Our Kindergarten Learning Area

This year before we started school, I asked Kaleb if he wanted to continue using the workboxes {we used the Trofast system from Ikea} or use workfolders like the others. He has been asking for awhile to use the workbox grid cards like the older kids, so this year we made a fresh start with his things.

Kaleb’s workspace is at the end of our homeschool classroom that is right near my desk. Both he and Zachary are closer to me so that we have a ‘triangle’ of sorts to work together, because they are the two that are most hands-on at this point.

Pictured above: Desk – Vika Amon birch tops w/ Curry legs and red Snille chair Pencil rack is Bygel rail with blue Bygel containers. Bins from the Ikea Trofast system.

When we moved the bigger Trofast system out of the schoolroom, it opened up some space next to Kaleb’s desk, so I re-worked the layout there to tailor it to what we’d be focusing on this year. Essentially, I just made it more fun for him {grins}.

Pictured above: A Guidecraft Nordic rocker, our monthly calendar pocket chart,  US Wall Cling map, and our All About Reading Level 1 bag of goodies.

Kaleb is the one that primarily uses the pocket chart calendar, so that was moved next to his desk. Each day he figures out the color pattern {he chooses a new pattern each month} and will then count for me, tell me the full date, and explain the pattern is. {This is one of his favorite things to do ~ grins}.

On the wall right below, we have a US Wall Cling map {sometimes there is a similar one available on Amazon}. This year we’re talking a lot about where we live and the world around us, so the map has been a great hands-on tool for Kaleb.

We also keep his bag of All About Reading Level 1 books and the folder games in a bag on the floor so that we can pull it out when we are working on reading. Right behind the bag you may notice a few cookie sheets. One is for our Read! Build! Write! mat and letters. The other {red} sheet is a magnetic Kidboard from Barker Creek that we’re using to build sentences and read together.

Pictured above: Bygel rail with blue Bygel containers and 12” square corkboard tiles.

Kaleb’s desk area has all of his markers, pencils and more right within reach. Hanging right above his desk are pockets that we use to hang things that we are working on {currently a poem from First Language Lessons and our weather spinner}. We use it to also show off Kaleb’s artwork or other fun things. {shhh….Ziggy the Zebra is resting on the desk}.

Between McKenna and Kaleb’s desk is another Ikea Trofast tower. Kaleb stores all of his ‘extras’ in the bottom two bins. The white bin is for his workfolders and the red bin is where he stores his history binder and other large items so they don’t take up desk space. On top of the Trofast system, is a red bin {left} where he puts any of his completed work. The two binders between the two red bins {top} are his daily calendar notebook and McKenna’s.

That’s just a quick look at Kaleb’s kindergarten workspace. I’ll share a little more next week about how Kaleb’s overall routine is with his workfolders and weekly workbox grid and how we’ve tweaked the workbox system to work for our family.

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