Puzzle Checklist: How to Turn Completing Schoolwork into a Game

Do you have a younger homeschooled child who moans and groans when it comes to finishing schoolwork?  Perhaps your child has problems staying on task, or perhaps just wants to know when they can finally be done so they can go play outside!

Once upon a time I had a laminated visual checklist hanging on the classroom wall with pictures of our subjects along with little checkboxes which we would check as we worked through them.  My little type-A daughter inherited my love of checklists so this setup worked very well for her.  When I started teaching my son last year, however, he could absolutely care less.  I knew I had to find something else to help him get through his work.

I ran across this great classroom completion chart a couple of years ago, and finally decided to implement my own version at the end of last year with my kids.  I was amazed at how well it worked!  It gives a great visual of how many subjects they have left in a fun, engaging way. 

Want to make your own?  It is so easy!  Print and laminate a picture of your child's choosing.  Cut it into as many pieces as you have subjects for.  Ours are for our "core subjects".  This year Rafael has 4 main subjects (phonics, handwriting, math, grammar) so we cut his puzzle into 4 pieces.  Add magnets to the back and you are done!  We use workboxes so I put each puzzle piece into the corresponding workbox drawer.  They get to put up each puzzle piece onto our whiteboard after we finish each subject.

Thanks for reading!