Work boxes Part 3 and Spelling Curriculum

So as everyone else gets out of school for the year, we prepare to begin the new school year on MONDAY!  Yikes!!  It's hard to believe, I can no longer be in denial, my baby is in KINDERGARTEN!!

So....Here is the update on the work boxes.  I begged my mom to go to Ikea and mail me some more shallow drawers!  hahaha, hopefully shipping is not to much.  For now I have put 8 shallow drawers and 2 deep ones on Cole's side (for 10 total) and then 6 deep ones on Zane's side.  I figure he will do a lot of activities with us anyhow.  So this is how it looks now.  I need to get some more Velcro.   (until we get the new boxes!!) :D (if you've been following my workbox journey, you can see how it's been changing...trial and error!  lol)

I updated Cole's workbox plan to have 10 boxes (with the option of 12).  I divided the reading and phonics activities up, and I added a spelling box.   (spelling is another post I need to make).
Here is what the boxes look like inside: (minus the 2 new boxes I added)


Reading and Phonics (will be separated now), I also have his worksheet pages in cover sheets so they can use dry erase makers and then they are reusable. 



Handwriting without tears

Science (this month he has science class still, so we are just supplementing, they are studying reptiles and amphibians)

Read Aloud

Saxon Math K

Chinese

Geography/Social Studies

Read Aloud

and so far Zane only has one box:

Here is Cole's new work box schedule , I have not really done a schedule for Zane yet since he will mostly just be going along with us.  I do have plans for him in the future, I need to work on getting C a little more independent on some subjects first and I'm also waiting for some things to get here I ordered online.

Here are the schedule tags on the side of their desks

Before they start their work boxes, we have group/circle time. We read the scriptures, then we do calender and The Pledge of Allegiance.

Now onto Spelling -
I wasn't going to do spelling, mostly because it consists of writing words to show you can spell them correctly, and well Cole does not write much (he can write his name and a few other letters).  We started with Handwriting without Tears last year, but with the baby and the move, we didn't pick it up again...but then I got to thinking and did some more research and there are so many ways to spell words without having to write them.  So I made up a list...with links to other sites I found ideas on.  You can get the list here, it would also work well for learning to recognize letters and sounds too!  And since my mom is going to be mailing us some more 'boxes', I asked her to also clean out her scrap booking stuff and send us any letters (stickers, chipboard, etc) that she won't be needing and also any letter stamps (if she has them and is not using them).    We'll be using Spelling Workout: Level A, Student Edition
 as a base (for now) to see how it goes, I'd like to line up his spelling lessons with his reading and phonics lessons too...but I don't want to bore him.  The boy is reading better and better every day, but I don't want to cheat him from the basic rules, I figure that will hurt him later, so we are reviewing what we started last year (should be a quick through) to make sure he gets it before we move on.

I have also looked at using Spelling Power, Fourth Edition, but for now I think I'm just going to use some of their ideas for making it fun as well.  Some things they suggest are (not listed on my spelling ideas document):
1.  Dial -a-word - dial your words on a telephone.  Say each letter as you dial it.
2.  Yarn Words - glue yarn on pieces of heavy paper so that it spells each of your words.  Close your eyes and have a friend hand you the cards one at a time.  Feel the yarn spelling on each card.  Say the word and spell it.
3.  Cut up Words - write each word with a thick crayon, cut out the letters, mix them up and then rearrange them in the correct order to spell each word.  Paste them onto a piece of paper.

MAKING SPELLING FUN TOOLS!