Writing Prompts for Kids

We use writing prompts in our workboxes and during our summer routine. Our summer routine is 10 to 15 minutes of structured educational activity a day. Keeping this simple low pressure routine last summer reduced the amount of back-to-school whining when fall came around. It also helped reduce a lot of Summer slide.  Once a week we have "Writing Wednesday" where my children pick a writing prompt from a jar and write a half page.

 

WRITING PROMPTS

 Write about the day in the life of an inanimate object in your house. Must be written from the point of view of the object.


 If I live to be a hundred years old...


Last week I found a secret passage in my closet...


When I open my own restaurant...


Yesterday I was magically transported into my favorite TV show......


 My time machine is ready...


Hello, my name is the Sun.... (write from the point of view of the Sun)


Hello, my name is the Moon... (write from the point of view of the Moon)


It was a dark and stormy night...


 In my secret lair.....


If I had $1,000 I would buy.....


I found a genie lamp and my first wish is.....


The monkeys escaped their cage at the zoo....


You will never believe what I found in the swimming pool.


If I had a superpower it would be...


This morning I woke up with a mermaid tail...

 

 

Inside Our Homeschool Workboxes

We love our 5th grade workboxes! They pair well with My Father's World, and we use them after our morning together time of Science, History, and Bible.  

Be encouraged, you are not the only one who had to tell your children to stop poking each other with pencils today. To those of you think my Homeschool Workboxes mean I get free time to do chores around the house during school, they don't. My 5th graders still need me in the room or they get distracted, bicker and poke each other. 

The workboxes free me from spending my whole day explaining what comes next and do foster a sense of ownership over their day, but they are not 100% independence. I usually work at my computer next to their desks, because they need me for questions and individual subjects of Math and English all morning long. The workboxes do allow me to blog and edit my professional photography business as they work. They allow me to leave the room to quickly throw a load of laundry in, without everyone loosing their focus at once.

Below is a video to  show a little day-in-the-life video of our homeschool workboxes, showing you inside each box. All the supplements mentioned have links below the video.

To read more specifically of each subjects that is inside of the workboxes, see this post!

5th Grade Workboxes

 

Some of the supplements mentioned in the video:

 Art

Draw and Write Through History

Exercise Jar

 Music

Guitar Lessons for Kids

Free Piano Lessons for Kids

5th grade workboxes- Rome to Reformation

We  have been using workboxes since 2nd grade, and still love them.  Each year we adjust for our needs and growing independence, but I can't imagine going back.   This system has been about fostering independence in learning, while allowing me to work one-on-one with each child when needed.

We still use  My Father's World for 5th grade, we are on Rome to Reformation of the family cycle this year.  We use our own choices for Art, Math, Spelling, and Music (see contents of workboxes for our choices).

TOGETHER TIME

Together Time is done with ALL the kids in your house, before individual subjects begins.  It is usually done on the couch in our house.

• HISTORY- Usually reading, and maybe a project from the teacher's manual, like Roman Helmets 

• SCIENCE- Usually some reading, and maybe make a model from The Body Book: Easy-to-Make Hands-on Models That Teach



Low Res- Real Life picture of together time on the couch, no make-up!
 KEEPIN IT REAL!

I keep my manual in a bag next to the couch, along with the books for the week.  

Making clay tablets for history.  My kids like to work on the game chest in the living room, instead of dining room table.

WORKBOXES

Each child has his own 10 Drawer Cart, with a different order to each subject.  The different order allows me to work one-on-one with them for Math and Language Arts.  

The varying order also enables me to play on their strengths, and weaknesses.  I learned that I have to put art in the last workbox for one of my children, because he will get so sidetracked drawing that he will forget to do the rest of his work.  My other child seems to do better with Math earlier in the morning, so I make sure it is one of his first workboxes.

The box stays pulled out for whatever subject they are working on.
This gives me and them a visual idea of where they are in their morning.
 

BOX 1. Science

• 1st semester- The Body Book: Easy-to-Make Hands-on Models That Teach
• 2nd semester-Astronomy Notebooking Journal for Exploring Creation with Astronomy 

We usually do science during together, but use the workbox for storage of their notebooks, body models, or science worksheets.

BOX 2. Root Words
English from the Roots Up- We usually do root words during together, but use the workbox for storage of their work.

BOX 3.  History
MFW Rome to Reformation Notebook Pages.  Again, we usually do these during together time, but the workbox is where we store the, when done.

BOX 4. Math
We have used Math U See since kindergarten, and love it!

BOX 5.  Art
This can be a myriad of items: ours is usually a page from Draw and Write Through History  or a page from Minecrafters: Math Coloring Book  (Math Drills disguised as art)!

BOX 6. Spelling
We love  Spelling - By Sound and Structure - Grade 5. It is almost completely done independently throughout the week, with a test each Friday.  I also like that it makes my children practice their cursive.

BOX 7. English
 Language Lessons for Today- Grade 5, recommended by MFW.  I do this subject individually with each child, but I leave a blank notebook in this work box.

BOX 8. Writing
 Writing Strands, Level 3 & Writing Strands, Level 4. I leave a blank notebook in this work box.

BOX 9.Music/Piano 
 We have used FREE piano lessons Hoffman Academy since 2nd grade.

BOX 10. Typing
 Can not say enough good things about  www.Typing.com .  You can make your own teacher portal, and kids get their own sign ins. During typing, they have to do 3-5 screens, then they are allowed to play 10 minutes of typing games (also on the Typing.com website)

Typing time.

AGENDA

I used to put a note in each work box, but I learned it was a lot of work to write a different assignment on 10 different boxes each day. I can now put assignments on the daily agenda.  This is a lot less work for me. The work boxes are still an essential, because they dictate each child's order, and store all their books and papers. 

Our Daily Agenda

Our English, Drawing Through History, and Writing Stands Books are all stored next to agenda.

I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE!  

ASK ME IN COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS!

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Homeschool Workboxes 4th grade- MFW Creation To the Greeks

Workboxes are what keep us sane while homeschooling! They give all of us independence and allows my to work one on one with each boy as needed.  I don't have to spend hours reminding and nagging about what to do next.

Workboxes can be used with any curriculum! 

We are in our 5th year of homeschooling, using My Father's World Curriculum.

 My twins are in 4th grade, and we are on Creation to The Greeks in the MFW family cycle. You can see below how we use workboxes this year. 

OUR HOMESCHOOL ROOM

We moved our homeschool room out of the basement, we needed the sun!!!  

The left 3 cubes are for school books & Bibles. My teacher binder is stored on top of shelf.

I store our student sheets by week in a hanging binder.

OUR DAILY ROUTINE

Together Time

We sit on our couch, or do experiments in the kitchen for most of the together time subjects. If one of these subjects has a notebook page, I send the boys to their desk to finish it, then it is stored in their History workbox.

• History Reading, Activities, & Note booking
• Science & experiments
• Root Words

Cuneiform Writing in Sugar Cookie dough,
during History Together Time

Workboxes

We use a 10-Drawer Organizer Cart for our workboxes.  They have lasted for 3 years, and we love them. In years past, I have put a tag into each workbox to tell the boys what to do but this I wanted a more streamlined approach.  We now have been using one daily agenda board (pictured below).  They now function as storage for each child's notebooks & past work, and direction on the order in which they should do each subject.

Each child has their subjects in different order to allow one-on-one time with Mom during Math and Language Arts.   

*Specific assignment is written on agenda white board

1. History-this box is where they store their completed student sheets and History notebook, done during together time

2. Root Words- We use a worksheet for derivative sentences, found in CttG facebook page file section.  

3. English- Language Lessons for Today, Grade 4- Do with Mom

4. Art- Draw and Write Through History * We use this instead of recommended art of God and History, it allows more independent art time. Click link for printable schedule.

5. Spelling- Spelling By Sound and Structure Grade 4 * We choose this curriculum instead of because it is more independent work than suggested Spelling Power.  There is also a TEN MINUTE BREAK card, usually in Box 5.

6. Writing- Writing Stands, Level 3*

7. Math-Math U See* -Do with Mom

8. Typing- We use Typing.com.  Each boys does 3 to 5 screens a day.

9. Spanish- DuoLingo for now, but adding Rosetta Stone soon.

10. Piano- We use Hoffman Academy,  if there is a video to watch, it is on the Agenda Board. I they have a music worksheet to do, it is in their box.

Individual Time

• Reading- Read for at least 20 minutes from Book Basket. My kids are book worms, so I don't have to remind them much to read, but I do check to make sure they are reading from  Book Basket.

• Daily Chores-All chores must be done before screen time

• Read-Alouds are done as Bedtime story with Dad

You might be interested in my other Posts:

First Day of School Scavenger Hunt

MFW Resources 

Thank you for using affiliate links, you keep this site open at not extra cost to you! 

Homeschool Work-boxes~Third Grade. MFW Exploring Countries and Cultures

Another year of My Father's World has begun! We continue to use MFW, alongside workboxes and some of our own supplements. 

This is a follow up to my Second Grade Homeschool Work boxes, My Father's World Adventures in U.S History. We start around 9:30am with a snack before "school", then cuddle up on couch for together time.

Together Time 

I keep my Together Time books in the living room and we read together on the couch. 

• Geography-Read Teacher's manual on new country, any country activities, listen to any songs from Wee Sing Around the World.  We usually save all cooking for Friday night dinners.
• Lego Landmarks- We are building a landmark or flag for every country we visit.
• Science- Readings from "Living World Encyclopedia" and "Property of Ecosystems".  If there are any experiments or worksheets to finish, we do them before work boxes.
• Bible- "Hero Tales"

ECC Workboxes

We use 10-Drawer Organizer Carts  for our workboxes and love them!.
Below is ONE BOYS' boxes.  The other child has the same boxes, but in a different order (i.e if I am working on Math with one, the other is doing independent copy work or reading). Knowing your children's personalities also helps in setting up their order; one of my children has his reading as his last box because he has been know to get lost in a book and forget to do the rest of his school work. 

Box 1- Bible.  
 Copy work for Hero Tales . Matthew Bible Verses. 

Box 2- Geography 
John 3:16 Country Student Sheets, Flag Student Sheets, or Copy work for Geography A to Z.  I also keep their passports Flags of the World Sticker book in this box.

Box 3- Spelling 
Our choice for spelling is Spelling By Sound and Structure for Christian Schools Grade 3 because it maintains more independence in learning.  The boys have a page to do a day, then a test on Thursday or Friday. I leave a note book to be used on test days, and any additional practice of missed words.

Box 4- Art and break 
 Instead of Book of Animals, we use Draw Write Now Books (also used in 2nd grade).

Draw Write Now Book 3: Native Americans, North America, Pilgrims
Draw Write Now, Book 4: The Polar Regions, Arctic, Antarctic (Draw-Write-Now)
Draw Write Now Book 6: Animals and Habitats: On Land, Ponds and Rivers, Oceans
 Draw Write Now Book 7: Animals of the World Part 1: Forest Animals
 Draw Write Now Book 8: Animals of the World Part II: Grassland and Desert Animals

Since the boys usually use the same  book, they have to grab the indicated book themselves. They are on the shelf next to the workboxes. Each boy can then get a snack and then take a 10 minute break.  I love that they have to set their own timer, and get back to work when they are done.

Box 5- English  
The twins use the same English book, so instead of putting the actual book in their box, I put a dry erase page that tells them what lesson to do, and if they need to do it with me.  The boys retrieve their  English book from the shelf next to the work-boxes, and work with me if indicated. I also include any materials they may need for that lesson.

Box 6- Math
 We use Math-U-See DVD curriculum. My usual schedule is watch video and learn new concepts with Mom on Mondays, then independent practice and review for the rest of the week. 

The video is upstairs in our living room, next to Together Time materials. 

Box 7- Typing  
FREE ONLINE Typing.com , best resource out there next to Hoffman Academy.  The boys have a bookmark webpage on our desktop, and they must sign in on their own and complete lessons, and I have a teacher portal to check their progress.

Box 8- Writing
   Draw Write Now, or Cursive Connections.  When we run out of Cursive, I plan to add independent activities, like puzzles and flash cards.

Box 9- Piano and Practice 
We use FREE Online Piano Lesson Hoffman Academy.  The boys watch a video every Monday on our tablet, then practice each day afterward. I spent the extra $20 a year for the printable materials (totally worth it), and each child gets a worksheet every week to go along with their video. I typed a practice schedule with all their songs , practice games, and finger power exercises for the boys to practice more independently whenever we don't have a video. 

Box 10- Reading  
We love My Father's World Book Basket recommendations because they allow the boys to gather information on the country without me having to read aloud. All books from Library have to stay in basket n living room (cuts our late fees in half!!!).