workboxes

in an attempt to better organize our schooling and build greater independence into our kids' work ethics, we have implemented the workbox system. it has not magically transformed us, BUT the kids are enjoying the system and getting better at it everyday.
our goal is for our kids to be able to work independently through a variety of tasks with a checklist that they make for themselves. that's really 3 goals: 1. work independently, 2. work through a checklist, 3. make a useful checklist
our kids can work independently on SOME things and need to build that skill into a few more parts of their education
most of our kids have a hard time working through a checklist, so this step (using workboxes), is designed to make the checklist more tangible/visible and motivate them to finish their "list"
the most basic description of what we're doing is putting our "checklist" of independent studies in drawers/"boxes" for them to work through each day.
so they start with the top drawer and move to the bottom, through all 10 drawers. when they finish, they can have free time (until I call them to our afternoon all-together readings).
I thought this would motivate anyone prone to laziness to keep up with everyone else. and this is working as my lazy child is also my most competitive child. however, my usually diligent child finishes last because he is also my know-it-all child and spends all his time helping the other kids instead of accomplishing his own work. :( hmmm...

a productive day
the makings of a productive tomorrow