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Each of the folders originally only had 8 pockets,
so I bought a few extra folders, took the comb
binding off, and added a few extra pocket pages
so they all had 12 pockets.

The inside folders are clear. If something that
we are doing doesn't fit into one of the folders
{a puzzle, a manipulative, or a 'hands-on
lesson'} the kids have a have their own special
box for oversized items {see picture below}.

When they finish what is in the pocket, they
remove the number from their number strip and
match it to the same number in their folder. If
there is another tag on that page already {see
the picture tagged 'folder page for spelling'
above} they return the extra cards to a basket
for me to sort later.
While I already have a fairly organized school day, I knew that workboxes would help our school day in
several ways:

  • I would be more accountable to actually plan and use curriculum on our shelves {i.e. many of my
    'unused' manipulatives would finally see the light of our homeschool day}. The boxes need to be
    filled with activities and it helps me chunk out our school time.
  • It would encourage me to be more consistent in our school days. While I already have an overall
    idea of how I want our day to go, this gives me a bit more consistency in working through the day
    {read ~ I am easily distracted.}
  • Our kids would be able to literally 'see' what was happening each school day, because there is a
    definite order to each day. This doesn't only apply to the kids either - I can also see what they have
    finished and still need to do!
  • My kids would be encouraged to work more independently ~ and work towards definite goals
    during their school day. The kids have fun things to look forward too, encouraging them to work
    toward those goals.
  • It would encourage me to add more 'fun' into our school day: learning games, nature walks,
    learning centers, trips to the museum...
  • It has given me a renewed excitement for our school time {and our kids too}. I've gone through
    our supplies and on-hand activities and have lists of all the things that we have on hand to do.
    Each day their boxes have fun 'new' things in them to do and they look forward to seeing what is
    planned!

If you are interested, you can read more on my thoughts about Sue Patrick's Workbox System here.
We started using a variation of Sue Patrick's
Workbox System during our 2009 school year.
We follow the basic principles of the system
but have modified it to fit our family and it is
working great for us!

Instead of using shoeboxes and shelving
systems for our older three, we are using what
I've dubbed the 'workfolder'. I saw a similar
idea on a yahoo group and walked into
Walmart a few days later and found folders in
four different colors for our kids.
Those big and bulky items need a place to be
stored for the kids to find. Kaleb's workboxes
follow along with the traditional setup and
his shelf has 12 boxes. Four of the boxes are
oversized. Kaleb's school things are in the top
8 boxes and if there is a puzzle or special
game the older kids need to work on, they
find them in the bottom 4 boxes.
Click the thumbnail image to download cards
The workbox activity cards I made include a
variety of subjects and activities including
outdoor activities and special trips. There are
also 'help' cards and minute cards for timed
activities such as computer or reading.
Overall, there are a total of 32 picture cards,
24 minute cards, and 4 blank cards.

Enjoy them! Don't forget the fun preschool
workbox number cards for your little ones!
Our activity cards are stored in a
simple pocket chart that hangs in one
of our cupboards.