hard to fit into our day. For example, even though we are not studying American history formally right now, patriotism and citizenship are very important to our family. So, those kinds of cool resources regularly find their way into our workboxes now. One child is train-crazy, so there can often be found a history of steam engines or some such book in a box in that student's stack to encourage that interest. One child is really into the technical aspects of cooking and baking, so a giant America's Test Kitchen recipe book might show up in the Leisure Reading workbox. The boxes help keep us on track with things we need to do, but we are still able to add in extra things we really want to do, as well. I'm using our supply of resources so much better now that I have the boxes working.

For the independent studies, they are all studying at the same time of day, but the children go at their own pace and simply come find me when they need help with a task or need to narrate or be orally quizzed. This allows me some time to play with the baby and work in other rooms while they labor away. Then we all meet again in the afternoon for a short time while the baby naps, to cover our Family Studies as a group. Some days we only do either Family Studies, or Independent Students, not both. This  gives me some flexibility if the baby is fussy or I'm behind in homekeeping; I can plan a day where the children work extra on the workbox subjects they can do mostly on their own, and we just save our group studies for the next day.

 I am so pleased at how this system is helping us stay organized and get more done. I'm getting faster at filling boxes each evening, and I'm figuring out how to mesh the system with my online organizer at Simply Charlotte Mason. Daddy likes the way it works and the way the school room looks, the kids are having a good time with it, and I'm loving it!

Lessons Learned

1. Don't get too cute with the workbox system. When I made up all the kids task cards (that's the laminated card that goes inside the box and has detailed instructions to tell the students exactly what to do for that subject/task) I thought each child might get bored if all their task cards were the exact same color, so I gave each child two coordinating colors. Well, it turns out that when I am filling the boxes late at night I only have about one working brain cell left. That poor, lone brain cell should only have to sort three colors, instead of six. Lesson learned, the hard way. We are stuck with the multi-colored cards until I'm ready to reprint and laminate again, and that won't be anytime soon.

2. Don't buy all the boxes you think you need until you've tried the system for a few days with just a few boxes. You could even try the system with large manilla envelopes at first, before buying boxes at all. When I finally chose my boxes, I was scared I wouldn't be able to find enough of that kind, so right off the bat I bought 2 of the larger size for each child. In reality, each child only needs one of the large-sized box. Oh, those extra boxes I bought will still be used, but I'd rather have just saved that money when implementing this system. {I've already assigned this creature to one of those bigger boxes. He'd been lying in pointy pieces all around the boys' room for a while, and last week one disembodied claw fell out of the laundry onto my bare foot while I was sorting. I'd give anything to have a video of myself at that moment. Good times.}

3. Don't fill boxes just to fill boxes. Make sure each box has something in it that you really want the student to do that day. If that only takes 6 boxes, go with it. This is your system, remember?

4. Find a place to store your workbox supplies. I shuffled stuff for several aggravating days before I finally cleaned out a nice, big drawer where I keep all my workbox stuff now. Ah, that's better.

5. You usually get what you pay for. I tried to save $3 by purchasing the cheapest 1.5 inch circle punch I could find. It didn't work. I fiddled with it, had hubby take it apart, put it back together, gave up, drove back to town, and bought the other one. It works like a charm.