My dc have binders for several subjects, some that are ongoing (nature study/BOC/States study), some that are specific to a text (Apologia elementary sciences), and a separate binder for multiple subjects that do not require having their own.
I am looking to revamp my system for next school year and would like some ideas as how you all manage each subject/student.
I love binders/notebooks, so that’s not the problem. The problem begins when subjects overlap or have not been designated to specific location beforehand.
Next school year is approaching and I would like to have some ready for the first day of school, and, I’d like some fresh ideas.
I haven’t got this completely worked out myself yet. I am toying with the idea of having one large everyday binder — the fancy expensive kind with the folder pockets in the front, and dividers for each subject. The main reason I am looking at this is that my boys need to take their work back and forth to my office daily. One binder to tug along that has folders for “today’s work” and “completed work” for marking would be helpful. I could mark the work later in the day and insert the pages into the correct section of the binder. I could transfer pages to another subject specific binder as needed. It’s a theory and I’m not yet sure how it will work out.
My other idea is a “workbox” related idea with a portable file-folder box, but I would still have to tranfer pages, and it would mean tranferring more pages on a regular basis into more binders. A definate pain in the neck.
This year we had one Binder each for Math, Science, Bible and Language Arts (copy work, grammar, etc.). I think we actually went through a couple math binders. I will be emptying them out at the end of this year (boys want to have a bonfire) so we can start over again next year without purchasing new.
I’ve also been debating using spiral notebooks that can be put into a 3 ring binder for some subjects like copy work/dictation.
I guess I’m struggling with this one a bit, too, so I’ll be watching this thread for other suggestions.
I’ve done one binder with dividers this year, but I think I’m going to sewn composition books for next year. I know it means narrations on plain paper, but sometimes my dd can spend too much time looking for a sheet.
Good idea on the “big, expensive” binder. That could hold pencils, crayons, sharpeners, etc., and be taken along when we have to do school on the run….hmmmm. Well, I do have the zipper pouches that could serve the same purpose and those could just be put in their main binders for safe keeping.
And, yes, Christie, my kids suffer when *I’m* looking for notebooking pages/printer paper (“Didn’t we just add some the other day?”), so I’m looking at purchasing the Notebooking Treasurey and print ahead of time. I thought I did that well enough this past school year, but I didn’t. I need to really do some heavy printing to be better prepared and not have any more reasons to not do a map drill/drawing or whatever.
I print out a variety of notebooking templates and keep them in a plastic organizer. We also have a big stack of plain and colored paper. I keep about ten different templates at once – any more than that and the decision takes too long lol.
We use one binder per child, no divisions, just chronological of how we did them. Everytime we do a new one we just pop it in the next sheet protector. I don’t know if we will sort through and organize them according to subject at the end of the year. If my children want to I will let them but I am not! We didn’t do very well at dating them so I figure if I just leave them you can see their progression naturally.
I am toying with the thought of putting dividers in next year but like you said, then what about those things that are more than one subject? I’m definitely not ready for more than one binder yet. If I do divide them I think I will have four sections – History & Geography, Nature Study, Personal Studies(narrations from personal reading or interest led research), and Bible.
I do not want to hijack this thread, but I would like a quick clarification: do you file away their work each year (especially written narrations in the areas of history, science, picture study and composer study)? Or do you keep the binders cumulatively and add to them each year?
I have one for the Language Arts areas, one for History and Geography, one for BoC, one for Science, one for Math, one for a composer/artist/poet/creative arts/handicrafts (instructions and patterns)/odds-n-ends, one for scripture study, and their nature journals are in a spiral bound sketch pad.
Right now everything is cumulative, but we are outgrowing the notebooks in some areas, like history and science. So after our calendar school year is over, I plan to sit down and make a portfolio type collection for each subject and only keep a few of the papers. I will be over run with paper storage very shortly if I don’t, and I don’t think that I need every math or copywork page forever. If I add to the chosen ones cumulatively I would put a paper between them denoting the school year or something for my own feeling of progression and records. lol
Very interesting, Tara. I’m going to have to think about this one. I have been very frustrated with trying to organize all of this for our homeschool. It does seem like studies overlap somewhat– and I don’t always know where to file a certain assignment. It would be so easy to do what you do. How big is the binder then? How often to you have to empty it and start over?? We are supposed to keep a portfolio, so it seems I could easily go through everything periodically and pick out things to put into the portfolio… hmmm…
This year we are going to try something different. Instead of separate binders for each subject we are going to make bound notebooks using the ProClick. I saw it recommended on Notebookingpages.com and found a good lot on ebay which included the ProClick, various bindings, and the plastic covers. We will be doing a notebook per subject (except math) but because they will be flexible they should take up less space versus all the 3 ring binders. Also, since the books will already be bound I won’t have to go through a ton of sheets at the end of the year deciding what we want to keep etc. We can just shelve the notebooks (or store them in a banker’s box per kid) and begin to have a living record of each year of school for that child. *But like I said, this is the P.L.A.N., the reality of it remains to be seen! 😎
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