Review: Sue Patrick's Workbox System

For the past few months I've been hearing about workboxes throughout the homeschooling community on-line. Hardly a day goes by where I don't read of another person trying them out, attempting to use them to organize their homeschool, and extolling the wonders of them.

I was pretty excited to hear that the TOS Homeschool Crew would be getting Sue Patrick's book, Workbox System User's Guide, to review. This eBook sells for $19 on her website.

However, my excitement soon waned once I started reading Ms. Patrick's book. I hesitate to say that, but I have truly been agonizing over how to publish this review. I did not like the book & I'm not thrilled with the way Ms. Patrick presents it in her book. Why do you ask? I had to confirm again and again that Ms. Patrick was indeed a homeschooler. She has two children & her oldest child is autistic. She designed her system to help foster independence in her children's schooling. All good of course.

Here is where Ms. Patrick & I digress though. The set-up she requires in her book is very much a "school at home" approach. The child has their workbox setup, a desk, and as little interaction with their teacher (i.e. mom) as possible since Ms. Patrick feels there is far too much talking going on in homeschools and that homeschooled children are "addicted to Mom sitting" with them and helping them with school work. Needless to say, I disagree wholeheartedly with this, but then again, that is my opinion. I simply found the tone of the book annoying.

The first fourteen pages of Ms. Patrick's book may be viewed by clicking HERE. And if you'd like to see a two minute video explaining how the system works, you may click HERE. Here is one more link for you, an interview of Sue Patrick posted at lovetoknow.

I am using a workbox-like system here at home with the boys, but it only vaguely resembles the system shared in the book. First, Ms. Patrick wants one to use 12 plastic shoeboxes and a shoe rack to hold them - for each child. I may have mentioned a time or two that I live in a 14x70 trailer & my living room is wall-to-wall bookshelves already. I simply could not see a single area in my home where I could set up the system as suggested. So I tweaked it. Of course! Isn't that what all homeschoolers do?

I am using one large bin per student (B13 & J5 are using dishpans - they are cheap - and N8 has a $5 bin). Inside each bin are 12 Ziploc bags. For the most part, what I want them to do fits in a gallon size bags. Although, I do see the need for some two gallon bags & plan to pick some up. I am using Ms. Patrick's schedule strips and schedule grid. These (and a few more printables) are free downloads from her website once you purchase the book and register it there.

We are still coming together in the morning for "together school." This is when I do a read-aloud and one or two other subjects that all the boys do together (history, science, Bible, etc.). Those subjects that they were already doing on their own are now found in their workboxes. B13 is loving this system but I am encountering some frustration with him and his workboxes. He's so eager to "be done with school" that he is rushing through his work & not following instructions I give him via sticky notes. It's something we're continuing to work on & at 13 years of age, independence is definitely a skill J13 needs to learn. I'm not quite so worried about N8 or J5 learning this at their young ages.

If you struggle with staying on task during the day (or your children do) or you find yourself trying to juggle multi-ages or you have older children who need to learn how to manage their day or you have special needs children who thrive with structure, then you may wish to try out the book to see if it lines up with your homeschooling philosophy.

If you'd like to see how I am using it in my own homeschool. You may click over to my homeschool log blog (I love saying that), Freedom Academy.

*Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. All opinions shared are my own. TOS Crew Members are given the product free of charge in order to review it.