What is in the Teen's boxes? Good question!

So I have a lot of folks wondering what to put in the older kids' workboxes. This is a difficult problem because they most likely do not want to do "baby stuff" and yet, perhaps enjoy a few good activities that are not so academic like.

In general, my daughter (15) has set things she needs to accomplish and then we add when we can. She takes classes with our local HS group, so those assignments take top priority. Then I add in the things I want accomplished this semester and do my best to add the goodies.

Usual WKBX layout (Bible is the only one that consistently stays in the number one spot)

1. Bible (following Hewitt's Bible Syllabus and switch out couple times per week with Grapevine Studies on Bible Feasts and Holidays)

2. All American History Vol. 2-so we have a break down of a certain amount of reading and activity (sheets) and then add in a Civil War video (usually have her watch about 15-20 min worth each time to stay around the time frame of the reading information). Also add in President cards (found for a buck at Target this summer-I did laminate the flash cards to get more years out of em-but what I have her do is study the presidents up to where she is in the text...which right now is to Abe. Then she studies their years and order. I occasionally test her in the order and then have her tell me the years when she can recall them. I also have 2 books I add in at times-one really nice coffee table book on the Presidents-so she can gain even more insight about their life and times, and one on the ladies of the White House. I have her chose a gal that peeks her interest and read up on her. I am not looking to have her memorize it all-just be familiar with it. I will be adding in the timeline work soon-just haven't had the time to gather all the necessary items I want her to put on it (clip art, etc.)

3. Learning Lang. Arts thru Literature. Gold-Am. Lit. I add this in about 2x per week right now. We are just working thru each lesson (I add/delete the things we need/don't necessarily need to cover-), plus-Winston Grammar (refreshing her brain cells on grammar) and EDUDPS Write with the Best II for extra writing skills practice. 2-3x per week.

4. Extras: we are still working thru the Nutrition 101 course I received to review, so I will add that in 2x per week. I have her read the sections, do some suggested activities and make a couple dishes (when possible).
***German (right now using German in 10 min. a day) 3x per week

***also: 1 to 2x per week, I will add in her ACT Discover assignments (this is a cyber like career guidance program, so being that she is in 10th grade-this is a great mini-unit for her.

***then I add in the various fun stuff (will list later)

On top of that-she has a huge load to accomplish for her HS Group classes-so on Mon and Tues. (the days she goes) she will come home and start working on those items. The classes are Biology (using Apologia), Finance 101 (using several sources, including Rich Dad, Poor Dad), Film discussion, Painting with Acrylics and Quilting 101. So, using the teacher's syllabus' we work thru the assignments. The science takes a lot of time-so we have to slam down the majority of it early in the week. This means that usually until mid-Wed. her assignments from above (outside of Bible) are limited.Thurs. and Friday are usually almost all the ones above-then she wraps up any HS group classes.

I am finding right now-she is getting anywhere between 1-8 boxes.  The assignments take more time, so I haven't wanted to overload her.  Now, next semester-we will not be taking as many classes, so that we can get back into her subjects that we have had to way lay for a time-like One Year Adventure novel,  she will have a math class (not doing anything now due to her taking the Finance one), and I want to do a geography study with her.  Bible, History, Science and Lang. Arts will continue next semester too.

I have had a bit of time getting a handle on her boxes, since we just started using them, for her,  this fall.  Working around the workload of her classes, adding in the reg. ones we want to cover, and all the items we are trying to review for TOS, has not been easy-it is a juggling act for sure.  So it has not been as ideal as I would like.  I want to have neat and interesting things for her to do besides her reg. work-but time has been flying by and I have been dealing with a lingering lung/cough health situation that has been beating me up pretty good.  I am praying Nov. will be more productive.

OK, now the fun stuff I have done so far.  I have the Klutz fashion book where she designs clothes using their papers and accessories-so then I ask her to design an outfit or 2 and put it into her fashion folder (I have a pic of it in a previous post).  I also have her do math puzzles and games (I have this hard one from the dollar store that is a wood puzzle that has to be put back in order to make it-not easy to do), math programs via the 'puter, puzzles (like a big world and continent puzzle), word searches, German worksheets that reinforce what she is learning in German, baking goodies, Spears Art Studio activities (see my blog on lapbooking, I just posted a pic of her Pointilla activity), she works on her drawing via her puter, Music CDs (she has a timer card for about 15 min.  and a CD/player in her box), extra books I want her to read, her sewing assignment (I made a wee card that says for her to sew for 30 min.) and more.  My brain is toast right now...

I am not afraid to add in younger things either-they are fun!  Like the Rush Hour, seasonal crafts, jewlery making, clay crafting and she has been seen playing with Play Do still (uh, I am so guitly of this too, I simply love the smell-takes me back in time-and it is fun for a wee bit to create fun things using it :0) so why not?)

Well that is a bit of info on the teen's boxes.  Like I said-once I get more organized and can focus more-I will have a better listing and set up going for her.  Actually, I want to do a post about how to run the high school years more like how they do it in college.  I am seeing more and more, that this is really a great way to approach it.  But alas-that will wait until another time.

HTH