Mini Offices

Last week I was looking for something to do with my math co-op class.  It is supposed to be math games but my brain was fried thinking of another new game and I wanted something that could help them when they are at home.  Then I remembered a post I saw on a homeschool blog – mini offices!

Maybe you’ve heard of mini offices.  If you have write in the comments what kinds you’ve made and if you have it posted on your blog – link us up so we can check them out.  For those of you wondering what I’m talking about – read on.

Mini offices are like lapbooks…. but a little easier.  You gather the information you want your child to have easy access too and put it in the book.  Maybe you want to do a writing office with reminders of things to check for, common misspelled words, a list of adjectives and other helpful things or you could do a phonics rule book – the ideas are endless.  Here is what I did.

The group I am working with are first and second graders.  I only have six students and a few of them still struggle with some basic math concepts {including my own daughter}.  So I searched the web for some ideas and things I wanted to include.  I found some great resources, printed out my final choices and did all the cutting for them.  That way during class we would just have to glue them in and then go over each item that was included.

This is a picture of my daughters completed book

To make the book you will need two folders.  I did not do the shutter fold, just glued two pages together to make a three page layout.  {note: I am not a seasoned lapbook maker, so my terms may be off}.  On the front cover I had them write “‘your name’s’ Math Mini Office” and decorated it as they wished.  Some of the links I found had a cover I could print out but I was saving printer ink and wanting them to be creative to make it their own.

Now if you open the folder all the way out {top center picture} on the far left page is the days of the week, months of the year {for both of these are the abbreviations and for months the number}, time words and phrases, problem solving method, and a left hand.  In the middle is money reminders, order words {ordinal numbers}, place value {under each number is the place value – so if they lift 1 they see ‘ones place’}, and the right hand.  On the right page is key words for word problems {like if you see “in all” you would add}, shapes, an addition chart {I made this myself as the one I found online was too big}, and math symbols and words.

Now if you fold in the right end on the back of that is what you see in the bottom center picture – skip counting, ordinal numbers, and a number chart.  The ordinal numbers is different than inside as it has, for example, “3rd” with “third” written under it.  The number chart is similar as it does “3″ “three” and  “III”.

Finally on the back of the folder {if it is all the way closed} is the 100 chart, a clock and time words.  To the clock I added the minutes {next to 1 I put 5 -I did this all the way around} to help her remember to count by fives.  The hundreds chart would be good covered with contact paper or laminated.  Then your child could practice skip counting on it.

Some links I used:

http://homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com/search/label/Mini%20Office%20Lapbook

http://sheilasjourney-sheila.blogspot.com/2008/04/math-lapbook-mini-office.html

http://www.teachingheart.net/minioffice.html

That is the tour of the math mini office we made.  You could certainly cater it to your child’s needs and math level.  Next I’m going to make one that goes with our Alphabet Island book and all the rules she is learning!